Fire district adds water rescue

The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District is planning to extend its service to the community with a water rescue program.

The fire district recently purchased two used Sea-Doo personal watercraft from a private owner in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to start the new program. Fire Chief James Russell affixed the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District rescue decals on the machines Monday. The fire district board voted unanimously in favor of the program in December and in January voted to spend the funds for the watercraft, according to Joel Collett, a member of the board.

“It’s been knocked around for a few years and we’ve seen an increase of activity on the river. There’s a real need for this,” said Collett, who completed a swift water training course in Missoula and will be helping with the fire district’s training process. He said they will probably be also utilizing outside training sources, such as teaming up with Two Bears Air Rescue of Kalispell or Sanders County Search and Rescue, the only other entity with a water rescue program in the county. Zach Vanderwall of Plains and Russell took the watercraft for a test drive soon after their purchase. Vanderwall, who Russell said might be joining the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District, has been through a swift water rescue course. Russell received his swift water rescue certification while with Sanders County Search and Rescue.

“I think it’s going to fill a need in the community. We’ve been fortunate not to have that many water related incidents,” said Russell. In 2019, a car went over the bridge at the fairgrounds and into the Clark Fork River. Although no one was in the vehicle when officials showed up at the scene, it could have been a case of the car and occupants floating down the river. Russell said the district has had calls about vehicles in the water and stranded boaters on the Clark Fork River, but has had to find other resources, such as a private boat owner, to respond. He said the Water Rescue Team would mostly be operating on the Clark Fork River, but they could do mutual aid with the Tribal rescue team on Dog Lake or with the SAR team on Finley Flats. “We’re making an effort to get this program started to be able to respond to an urgent need in the community,” said Collett. With the county’s SAR team based in Thompson Falls, the fire district’s new water rescue team would cut response time significantly, said Russell.

The fire district paid $13,000 for the two 2016 personal watercrafts and trailer. They also paid $2,000 for a 71-inch long sled, which is rated to carry 600 pounds. Everything was paid for with money raised by the annual fall rescue fundraiser, said Russell, the district’s chief for the last five years. Collett said that to start with, they will be purchasing outfits for four members, including dry suits, helmets, neoprene gloves and boots, and life jackets. He hopes to train eight to 10 members for the team.

Russell, who found the two 11-foot watercraft on the Internet, said they looked at several dozens options, mostly used ones. New ones would have been double the price. Collett said the machines had to have enough horsepower to carry two or three people and pull the sled and victim. One important feature, according to Collett, is that the watercraft they purchased have brakes and reverse, which many don’t have. “It gives you the ability to maneuver better in fast moving water,” said Collett. Russell said they’ll probably start training as soon as they get the accessories. Collett said they hope to some day be able to purchase a jet boat, which runs about $65,000 new.

“We’re really excited about this. We think it’s important,” said Collett. “The more people that are on the water the more likely we are going to have an incident,” he said. “We hope this program really grows over the next five years,” added Collett, who said that the water rescue program fills a big vacuum in the district’s area of responsibility. He said that people can donate money to help further the program.

The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District presently has 25 volunteers, including two that signed up last week. Eighteen is the minimum age, but the district has a junior firefighter program for boys and girls between the ages of 16 to 18.