Boise Fire Department Trench Rescue Training

Members of the BFD Technical Rescue Team spend time each year practicing the response to a call for a collapsed trench. Trench rescue is a challenging and important task for these first responders. The education includes classroom training and real world exercises with scenarios. Trench rescue, is hazardous for responding personnel. The risk for emergency personnel responding to a "cave-in" is especially high: A collapsed trench or excavation has greater than a 50 percent chance of collapsing again, particularly when rescuers are digging out the original victims. This potential secondary collapse, combined with numerous other factors such as adverse weather, hazardous atmospheres, release of gas from ruptured lines, broken water lines, the number of victims, and department capabilities, makes such a response challenging. This training took place at United Water who generously provides the location and digs the trenches for this essential training. The cooperative effort helps prepare firefighters to respond to incidents that take place across the city, and the region.