Norton Firefighters Rescue One of Their Own; Learn the Ropes of Technical Rescue

Firefighters last week had to rescue a man who was unconscious at the bottom of an approximately 14-foot drop with poor air quality and other potential chemical hazards.

The victim in the confined space was Attleboro firefighter Dennis Perkins. Perkins, who was selected for the Bristol County Technical Rescue Team, was playing victim as part of a training and rescue exercise. 

The Norton Fire Department was able to send the six firefighters to Massachusetts Firefighting Academy to partake in various training sessions thanks to $32,000 from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). Twenty-two firefighters from Canton, Stoughton, Foxborough, Norton, Framingham and several other Massachusetts municipalities, received extensive training through the academy this week altogether.

"These members will receive more than 100 hours of highly-specialized training in technical rescue activities including confined space rescue, trench rescue and rope rescue," Attleboro Fire Chief Scott Lachance said.

Norton firefighter Bob Wood said there are several areas in Norton including the town's pumping stations and sewer that could benefit from the confined space training he received.

"It's actually very good training," he said. "The fact is these rescues are labor intensive and everyone has to work together as a team.”

Wood and the 22 other firefighters were trained to make the best, fastest and safest decisions during rescues while their four instructors — Ryan McGovern, Nathan Schirner, Kevin Cronin, Dave Wiklund, along with support specialist Bob Sebastian — provided support and answered questions.

"That is what I enjoy the most about training, the problem solving and decision making," said Instructor Ryan McGovern, a member of the Boston Fire Department, Tower 10. 

McGovern and the other three instructors set up several exercises, including one where firefighters had to maneuver through long, dark tubes, remove debris, then find and rescue an unconscious victim.

Firefighters also had to set up a 4:1 pulley system, connect a safety line then rescue a victim several feet below. Instructors provided different scenarios during the training to help firefighters who may be faced with similar scenarios in real-life rescue missions.

"One of the biggest problems we see in our industry is 'Type A guys' who don’t want to stop (before going in and rescuing someone), but unfortunately without proper training we end up having to save our own guys," McGovern said. "In fact, 60 percent of would-be rescuers become victims."

Andrew Morgan, a native and current Canton Fire Department captain, said it was some of the best training he had since joining the department 17 years ago.

"This brings the level of training and camaraderie to another level," he said.

Other firefighters who participated in the training were: Dave Paiva (Berkley), Chris Madden (Milton), Ambrose Smith (Fall River), Roger St. Martin (Fall River), Glenn Mackillop (Westport), George Hogg (Bridgewater), Paul Chuilli (Bridgewater), Eric Arruda (Acushnet), Jim Bertram (Stoughton), Bob Wood (Norton), Jack Hebert (Foxborough), Dennis Perkins (Attleboro), Wendell Robery (Canton), Andrew Morgan (Canton), Kevin Farrar (Taunton), John Couroupacis (Foxborough), Joe Messia (Randolph), David Arsenault (Plainville), Dave Currier (Kingston), Rob O'Brien (Anson), and Peter Folton (Weymouth).