A man who was set on fire in Seattle and left to die last fall spoke out for the first time on Tuesday. "My whole body was on fire," said Kasey Busch. "When it happened, like I knew I was dead, there was no doubt in my mind." Busch said he never expected to survive the attack. His burns are so severe, doctors told him only five percent of people ever survive them.
- PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 11:51:10 AM - SOURCE: KOMO News

High Water 2018, a three-day floodwater rescue conference for firefighters, EMS, and other first responders will be April 6-8, 2018, at Oklahoma City’s RIVERSPORT Rapids whitewater center in downtown Oklahoma City. 

During this three-day event, first responders will learn both new and proven water rescue skills, refresh basic skills, and have the opportunity to hear nationally recognized presenters. Classroom sessions will cover topics such as high-water vehicle use, search dog use in floodwater, GPS and floodwater searching, hydrology review and more. A variety of water-based courses will take place on RIVERSPORT Rapids whitewater channels.

RIVERSPORT Rapids is a $45 million man-made whitewater course featuring Class II-IV rapids. It is one of only two courses in the country, and it is the only one in an urban setting. Six pumps circulate 8 million gallons of water for recreational rafting and kayaking as well as swiftwater rescue training.

“Holding a course on an urban whitewater course like RIVERSPORT Rapids gives instructors and participants a level of control you can’t find anywhere else,” explained Mid America Rescue Company Owner and Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Brian Weatherford. “Offering training like this has the potential to save lives in communities across the country.”

“It’s vital that first responders are trained to safely respond to floodwater emergencies,” Weatherford said. “Our goal is to provide for the safety of the first responder as well as the victim. We hope communities around the country will send their first responders so they can learn how to keep themselves and their communities safer.”

RELATED: Are You Ready for Highwater/Swiftwater Season? | Planning & Preparation for Swiftwater Operations | Effectively Managing Risk at a Swiftwater Rescue Incident

In addition to classroom and hands-on training, attendees will have the opportunity to see new rescue equipment from leading industry vendors and view onsite demonstrations.

This conference is available to all rescuers regardless of prior training or current skill set, and discounts are available for groups of two or more.

Register before February 1, 2018 to take advantage of early bird pricing. Interested participants can register online at http://www.riversportokc.org/events/high-water/.

Early Registration (by Feb 1):  
$200 per person 
$300 for 2 
$125 per person for groups of 10+ 

Registration (After Feb 1):  
$250 per person 
$400 for 2 
$175 per person for groups of 10+ 

You can find more information on High Water 2018 at http://www.riversportokc.org/events/high-w

Josh Cellars wine was created by Joseph Carr as a tribute to his father – a volunteer firefighter and U.S. Army veteran. “Growing up, my dad Josh, our family, neighbors, and friends were all volunteer firefighters,” said Carr. “It is a civic duty shared and understood by all where I come from that you always take care of your community.” 

Knowing that funding adequate training is a struggle for many volunteer departments, the Josh Cellars brand partnered with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) to support those who serve by awarding 10 volunteer fire departments each a $5,000 grant to help provide training to their members. The first two departments to receive the grants are the Couchton (SC) Volunteer Fire and Rescue and Highland Township/Ayersville (OH) Fire Department.

Couchton Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Located in Aiken, SC, Couchton Volunteer Fire and Rescue provides fire protection and first responder services to all citizens and travelers within 75 rural square miles. All 25 of its volunteers are certified as a Firefighter I or Firefighter II as well as in National Incident Management System, and some are also certified in wildland firefighting, automobile extrication, hazardous materials, pump operations, and rural water supply. The volunteers train weekly to ensure they are prepared and ready to respond; however, they currently are forced to travel over 75 miles out of the county to train and have to coordinate trainings based on other departments’ time schedules. Traveling to train forces the department to close periodically, leaving neighboring departments to respond to its calls, which adds precious and potentially life-changing minutes to response times. 

The Josh Cellars training grant will help the department to build its own live-burn facility, which will help Couchton volunteers, along with the other 20 volunteer fire departments in the county, the opportunity to train locally while still being available to respond to calls when needed. The plan is to construct a two-story training facility that includes a burn room and various props to practice breaching walls, crawling through confined spaces while wearing full turnout gear and air cylinders, extricating oneself from entanglements, and properly setting up ladders. 

“We would like to thank Josh Cellars and the NVFC for this grant,” said Assistant Chief Greg Bailey. “It will greatly enhance the skills and confidence of our volunteers.”

Highland Township/Ayersville Fire Department

The Highland Township/Ayersville Fire Department protects 16,000 residents in northwest Ohio. Not only does the department offer fire and emergency medical services, but its 27 volunteers also work to provide their community with an annual fire safety education week, presentations for schools and the public, annual fire inspections for commercial properties, free address signs, free smoke detectors, a location to drop off unneeded drugs or expired fire extinguishers, food gatherings, and more. 

Currently, existing members provide training to department personnel. The Josh Cellars grant will allow the department to seek out external subject matter experts to deliver trainings on new topics with new methodologies, which will expand their crew’s knowledge and skill sets. The grant will also allow them to purchase much-needed tools to supplement the trainings as well as send personnel to specific programs outside of their service area to garner different perspectives and experiences. Because leadership is paramount to the success of its operations, the department will focus some of the grant funds to provide training that will develop individuals into officers. Members are excited that they will be able to share their newfound education with other departments in their surrounding area to benefit other responders and local communities. 

“Our department is continuously imp

VIDEO - A 14-year-old girl was one of several people rescued by firefighters who fanned out across a flood-ravaged Santa Barbara County community after a night of powerful downpours and mudslides. The girl was trapped for hours in the home, destroyed by mud and debris flows that were powerful enough to move boulders, fire officials said.
- PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KNSD-TV NBC San Diego