Chattanooga firefighters practice techniques for work in collapsed structures (with video)

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn discusses a possible affiliation with St. Vincent Health System shortly before the two Little Rock hospitals signed a letter of intent to explore the possibility.

UAMS chancellor discusses possible St. Vincent affiliation

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photo Members of the Chattanooga Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue team practice shoring techniques Tuesday in the partially-collapsed former Alabama Furniture building at the corner of Glass Street and Dodson Avenue. The training exercise will go on for three days at the site.

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A group of Chattanooga firefighters who are specially trained in technical rescue practiced their skills at how to shore up structures during an exercise at the old Alabama Furniture Co.

These skills are needed when firefighters, who are part of the department's Urban Search and Rescue Unit, have to find ways to support collapsed structures during rescues.

During the training exercise at the building, located at 2200 Glass St., Training Chief Phillip Hyman instructed firefighters to shore up a portion of the two-story collapsed building and search for victims in fallen debris.

"It's labor-intensive and hot," Hyman said in a news release. "The firefighters must not only do this quickly as they can, but correctly and safely because a lot can go wrong if you're not careful."

The training is expected to continue through Thursday.