During the month of July 2010, Firefighters from Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, East Lake, Safety Harbor, and Oldsmar jumped into the Gulf of Mexico to rescue a mannequin from a vehicle during a simulated water rescue exercise. The sunken vehicle made of PVC and equipped with seatbelts sat at a depth of 8 feet while uniformed firefighters practiced techniques to safely rescue the patient from the submerged vehicle. The training not only provided a realistic view of the potential emergency calls Pinellas County Firefighters would respond to but prepared rescuers in other ways as well. As part of the training firefighters made rescues using lifeguard operated jet ski’s with a rescue sled for both unconscious and conscious patients. “It’s not uncommon for our firefighters to respond to Honeymoon Island or the causeway area for a water emergency,” said Palm Harbor Training Chief Tim Pilson. “This type of training prepares the responder for submerged vehicles in other bodies of water as well”.

The multiagency training, including the partnership with the Honeymoon Island State Park Lifeguards, allowed firefighters to visualize a rescue in choppy water with poor visibility, similar to what they would encounter in lakes and ponds. “There have been instances in Florida where Firefighters arrived on scene of a submerged vehicle and were unsure of how to handle the situation, said Pilson. Now Firefighters in North Pinellas County have the training to rescue a patient trapped in a submerged vehicle in shallow water.”

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