Crime & Safety

Firefighters Practice Trench Rescue at South End Fire Station

State regulations require specialized training for trench rescues must occur every year.

The following is based on a Mercer Island City Hall press release.

Residents passing by the South End fire station (Station 92) over the past few weeks may have noticed something unusual: firefighters in the ground.

Mercer Island Firefighters spent the last two weeks updating their skills for trench rescue emergencies. By law this specialized training must occur every year, but it often presents a challenge: finding a suitable location to dig a trench. Since the south end station is scheduled to be demolished, it offered a perfect digging location.

Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This type of rescue requires specialized knowledge about soil types and behaviors, especially under different weather conditions. Firefighters learn how to stabilize these soils and safely extricate individuals who may be trapped or buried in a collapsed trench.

Trench rescues are relatively rare events, but have occurred on Mercer Island in recent years, and that makes scheduled practice all the more critical. On average firefighters train and drill two to three hours each day, in addition to their other duties.

Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Mercer Island