Post by L Roebuck on Sept 2, 2007 20:07:54 GMT -5
Rescuers rely on caving experts
Firefighters need help negotiating caverns
By MARCELA CREPS Times-Mail
Caves on television and in movies always seem well-lit and easy to navigate, but in reality, caves are dark and dangerous.
With no Monroe County cave rescue group, area first responders rely on local people who know the caves like the backs of their hands. Van Buren Fire Chief Tim Deckard said he knew to call members of Bloomington Indiana Grotto, a local caving group, to help during a recent underground rescue.
“These groups are special groups to the first responders,” Deckard said.
Deckard said emergency personnel rely on expert cavers. With hundreds of local caves, area firefighters need help negotiating caverns that are confusing and dangerous.
“It’s not normal,” Deckard said. “Our normal day-to-day rescue, we’re used to getting people out of entangled vehicles and structures. When it comes to confined space, it takes a different group of people. These people know these caves, and they deal with this all the time.”
Deckard said western Monroe County, the area his department serves, is full of caves, including Buckner Cave, the site of many rescues over the years. Deckard and his team were called to Coon Cave in July to help a Martinsville woman who slipped while exploring underground. Firefighters have to battle a lot of difficult conditions in these grottos, which adds to the time it takes to actually get someone out of the cave.
Full Article
Firefighters need help negotiating caverns
By MARCELA CREPS Times-Mail
Caves on television and in movies always seem well-lit and easy to navigate, but in reality, caves are dark and dangerous.
With no Monroe County cave rescue group, area first responders rely on local people who know the caves like the backs of their hands. Van Buren Fire Chief Tim Deckard said he knew to call members of Bloomington Indiana Grotto, a local caving group, to help during a recent underground rescue.
“These groups are special groups to the first responders,” Deckard said.
Deckard said emergency personnel rely on expert cavers. With hundreds of local caves, area firefighters need help negotiating caverns that are confusing and dangerous.
“It’s not normal,” Deckard said. “Our normal day-to-day rescue, we’re used to getting people out of entangled vehicles and structures. When it comes to confined space, it takes a different group of people. These people know these caves, and they deal with this all the time.”
Deckard said western Monroe County, the area his department serves, is full of caves, including Buckner Cave, the site of many rescues over the years. Deckard and his team were called to Coon Cave in July to help a Martinsville woman who slipped while exploring underground. Firefighters have to battle a lot of difficult conditions in these grottos, which adds to the time it takes to actually get someone out of the cave.
Full Article