Local news- Press Release
Muscatine Iowa - Muscatine Fire trains with rope gun on the riverfront 05 January 2024 ( news )
Muscatine , state Iowa ( By Press Release office)
Jan 05,2024
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MUSCATINE , Iowa
– Training is an everyday event for members of the Muscatine Fire Department and each shift has been spending time working on water rescue techniques over the past several days . Part of that training occurred at the Muscatine Community YMCA where firefighters donned their wetsuits and practiced water rescues .
Another part occurred inside Riverside Park as the firefighters worked on using a rope gun during water rescues .
“We have had this rope gun in our toolbox for four years but have only had to use it once during an actual emergency , ” Battalion Chief Ted Hillard said . “Ensuring that all staff are trained in its use guarantees that we are ready to deploy the rope gun when it is needed during a rescue . ”
Firefighters have trained on using the rope gun since the tool was added to the department’s rescue equipment arsenal four years ago .
“We have hired several new firefighters over the past several months who are still in training and becoming familiar with the rope gun is part of that training , ” Fire Chief Jerry Ewers said . “Having hands - on experience on this specialty tool benefits everyone . ”
The rope gun uses compressed air to fire a canister that is attached to a rope towards a victim . The canister contains an inflatable vest that automatically inflates once it touches the water .
Proper preparation of the gun and canisters are essential to the success of deployment . Preparing the rope gun for additional discharges is time consuming , so being able to get it right the first time is one of the key components of the training .
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