Plains fire, ambulance team up for training

Multiple people got stranded on the shoreline of Clark Fork River Saturday, including two children, and required help from Plains emergency services. Some had minor injuries but most were just cold.

"I was cold, confused and had cramping legs," said Jordan Bray, who was plucked from a beach near Rocky Point east of Plains by Plains-Paradise Rural District firefighters Brian Reed and Zach Vanderwall with their new rigid hulled inflatable boat Saturday afternoon. The rescuers were met by Plains Community Ambulance staff Larry Neilson and Deb Banham.

Bray faked his predicament three times that day and didn't get in trouble. That's because he was part of a daylong training exercise between the fire district and ambulance service.

It was the first major water rescue training between the two emergency services and all went well, according to Chief James Russell of the fire district and Neilson, senior person for ambulance. "You can't get enough training. Every time you train you learn something different," said Neilson, who has 43 years experience with Plains-Paradise Rural District, Plains Community Ambulance and Missoula Rural Fire District.

Fourteen men and women from the fire district and ambulance spent more than six hours along the River from the fairgrounds to Rocky Point along River Road East rescuing stranded and injured people in six different scenarios. Eighteen-year-old Bridger Bauer was the first "victim." He swam to one of the old bridge piles, but was too cold and tired to swim back. Once he was "discovered" marooned on the concrete structure, firefighter Sonya Black on jet ski approached to ascertain the situation, find out the extent of injuries, and to determine the best place for the RHI to retrieve the swimmer.

The crews performed three rescues from the old bridge pile with a slight variation in the scenario. Josiah Vanderwall, Zach's son, is also a member of the district and manned a jet ski. A scenario page went out for two kids on a beach near Plains that looked like they needed help. Rescuers picked up the two children, Emmy Russell, 11, and Jace Russell, 9, the chief's kids. They had been playing along the river and got lost. Once each rescue was completed by the water crews, members of the ambulance crew took over. They were cold, tired, and scared, but had no injuries. They made sure the patient was warm and checked them over before transporting them to the hospital, which they didn't actually do during the training exercise. They conducted a similar rescue with two people stranded just over a mile east of town with one who couldn't walk. This one involved transporting four members of the ambulance service to the victims in the RHI so they could receive first aid at the site before transferring them to an awaiting ambulance on the other shore.

"This was our first full scale training between fire and ambulance in the water," said Russell, who's been the chief there for almost seven years. The fire district got their two jet skis and RHI last year, but got the vessel's motor only last week. Their entire water rescue program, which also included dry suits, gloves, boots, and helmets, came to $25,000 all from its annual rescue fundraiser and is totally funded by the community, said Russell.

The objectives of the exercise were to train together, to help them remember what their roles are, to be more comfortable with what they might be called out to, to know how to do it safely, and to remember the resources we have and how to use them.

Seth Gibbs of Plains Community Ambulance served as the training officer for the exercise and gave a safety briefing prior to any action. "We were able to accomplish our goals and execute the end state through the training exercise," said Gibbs, who has been with the ambulance for five years and the fire district for two years. "Both agencies were able to recognize that we brought something different to the table and still worked within our strength," he said.

Gibbs said that communication was a big factor in the exercise and he felt it went well. Russell said they purposely tested communications between the two agencies and he was pleased with the results. "Radio communication was a challenge with lots of resources communicating together," said Russell.

Also participating in the exercise from Plains Community Ambulance were: Joel Banham and his wife, Deb Banham, Jan Fratzke, Lyle Fisher, Emma Mortenson and Jesse Behmerwohld, along with Tim Kinsinger of rural fire.

"It's been very successful. This was all about creating relationships and fostering cooperation," said Russell.

"Our main purpose is to serve the community and to do this we have to work well with each other," he added. Russell said they're considering having another exercise later this year, but he'd like to have more agencies involved.