Colorado Springs firefighters training for trench rescues, structure fires

Colorado Springs firefighters need to be ready to respond to any emergency. That’s why they train several times a year.

This week, their training focused on fighting structure fires and rescuing people from trenches.

Firefighters learned how first assess the situation and see if it was a rescue that was needed or a body recovery. Then, they were taught how to secure the walls of a trench with plywood before making entry into the trench.

“These are low-frequency, but high-risk events. They don’t happen often, but when they do, they’re dangerous, so we really needed this training to be prepared,” Captain Michael Archuleta explained.

A cubic foot of dirt can weigh 150 pounds, so firefighters have to make sure the walls are very secured before going in.

It was a brush-up for the crews that had to rescue four people from a trench last December.

Firefighters also learned how to safely fight structure fires.

“These trainings help us minimize risk for the community, minimize risk for us, and make everyone safer,” Captain Brian Vaughn said.

Firefighters will train using ropes next.