With summer quickly approaching, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office hosted a training session last Saturday for 12 different sheriff, police and fire departments across the area.
The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Dive Team hosted the multi-agency training for the Region Two Dive Group at the North Channel, near the Algonac boardwalk on April 22 to prepare for the season ahead.
The St. Clair Sheriff’s Office noted in a press release that, “[w]hen an emergency arises on the water, many times outside agencies are called upon to assist. This is because each department comes with a different set of skills and resources that are equally valuable. It is not likely that one agency would be able to provide all of the tools needed for each unique emergency situation. This training allowed for agencies to work together in a nonemergency setting.
Divers were given the ability to learn what other departments bring to the table as well as discuss different tactics. Also included in the scenario were the local fire departments (as they would almost certainly be the first on scene). Firefighters and dive teams arrived at a plane that had crashed into the Channel on the rainy, cold Saturday morning. Throughout the morning crews worked together searching the area, rescuing passengers, utilizing sonar equipment, recovering plane pieces, and recovering victims.”
Agencies hosted by the St. Clair County Dive team included the Algonac Fire Department, Clay Township Fire Rescue, Ira Township Fire Department, Marine City Area Fire Authority, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Livingston County MI Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Heartland Fire & Rescue, Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, and Saginaw County’s Dive Team.
