VIDEO: The sirens blare, the whistles blow and for lifeguards in Manchester, the rescue scenarios are performed in real time. A few times each summer, the recreation department helps to coordinate search and rescue drills with the Manchester Fire Department. They are then joined by both the Ambulance Service of Manchester and the police department. โItโs a real collaborative effort and we have realized here in Manchester that we are not on an island,” said Fire Department Assistant Chief Gordon Macmillan. “If we want to keep all of our citizens safe, we have to involve all agencies.”
During a recent training, the Globe Hollow Swimming Area was buzzing with a search and rescue scenario. Lifeguards called in a missing child, caught somewhere underwater. โThere is definitely some adrenaline,โ said Caleb Curtis, 22, the head lifeguard at Globe Hollow. โItโs a lot of muscle memory and acting on instinct and just getting people to where they need to go.โ
For the first time in their training scenarios, members of the Connecticut State Police Dive Team took part in the exercises. โWe canโt do this alone,” added Assistant Chief Macmillan, following a successful drill by the lifeguard team and all of the various crews involved. “This is bigger than any one of us and bigger than any one agency in town.โ
