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MASTIC
FIRE DEPARTMENT
SCUBA
RESCUE TEAM
MISSION
The mission of the Mastic Fire Department Scuba Rescue Team is to be a
well trained and equipped unit of the Mastic Fire Department to respond to any
water related emergencies with in the Mastic Fire District, as well as to any
calls for assistance for water related emergencies from other Fire Departments,
Police Departments or the United States Coast Guard.
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HISTORY
The Mastic Fire Department formed the Scuba Rescue
Team in 1979. The equipment was limited and the vehicle used for responding to
calls was a 1968 GMC Pick up with a utility body. The Fire District purchased a
small flat bottom aluminum boat, which was propelled by oars. This boat was
purchased in a local hardware store and served it’s purpose well, until its
replacement in the 1992 with an inflatable 14-foot boat with a 30 hp outboard
engine on it (this boat is still in service today).
In 1991, the Board of Fire Commissioners of
the Mastic Fire District purchased a used 1985 Chevrolet 4 wheel drive ambulance
from the Massapequa Fire District. This vehicle provided the ability to respond
off road to the locations of the water rescue calls. It was set up with 4 Dive
gear set-ups mounted in the seat positions in the rear of the truck and was
instrumental in getting divers geared up while in route to calls. This vehicle
also carried much of the water related equipment to the scene.
In 1997, the above vehicle was replaced when
the Mastic Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners purchased a 1997 18-foot
Grumman Olsen commercial step van on a GMC chassis (5-12-8). Once the Fire
District had taken delivery of this truck the fire department members, working
with the Fire District mechanic, designed out the interior of the vehicle, which
was then fabricated by an outside vender and delivered to the firehouse as
modular pieces and installed into the truck by the department members with the
district mechanic. While the inside of the truck was being built the vehicle was
equipped with radios, emergency lighting and lettered.
The above vehicle is the current response
vehicle for water related emergencies. It carries 8 complete SCUBA gear set ups
as well as 2 surface swimmer set ups mounted along benches in the rear of the
vehicle. Divers are able to gear up while responding to calls and be ready to go
into service upon arriving at the scene. Along with the gear set ups the vehicle
carries numerous lines, buoy’s, grappling hooks, spare air tanks, and personal
floatation devices which are used by the department members as they provide
surface support and line tenders for the divers.
The Mastic Fire Department also responds to
scenes, as needed using the Fire Department’s 1998 GMC pickup (5-12-11) and a
2002 Ford crew cab pickup (5-12-11), as well as the Rescue/Command Post truck
(5-12-10) and the Ariel truck (5-12-14) as requested.
In 2001 the Mastic Fire District realized
that there was a need for a larger boat in order to serve the growing use of the
waterways in and around the Mastic Fire District. After much research, the Board
of Commissioners ordered a 28-foot aluminum hull boat (5-12-26) that was built
by Thomas Marine and delivered with Twin 150 hp outboard motors. This boat is
also equipped with a 550gallon per minute Hale pump which has a mounted Deck gun
towards the bow (front) of the boat and also has 2 outlets which can be used for
inch and three quarter hand lines.
The Scuba team currently has 18 certified
scuba divers, which are supported by Fire Department members who respond with
the divers to calls. Fire department members that have successfully completed
boat training operate the boats.
The Mastic Fire Department Scuba Rescue Team
has grown within the Fire Department, and has only been able to do so by the
continued support of the Mastic Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners, both
past and present, who strive to train and equip the Mastic Fire Department
members for any and all types of emergencies which may occur with in the area
protected by the Mastic Fire Department.
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On Friday, Saturday and Sunday May 2, 3 & 4, 2003 Mastic
Fire Department Scuba divers along with Patchogue FD, Center Moriches FD and the
help of Mastic Beach Fire Department held a class on water rescue.
There was class room instructions and they spent time in the
YMCA pool on Thursday.
On Sunday morning at around 7:00 A.M. the scuba divers started
the day at Mastic Fire Headquarters with last minute information and then they
received the alarm of an over turned boat with two victims in the water at Smith
Point Marina.
The dive teams responded to the marina and were told there was
a boat that over turned and two people were somewhere in the water.
The divers had to conduct a search pattern to find the victims
in the water somewhere on the bottom.
Although this might sound like a pretty easy job because it is
a some what controlled environment, rest assure this, as any search and rescue is
still a very dangerous mission that takes a lot of skill and training to
complete.
Even though this is a training class there are still things
that can make it a very dangerous dive, for instance during the search one diver
got very severe leg cramps and had to be helped out of the water by other
divers.
Anything can happen during a dive and these divers are trained
professionals who deal with all dangers of a search and rescue.
These men of the different fire departments are constantly
training in all types of weather and all types on conditions.
Below are some photos of this training class that took place at
Smith Point Marina May 4, 2003.
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