VIDEO: As if fighting fires isn't dangerous enough, firefighters also find themselves in situations where the danger of hypothermia looms. On Friday, Bangor firefighters could be found battling rapids in the Kenduskeag Stream.
"We're practicing our swift water rescues," Firefighter Joe Cousins said. "So we're having some people swim through the rapids so they get comfortable with it. And then doing some rope rescues. With a few streams running through the city and the Penobscot River as a boundary, Bangor's firefighters train for as many potential situations as they can imagine. "But you know, fortunately, we don't have a lot of river rescues. But again you know we need to be prepared to respond to any type of emergency so we're always out here practicing," Deputy Fire Chief Eric Pelletier said.