MASONTOWN — No matter where in the county the call comes from, the Masontown Swift Water Rescue Team will respond if needed.
“We are trained in swift water rescue and water rescue, which is totally separate from a dive team. Dive team and water rescue are totally two separate things,” Chief Dan Luzier explained. “We deal with everything’s above water. We deal with floodwaters … rivers, streams, creeks, you know, vehicles in creeks. Most of our work is rescue work, people trapped.”
Despite being based in Masontown, as the county’s only moving water rescue group, they will respond wherever they’re needed. The team is certified throughout West Virginia and nationally registered. Once, they were called to help in Texas after a hurricane.
Pat Blosser, assistant chief, recalled traveling to Greenbrier County several years ago when flooding devastated the southern part of the state.
“When we went to Greenbrier County we was getting people out of second story windows,” Blosser said. “When we stepped out of the truck, they was waiting on us and had rescues pending just waiting on us to get there.”
In two days, the team made 27 rescues, Blosser said.
Luzier said the need for a swift water team is more clear than ever. There seems to be a lot more flash flooding than there used to be and it’s in places that didn’t used to flood. Joining the fire side of Masontown Fire Department isn’t a requirement, nor is living in the county – one member is from Marion County another is from Mon.
You don’t even have to be able to swim to contribute. A proper water rescue needs about 15 people – every bit the manpower it takes to battle a fire, team member Chuck Curtis said.
Luzier said there are people who have asked to join to do shore work and there is a place for that. Water rescue is much more technical than just swimming out to save someone and involves a lot of rope work, spotters and safety personnel downstream.
Actually putting a swimmer in the water is a last ditch effort, Curtis said.
And there’s nothing stopping a new member from learning to swim.
“Believe it or not, I used to be terrified of water and anything about it — and through the fire service and Danny’s an excellent instructor and leader — but I wanted to face and conquer my fears and now I absolutely love the water,” Curtis said.
Missing a structure fire or accident is one thing, but Curtis said he strives to be involved in every water rescue they do. He wants to be the guy who knows how to do it all – be it in the boat or with a rope on the shore.
