Whether a tower worker experiences trouble on the job or a foolhardy amateur decides to start climbing, experienced rescue personnel could be called to save a life at any time. As WJAR-TV reports, firefighters in Massachusetts ran drills to train for such an emergency. A dozen departments gathered at the 900-foot tower in Rehoboth to experience actual climbing conditions.
North Attleborough Fire Department Chief, Chris Coleman, recognizes how dangerous it can be when a tower climber finds him, or herself, in danger. “These injuries can be serious,” he said, “Because they’re in a harness, and if they get stuck up there and they’re suspending, that’s something called suspension trauma. As soon as that pressure from the harness is released, then that goes to the central circulation of your heart and can potentially seriously hurt you.”
“So in the event that someone climbs the tower for maintenance and they get injured, we have the tools and the skills and the abilities to go up and rescue them, and bring them down safely,” Coleman added.
Participants like firefighter Rob Greene, noted that he appreciated the opportunity to hone rescue skills and was undaunted by the prospect of climbing hundreds of feet up the tower. “Yeah, it’s great, it’s a nice day for it,” he quipped, “Better than cold.”
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