For Golden's Bridge Firefighters, Summer Is No Vacation

GOLDEN'S BRIDGE, NY — The dramas that unfolded in a Northern Westchester summer will help ensure that first responders are ready for when it's not a drill.

From the Golden's Bridge Fire Department.

The scenario is all too common — a fisherman enjoying one of the area’s lakes jumps into the water to cool off, but quickly becomes physically spent and unable to climb back into his rowboat. A passing motorist notices the flailing swimmer and calls 911. Such was the case in the twilight of a recent sweltering day, except it was a simulated emergency — a training exercise in which more than 20 firefighters of the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department sharpened their skills and preparedness for the real thing by launching the GBFD’s Marine 25 rescue boat, and other apparatus and equipment typically deployed in water emergencies on local reservoirs and lakes, to rescue one of their own playing the part of the "distressed" fisherman.

Water rescue is just one of the many training exercises and drills in which Golden’s Bridge firefighters engage themselves throughout the year, including summer months, to hone their skills and stay current on techniques and protocols in emergency response scenarios — from motor vehicle fires and extrication, to brush and structure fires, to storm-related and medical emergencies.

"Training is not seasonal – it’s year-round," said Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Albert Melillo. "State-mandated training, refresher exercises, drills that we do as a department above and beyond what is required – and participating in mutual aid drills with our colleagues in fire departments of neighboring towns – builds teamwork and demonstrates what it takes to work together. The repetition and experiences place firefighters on the cutting edge of skills and techniques that ultimately translate into the best possible outcomes in real emergencies."

"We plan our schedules, commitments, and family outings around our training. Every hour spent in training is vital, knowing that it could mean the difference in saving a life," said Lt. Saurabh Mehta, a four-year veteran of the department whose family is proud of his commitment and fully on board with the sacrifices they have to make for his service to the community. "My family knows that when the pager goes off, it’s time for me to drop everything and go. In a way, they are also volunteering for our community."

Training exercises are held at the Golden’s Bridge Firehouse and at various locations in the fire district, which includes the hamlet of Golden’s Bridge and swaths of North Salem and Somers, or in other fire districts when participating with other departments in mutual aid drills. Most of the time, drills and training exercises take place on weeknights when GBFD firefighters get home from their professions, ranging from business owners, engineers, administrators, healthcare, providers, building trades — and even a librarian, attorney, chef and teacher!

Since the start of summer, Golden’s Bridge firefighters have participated in a number of training drills, among them strategies (establishing containment boundaries) and techniques of extinguishing brush fires (a mutual aid drill with Somers Fire Department), rope bailout from a second-story structure, utility terrain vehicle rescue (a mutual aid exercise with Croton Falls Fire Department), and drafting – the process of suctioning water from a static source (lakes, ponds, reservoirs) to fill tanker trucks, essential to transporting adequate water supply to the scene of a structure fire and suppressing the blaze.

A recent drill at the pond at the intersection of Increase Miller and Todd Roads saw firefighters engaged in drafting — the first step in the process of bringing water to the location of a fire event. In a fire event, multiple tanker engines, including those from mutual aid fire departments, would stage at a static water source near the fire, draft water and then rotate between the fire scene and drafting source, according to the Golden’s Bridge fire chief, who said the GBFD has access to water sources at many vantage points throughout the community to respond to fire emergencies.

In addition to participating in a comprehensive checklist of drafting and pumping operations, the exercises also covered a range of other drills such as driver training, inspection of fire apparatus and all equipment on the trucks, and testing the capacity of the draft source to make sure firefighters are able to pump between 800 and 1,200 gallons of water per minute.

The drill involving GBFD Utility 38, the department’s all-terrain vehicle, is important because it is apparatus critical to reaching individuals who have a medical episode or sustain an injury while walking the community’s many hiking trails that are unnavigable by larger emergency vehicles like fire trucks and ambulances.

The Golden’s Bridge fire chief always promotes public safety and offers some helpful advice whenever he talks about related firefighter training. "There’s an important lesson in the fisherman who takes a swim," said Melillo. "Never go out on water alone, and make sure you and your companion bring a cell phone. Always wear a life jacket, and know your physical limitations if you jump in for a swim. Be mindful of your boat’s weight capacity to avoid capsizing, and never bring any alcoholic beverages on board."

The same holds true when hiking local nature trails, says Melillo. "Pair up with someone and carry cell phones. Bring an ample water supply because dehydration can cause disorientation. Stay on marked trails so first-responders can locate you – and always carry a first-aid kit to treat minor injuries and insect bites," he said.

"Practicing good safety habits and using common sense will help keep your fun and adventurous outdoor activities from becoming an emergency. But if you encounter unanticipated hazards and challenges, Golden’s Bridge firefighters are ready to put into action their countless hours of training and skill," the Golden’s Bridge fire chief added.

This release was produced by the Golden's Bridge Fire Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.