DOVER (WJER) (August 26, 2024) – Firefighters are keeping their skills up to date not only for emergencies in burning buildings, but also underwater.

Captain Brooks Ross says they spent a few hours last week with New Philadelphia firefighters under the Wooster Ave. bridge conducting a water rescue exercise in the Tuscarawas River.

“We stretch a rope across the river and anchor a boat to it, which we then use as a platform for our divers,” he explained.

Ross says the departments conduct water rescue drills about once a month, typically involving the river once or twice a year. He says they will also train at Atwood and Tappan lakes — where most vehicle recovery calls come from — as well as streams and ponds in the area.

“We’re trying different types of environments,” he said.

The divers wear dry suits that Ross said are similar to those they wear at fires, except they are designed for underwater use.

“You can’t get wet. Sometimes they leak,” Ross said. “They protect you from all kinds of biological hazards, from certain dangerous substances that might be in the water. If we’re looking for a car or something, there’s going to be oil and gasoline, so that protects us,” he said.

He says they are always striving to be better prepared, even though the department typically only receives one or two water rescue calls per year.

“Whether it’s a drowning victim or a vehicle we’re recovering in the water,” he said, “we try to keep up because it’s a pretty dangerous environment, so we try to train for it pretty regularly.”

According to Ross, the firefighters decided to train in the river this time to hone their techniques after their July deployment and search for the bridge jumper who, unbeknownst to them, had already made it out of the water unharmed.

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