PORT TOWNSEND — Two firefighter/emergency medical technicians are the first firefighters in the area to pass the U.S. Coast Guard Surface Rescue Swimmer program, according to East Jefferson Fire-Rescue.
Caton White and JB Fairbanks will be honored in a short ceremony at noon Tuesday on the pier near the Guardian, the fire department’s rescue boat, in the Boat Haven.
The two passed written and practical exams to obtain certification.
“It was the most physically demanding thing I’ve done since fire academy,” White said.
Coast Guard personnel led the three-week program, consisting of 90 hours in the water, including in-pool and in-ocean training, a 1,000-meter swim and a 200-meter victim-towing test in a swimming pool at Navy Base Bangor.
Chilly checkoff
Their final checkoff swim was conducted Jan. 22 in the chilly water off Point Wilson.
Both firefighters successfully completed several rescue deployments to men in the water, towing them back to the boat, followed by a swim to shore near the Point Wilson lighthouse.
The final swim ended up being extra challenging because of a current that pushed the swimmers off course, requiring them to swim an extra 500 yards before making it to shore, the department said.
The addition of two rescue swimmers enhances the scope and capabilities of the department’s marine program, said Deputy Chief Ted Krysinski of East Jefferson Fire-Rescue.
“Sometimes, we have to put someone in the water to get someone out of the water,” he said.
“By having certified rescue swimmers on staff, we can now do that more safely.”
A robust marine rescue capability positions the fire department to fill a weak area in the Coast Guard’s response areas, said Boatswain’s Mate 2 Jacob Bradley.
In an email to the fire department, he wrote, “I truly do consider EJFR’s boat to be an incredible asset to have . . . having someone cover the gap between our SAR [Search and Rescue] areas is extremely valuable and in the end may very well be the difference between a life being saved.”
Bill Beezley, the department’s spokesman, said the Coast Guard is grateful for the extra help because a faster marine response can save lives.
“We are providing a needed service because we are about halfway between Seattle and Port Angeles,” he said.
Krysinski plans to run more firefighters through the Coast Guard program later this year.
“We’d like to have several surface rescue swimmers on each shift to provide true, in-water rescue capabilities 365 days a year,” he said.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
