Marine Corps Bases Japan firefighters ride waves, enhance rescue capabilities
> 05/03/2008
Lance Cpl. Richard Blumenstein
KIN BLUE, Okinawa (May 2, 2008)
-- In the past, when military personnel or civilians have fallen victim
to the strong currents and waves of the Okinawa surf, Marine Corps Bases
Japan firefighters called to the scene were forced to stand idly by
and wait for local rescue groups to step in.
Thanks to the addition of water rescue craft to the
MCBJ fire department's inventory, that may no longer be the case.
To improve their ability to respond to water rescue
situations, more than 40 base firefighters took part in the department's
first rescue water craft training at Kin Blue April 21-26 using two
brand-new jet skis.
Many emergency service groups use jet skis in water
rescues because of the craft's ability to easily navigate a surf zone,
according to Scott Minakami, the assistant chief of operations for the
MCBJ Fire Department.
"This is the craft of choice by a lot of surf
rescue groups," Minakami said. "It's versatile, easy to move,
doesn't require as much maintenance as a boat and gives us a lot of
flexibility in the types of rescues we can carry out."
The fire department purchased the rescue crafts in
September at $12,000 each and has recently placed an order for two more,
according to Minakami.
"Having these rescue water craft gives us a feeling
we can actually assist someone rather than feeling helpless on the land,"
Minakami said.
The fire department contracted water safety instructors
from the K38 Water Safety Corporation to conduct the rescue training.
The corporation has hosted previous rescue craft courses for various
units from law enforcement agencies, military organizations, fire departments
and other professional agencies in countries such as Australia, Brazil,
Mexico and South Africa.
"We educate them in basic rescue skills and how
the craft works, and the basic skills of balance, throttle and helm
control," said Simon Rogers, an instructor with K38 Japan, a subdivision
of the K38 Water Safety Corporation.
The firefighters spent the week learning how to properly
operate the craft and conduct water rescue procedures such as pulling
a victim out of the water with one hand while controlling the rescue
craft with the other - a "pretty difficult" task, Arakaki
said.
Despite the serious atmosphere of the training, it
was sometimes hard for the firefighters to conceal their excitement
as a few could be seen cracking a smile while racing across the water.
"It's a tool, not a toy, but it's still fun to
ride," Arakaki said.
