HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-07-18; Fire Department Ocean Rescue Capability; Calderwood, MichaelTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date l /1'o/l'k A /cc /
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July 18, 2019
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Council Memorandum
Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief t£l J
Scott Chadwick, City Manager r
Fire Department Ocean Rescue Capability
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Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2019084
Risk assessment and risk management are core capabilities of the Carlsbad Fire Department. On a daily
basis, the personnel in the field are asked to be vigilant for emergency situations, respond swiftly, assess
the values at stake, and manage risks to prevent harm and loss. To do so on a broad spectrum of
hazards requires personnel and equipment that are prepared to recognize the risks and have confidence
in their skills and abilities to effect change towards a positive outcome.
One such instance has recently brought to light the value of training and empowerment to deploy in
non-traditional ways . On the afternoon of July 10, 2019, Carlsbad Truck Company 105 (nos) was
flagged down by citizens in the area of South Terra mar near Cerezo Drive and Carlsbad Blvd. The
bystanders related that there were two victims caught in up to six-foot surf approximately 100 yards
from shore and were in distress. nos personnel recognized the lives at risk, the nature of the area
being unobserved by lifeguards, and the urgency of the circumstances. Personnel assigned to the unit
had received Aquatic Rescue Response Training (ARRT) in recent years and had the proficiency,
experience, and ability to effect change towards a positive outcome.
nos requested that Carlsbad Lifeguard and State Parks Lifeguard units respond as backup, then sent one
trained personnel to begin an in-water rescue. nos personnel commandeered a longboard from a
bystander and entered the water in swim trunks to assist a stand-up paddle boarder who was en route to
assist the distressed swimmers. Upon contacting the swimmers, the nos personnel secured the victims
with assistance from the stand-up paddleboarder and directed the extrication of the victims to the location
of additional units that had responded, a small sandy area south of Cerezo Drive near Palomar Airport
Road.
Aquatic Rescue Response Training for Fire Department personnel includes classroom instruction and in-
water observation, condition recognition, and ocean rescue equipment and methods. The training is
developed to provide first responders, with open water hazards in their community, the skills and
knowledge to safely intervene when time does not permit for other agencies or specialty resources to
respond. To our knowledge, the Carlsbad Fire Department is the only agency south of Ventura County
with this type of training. With the support of the City Council and the community, Carlsbad Fire
Department personnel were trained, equipped and authorized to make the correct assessment of the
values at stake and the risks involved in order to provide expeditious and effective intervention in a life-
threatening scenario.
cc: Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Fire Department
Safety Center 2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 760-931-2141 t