Emergency crews trained last week in the Allegheny River at the Highland Park dam on the only rescue boat in the state that can float against a dam wall.
The exercise was hosted by the Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company, which bought the boat to add to its water rescue fleet, and the Allegheny County Swift Water and Flood Response Team.
Known as a Creature Craft, the inflatable boat is designed to stay afloat in turbulent waters at the bottom of a dam.
Because a number of boating accidents occur at dams, the vessel is a valuable addition for local emergency services, said George McBriar, Blawnox fire chief and coordinator of Allegheny County's Swift Water and Flood Response Team.
The new rescue boat is one of a kind in the state, according to Darren Vancil, owner and designer of the Creature Craft, a company based in Grand Junction, Colo.
Vancil came to town to help area emergency responders learn how to maneuver the boat, which will fill a void for rescue workers, according to McBriar.
"What makes the boat special is it is designed to go into a low-head dam to provide rescue, and the boat doesn't roll over," McBriar said.
The $14,000 boat was paid for by a state firefighters grant and the Blawnox fire company.
Close to 50 rescue workers, many of whom are on the county water rescue team, stopped by for the training exercises.
The team was formed about a year ago to pull together and coordinate water rescue services throughout the region.
After Hurricane Ivan, emergency managers realized that specially flood-trained personnel and equipment with local volunteer fire departments was spotty.
"We identified the need to better coordinate swift-water and flood resources," said Alvin Henderson Jr., acting chief of emergency services for Allegheny County.
"Floods are a time-sensitive event, and we have to be ready to deploy crews to areas where they are needed," he said.
The county Swift Water and Flood Response Team has about seven teams that cover each of the region's three rivers. Each team has special rescue equipment and training to deal with floods and other water emergencies.
Recently, the team was called out for a safety detail with breakaway barges on the Ohio River near Neville Island.
