Avalon Rescue Team Shares Training with Stone Harbor

AVALON — Members of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department went to Stone Harbor on Sept. 23 to show members of that community the advanced life saving equipment and training that can save lives, especially during a water rescue.
“We welcomed the opportunity to meet with our peers in Stone Harbor to showcase Avalon’s rescue equipment and share the latest wa-ter rescue training techniques”, said Avalon Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ed Dean. “Everyone in the public safety community shares information and training all of the time to serve our communities better, and this was an excellent way to help our friends in Stone Har-bor”.
More than a dozen volunteers from the Avalon Fire Department went to the Stone Harbor Fire Department on Sept. 23rd. Avalon fire-men brought a rescue wave runner to the discussion in Stone Harbor; Avalon currently has two rescue wave runners, along with two fire-boats.
The wave runners and fireboats can be used in the event of a boat fire or a boating accident. They can also be deployed to help fight a structure fire next to the bay, inlet, or ocean. The Avalon Volunteer Fire Department has developed a comprehensive water rescue program to serve the community, and serves as a model for other beach communities in the State of New Jersey.
The Avalon Volunteer Fire Department provided the Stone Harbor Fire Department with a demonstration on how the wave runner can be effectively used during a water rescue. Avalon firemen participated in a training exercise on the 95th Street beach in Stone Harbor to provide an example of how the rescue wave runners can be deployed.
On July 28, 15 members of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department received two full days of water rescue training from the National Wa-ter Safety Congress. Volunteers were trained during a classroom setting, and a field exercise on the Avalon’s 37th Street beach.
“Having the equipment is important, but not as important as acquiring the proper training to make a safe and effective water rescue”, Dean said. “We were honored to be welcomed to Stone Harbor to share our equipment and knowledge with our friends in the Stone Har-bor Fire Department”.