Clay County first responders complete swift water rescue training amidst hurricane season

Clay County — A group of 14 first responders with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue spent a week learning advanced swift water rescue training to prepare for severe weather.

Deputy Chief of Operations for Fire Rescue, Jason Boree, said the department realized there was a need for more resources after Hurricane Irma hit Clay County.

PHOTOS: Clay County deputies and firefighters complete water rescue training in Georgia

Action News Jax showed you major flooding in several neighborhoods. Some of those houses are still under construction.

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“Some of them were stuck in attics, on the roofs, and we had to help those rescues as flood water continued to rise,” Boree said.

Since sheriff deputies work along side Fire Rescue for rescue missions, they teamed up for this new training for the start of hurricane season.

“We realized after the many rescues that we had to perform during Hurricane Irma that we needed to expand our training for our personnel in Clay County," Boree said.

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A majority of the training was in Columbus, Georgia. It included simulated rescues, dive missions and learning new rope techniques.

“They received advanced training in rope rescue training, as well as, different means to safely affect a rescue,” Boree said.

Cox Media Group