05/14/2026
FFD’s Water Rescue Team recently had the opportunity to train at Fayetteville Technical Community College’s incredible indoor swiftwater training facility in North Carolina.
This is not your everyday training. Crews began with a structure surrounded by floodwater, learning how to adapt traditional firefighting tools and techniques to water rescue operations. The instructors brought years of experience with hurricane deployments, giving our members practical insight into the kind of scenarios communities face when severe weather strikes.
As the class progressed, so did the difficulty. Crews trained in darkness, wind, simulated lightning and thunder to better prepare for realistic storm conditions. The final evolution moved underground into a flooded storm drain rescue, where members maneuvered 30 feet through a flooded culvert to retrieve a victim — definitely not a drill for anyone who is claustrophobic!
With springtime storms and flash flooding always a concern, this type of specialized training is invaluable. Every new skill, every realistic scenario, and every hour spent training helps our members better serve the community when conditions are at their worst.
Strong work by the FFD Water Rescue Team!