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First responders complete water rescue training at Worlds of Fun

Posted at 12:24 PM, Sep 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-19 13:24:51-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Emergency crews were at Worlds of Fun Tuesday, but it's not for a normal day at the theme park.

The Kansas City Fire Department Swift Water Rescue Team and the MU Fire Rescue Training Institute put on a water rescue class.

This training happens annually at Worlds Of Fun.

About 30 rescuers, some new students and some taking a refresher course, practice the whole month of September.

The departments involved include Central Jackson County Fire, KCK Fire, KCMO Fire, KC Police and Olathe Fire.

Some of these crews just got back from Houston where they were saving people trapped in catastrophic flooding.

They practice with several different drills. 

 

One of those is floating and ferrying from each side of the Fury of the Nile ride.

Another is called the tow and swim, where one rescuer acts as a victim and does not move. The other rescuer has to swim against the stream holding them.

They also practice what happens with multiple victims in the water, with the rope rescue and getting in for a physical save.

Crews said from watching you can't always tell how challenging the work is.

"It looks like a lot of times it is floating down the river. But, we're actually challenging them to, with your body control, go from right to left and things like that. That way they can easily get to victims," said Battalion Chief Larry Young with KCFD.

These skills they practice can be used in any river or stream.

In fact, crews recently used them during historic flooding in Kansas City where KCFD alone had more than 200 rescues.