From people swimming without life vests to tractor trailers flipping over, Virginia Beach firefighters rescue people year-round.
“We’re the catch-all,” said Virginia Beach Fire Department Capt. Jonathan Taylor.
Most firefighters know how to rescue people from cold water. However, Taylor said Wednesday's training is meant to help those crews working without the right tools.
He’s teaching these firefighters how to be creative and safe.
Even in a warm February week, Taylor said they’ll see people in shorts and T-shirts jump into the 50-degree Lake Smith water.
Battalion Chief Joshua Goyet said he wants his men to train so they’re ready to respond no matter the situation. Sometimes that means jumping into the water without a protective suit.
“It’s maybe the fastest to save somebody,” Goyet said.
The department wants these first-responders to get familiar with how it feels in the cold water before they must do it in real-life rescues.
“In one of those incidents the victim was in the water for about 45 minutes before our boats got there,” Goyet said.
Taylor said he grew up rescuing people as a lifeguard at the Oceanfront and now in the Beach district. “I’ve seen where we haven’t gotten there in time and I’ve seen where it’s gone right,” said Taylor.
Taylor said it’s necessary and fulfilling to pass his knowledge on to his colleagues and hopefully saving more lives.
“When they go out on a call you know I feel a little satisfaction from that knowing that maybe I had a small part in that,” said Taylor.
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