When
the difference between life and death can be a crucial minute—which holds
especially true for High Elevation Rescues—it is imperative we do whatever it
takes to make that minute count—and this is just what the partnership of Graymont Limestone
Plant and the local Fire
Department at Superior, Wisconsin has done. Graymont Limestone Plant
donated two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) worth of rescue equipment,
specifically Multiple Positioning Devices (MPDs) which are designed with six hundred
feet of rope and a system that allows firefighters to lower and raise a rescue
cart.
This
feature allows firefighters to carry less equipment on them because they can
now do all of their rigging down on the bottom, which would've been difficult
to do in the past. Essential rescue equipment when making high elevation
rescues include, but are not limited to, diamond
blade saws, heavy hydraulic cutter, petrol breaker, smashing stomper, and
certain types of jacks and accessories.
A
standard rescue drill that initially took fifty two (52) minutes was reduced to
a dramatic nineteen (19) minutes and eighteen (18) seconds with the help of the
Multiple Positioning Devices (MPDs). According to an article on the Superior
Telegram, Battalion Chief Scott Gordon with the Superior Fire Department
reiterated how critical the “golden hour” was, that is the first minutes after
a trauma is sustained.
Rescue
from high rise buildings will become not only safer but more efficient as
firefighters can easily mobilize necessary tools, such as diamond blade saws
for cutting through fallen concrete beams, to the rescue area without
difficulty.
Graymont is a family owned
company committed to responsibly meeting society's needs for mineral products.
Graymont's management team and employees are dedicated to meeting or exceeding
customer needs with reliable supply of quality products and service.
The
mission of the Superior Fire Department is
to provide those services necessary for the protection of life and property as
the need is recognized within our community. The Fire Department accomplishes
this mission by providing two types of service, emergency response and
prevention.
