Contributed
FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Health, in partnership with the Fayetteville Fire Department, will conduct crane rescue exercises on Saturday, Feb. 25; Sunday, Feb. 26; and Sunday, March 5. The exercises will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Organizers estimate this type of training has not taken place in Fayetteville for about 40 years.
“We recognize the critical importance of responding quickly and effectively in emergency situations, and this partnership is one way we can work together with our local first responders to ensure the safety of our community,” said Brian Pearce, Cape Fear Valley Health’s Vice President of Facilities and Emergency Management.
Over the course of the drills, 18 firefighters, three instructors and two Fayetteville Fire administrators will perform hands-on rescue exercises using the south construction crane, one of two 197-foot tall cranes currently in place for the ongoing Valley Pavilion expansion at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. The public may see multiple fire trucks on scene and a lifelike rescue dummy being raised or “rescued.”
The training schedule will allow firefighters from each shift from Fayetteville’s Station 5, Truck 6 and Rescue 1 and 2 to go through the training with multiple scenarios. Instructors from Heede Southeast and Fayetteville Technical Community College will lead each session.
“Cape Fear Valley was contacted by Rodgers Builders and Fayetteville Fire Department on the possible use of the crane set-up to conduct training sessions for the three Fayetteville Fire Department shifts, to allow each shift an opportunity to train,” said Cape Fear Valley Corporate Director of Emergency Management Robert Godwin. “This isn’t an opportunity, with cranes of this size, that is often available here. We are pleased to be able to assist in making this training happen, which will enhance and support the firefighters’ preparedness to respond to similar incidents in the future, should they occur. This training is designed for an incident that could occur not only at the hospital, but at any other location in the county.”
The training is not expected to disrupt local traffic or other hospital activities.
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