WilCo first responders join forces for water rescue training

WilCo first responders do water rescue training

Several agencies in Williamson County joined forces for water rescue training. The realistic scenarios aim to decrease response times, with more people now out on the water.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - Several agencies in Williamson County joined forces for water rescue training.

The realistic scenarios aim to decrease response times, with more people now out on the water.

Water rescue training

The backstory:

First responders with the Georgetown Fire Department and Texas Parks and Wildlife geared up to find a missing paddleboarder at Lake Georgetown in a drowning scenario reality-based training.

"These kinds of training, in a perfect world, we would have every scenario mastered, but the real world's not like that. So, we always encounter unique environments," says Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Warden Captain David Pellizzari.

The training process is a step-by-step interaction, navigating through the moment a 911 call is received up until the victim is prepared to be taken to a local hospital.

"I have experience with these scenarios, unfortunately. They're never fun to deal with," says U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger Joshua Houghtaling.

"At the end of the day, our ultimate goal, if we have a drowning or some kind of serious bodily injury, is to recover the potential victims as soon as possible," says Pellizzari.

Local law enforcement, crime scene investigators, and dive teams are all a part of the efforts.

"We wanted to make sure that we got everybody together at least once a year to train jointly so that we could capitalize on each other's expertise," says Pellizzari.

First responders say the reality-based training helps determine each department’s role.

"It's very important for us to be able to work with other agencies, to work as a team. A lot of times when we run these calls. We have to work together because we all serve a different purpose," says Georgetown Fire Department Captain Trey Lockwood.

"Water-based incidents are unique in that a lot of people don't understand the gravity of it. It's not like a car crash on the highway where they can see their loved one has passed away in the water. They don't believe it until they get the body back. And so our main objective is to do that as quick as we can, with as much respect to the victim as we can," says Pellizzari.