HBF Chief Bill Gillespie clarifies information and sends out official press release on suspension of water rescue program

Please see the attached official press release from Humboldt Bay Fire regarding the suspension of the swimmer-based portion of our water rescue program. It also identifies and clarifies a false statement provided last night in a release that did not come from the department.

(This is why it was not posted here yesterday)

From Chief Bill Gillespie:

Humboldt Bay Fire announces to our community that we are forced to suspend the swimmer-based portion of our water rescue program due to a lack of trained, certified personnel to safely support a rescue in the water. This was announced to the department and allied agencies yesterday evening in an internal email sent by me, and seen here:

 "Effective immediately, Humboldt Bay Fire must suspend the water-based swimmer  portion of our water rescue program.

 The overall number of personnel who are trained and certified as active water rescue  personnel has declined to a point where we can no longer safely deploy a swimmer into  the water and provide a second swimmer to assist, or to rescue the primary swimmer.  Some days we have no swimmer on duty at all. This is a result of resignation of some  personnel within the program, and lack of interest, time or ability of personnel to join the  program and become trained in water rescue.

 All water based rescue boards, swim cans, dry suits and wet suits shall be removed from  the apparatus immediately, and stored at Station 1 in the mezzanine above the hose racks  in the hose room. PFD's, throw bags, and other shore based equipment will continue to  be carried on the apparatus and utilized.

 Humboldt Bay Fire will continue to respond to water rescue incidents with our current  full response level. Our personnel will utilize shore based tactics, including reaching with  long handled tools, throwing devices, and floating rescue lines. A full response will also  allow personnel to get eyes on a subject in the water, and track their location for  assistance and rescue by the Coast Guard, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, and  Harbor District boat personnel. It will be imperative that these resources are  notified immediately upon receipt of a water rescue incident response dispatch.

 We have not arrived at this decision without considerable thought and review of the  program. I do not take this decision lightly, as over the past 6-7 years the swimmer-based  program has been responsible for a number of rescues of persons who ended up in the  water due to one circumstance or another. Some of these persons would have drowned  had it not been for the swift action of our swimmers.  In addition to the responsibility we  hold to our community, we also have a responsibility to the safety of our personnel.  Placing one swimmer in the water alone places that rescuer in significant risk, especially  without a backup rescuer should the first rescuer need assistance.

 If our number of trained and certified rescue swimmers increases in the future, we will  review the program and determine whether we can again reinstitute a swimmer based  rescue program. Until that time, we must remain shore based in our response. If you have  questions, please contact myself, Deputy Chief Reynolds, Battalion Chief Hulbert, or  your shift Battalion Chief."

A press release sent out to the media late in the evening on June 5^th from Humboldt Bay Firefighters Local 652 President Matt McFarland specified the reason for the suspension as "Humboldt Bay Fire has become unable to fund this program due to continued shortfalls in the budget." Not only is this statement incorrect, it is false. The water rescue program has continued to be funded to provide for equipment replacement and purchase of new equipment, and training for new and existing members of the water rescue team.

The reason for the suspension remains a lack of trained and certified personnel willing to participate in the program. This is due to resignation of members from the team, and a lack of current new members wishing to become trained and certified. Over the past year, the team has lost five members, with very few showing interest to join. The current program has dropped to a level where only a few members remain, and this makes deploying a swimmer and a backup swimmer nearly impossible on any given day. The decision was the result of safety concerns for our personnel, not from budgetary shortfalls in the program.

The program has been successful over the past 7 years, where a group of team members were trained and equipped to be able to enter the water as a rescue swimmer. A number of successful rescues have been performed, including a few high profile incidents where persons were very close to their end when our swimmers got to the victim. Humboldt Bay Fire will continue to respond to water rescue calls in a shore-based capacity. It is our hope that we can again field a swimmer-based program at some point in the future as personnel show interest in becoming certified.