Training equips Durban NSRI volunteers for floods after drought
This year it was decided to equip and train the KZN rescue bases in preparation for flood conditions, which are often experienced following a lengthy drought
THE National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) hosted a swift water training course for the KZN stations on the Umkomaas and Umgeni rivers, in early March.
NSRI’s HQ training facilitator, Daniel Heimann along with Herbie Meth, Paul Bevis and Mark Benecke hosted the training course.
The NSRI has been involved in responding to swift water operations for many years now, with volunteers receiving their training either through self-learning or from courses run by external trainers.
Last year the Eden District Disaster Management Department sponsored funds and equipment towards swift water training and deployment in the Cape South Coast region. With the centralised NSRI training centre now established, it was decided to extend the in-house training capacity to include swift water for more stations across the country.
This has allowed the non-profit rescue NGO to keep costs down, while still providing relevant and quality training to a greater number of volunteers, making for a safer and more effective flood response. Some 61 volunteers were trained on the Breede and Vaal river in four courses during 2016. This year it was decided to equip and train the KZN rescue bases in preparation for flood conditions, which are often experienced following a lengthy drought. Paul Bevis, who has many years of experience in swift water techniques, assisted in scouting a training location and venue to accommodate the 36-volunteers attending the course. This proved a difficult task as there needed to be the correct river features for appropriate training, as well as volume and velocity of water for the crew to experience the force of nature, within safe parameters.
The Friday night consisted of theory around river features, incident command systems and NSRI protocols for responding to swift water calls.
The bulk of the practical foundation skills were covered on Saturday. Skills included were knots and ropework, throw bag drills, wading techniques, swift water swimming drills and self-rescue techniques. This training culminated in a night exercise where the crew could put their training into practise – where the only light available was their glow sticks on their helmets and throw bags. This is the nature of responding to flood incidents at night, so it was good preparation.
This exercise was designed to push the crew out of their comfort zone as they floated down a river in complete darkness to a rendezvous point. Once there they conducted throw bag drills, having to judge distance to their target in the dark. Following this, the crew left with a lot of confidence, leading to hearty camp fire stories, before getting some much needed shut-eye.
On Sunday they travelled to the Umgeni River and different terrain in The Valley of a 1,000 Hills below Nagel Dam. This gave them a chance to experience a different location where they could hone their skills for a final session before heading home. The 30-hour course was challenging and required mental and physical stamina to complete. The KZN crews did Sea Rescue proud and are now in good stead to respond and assist with flooding operations should the need arise. The National Sea Rescue Institute is committed to providing on going training for its volunteers.
“As an NPO, we rely on much needed funds for this type of training as kits, accommodation and equipment is costly. We thank disaster management for their generous donation to fund these courses,” said NSRI’s Daniel Heimann.
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