VIDEO: The training days in the firefighting profession are usually noteworthy but, in Middletown, when trench rescue training is added to the mix, it’s always memorable.
“It’s the real thing, this is the real deal, this is a live trench,” said Lieutenant Nick Mayo, who leads the Trench Rescue Team at the Middletown Fire Department.
Mayo was one of about two dozen first responders from Middletown spending the day some 10 feet below the surface – teaching the nuances of trench rescues.
The Middletown Fire Department is among the few teams in Connecticut that are versed in trench rescues. The Middletown Public Works Department comes in before the training and digs a trench so firefighters can practice the highly technical skills.