Dozens of local firefighters ventured into the water Friday afternoon as a multi-department effort to train first responders in how to rescue people trapped in the San Francisco Bay.
The San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, Redwood City and South San Francisco fire departments hosted a three-day exercise designed specifically for emergencies that occur in the Bay — a unique environment compared to traditional rescue trainings in rivers or the ocean.
“The Bay is a really large body of water that has very strong tidal influences,” said Matt Samson, a South San Francisco battalion chief who helped lead the training.