Fisher River Fire & Rescue's purchase aids its readiness

Fisher River Valley Volunteer Fire & Rescue has received an Oceanid Rapid Deployment Craft (RDC) to assist in ice and water rescue.

During a recent practice session, Fisher River Capt. Henry Roy practiced a rescue of firefighter Michael Rogers. The training was conducted at Crystal Lake.

The training simulated victims being rescued after falling through thin ice. 

“With the increased number of incidents on the Chain of Lakes, our Fire Department felt the necessity to upgrade equipment to provide a safer, faster and more efficient rescue service,” Fisher River Valley Fire Chief Dean Herreid said. “The RDC is very versatile in that it can be used for all types of water and ice rescues.”

The RDC also has many other rescue applications that can be very useful. The RDC is portable and is carried on the fire engine for quick response, Herreid said.

Once on scene, it only takes about 90 seconds to inflate and is ready to be deployed. 

The purchase of the RDC was made possible with funds provided by Flathead Electric Cooperative Roundup for Safety and proceeds from the Thompson Chain of Lakes Fishing Derby.