Pittsburgh River Rescue

Pittsburgh's elite river rescue EMS divers bring medicine to the water Pittsburgh sits at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers. Centered around the point where the three iconic rivers meet, the city has expanded across the hills and valleys that surround the water. The port of Pittsburgh is the second busiest inland port and the 17th busiest port in the country. The rivers and their tributaries encompass more than 24 miles of navigable waterways within the Pittsburgh pool.1 During the summer months, thousands of recreational boaters and fishermen join the commercial barges and tugs that move their cargo through the region. Crowds of people flock to the city to enjoy sporting events, concerts and many other activities centered around the downtown waterfront. There are also a multitude of bridges that allow pedestrians, automobiles and trains to cross from shore to shore. The rivers are at the heart of the city and, inevitably, people, vehicles and other objects end up in the water and must be retrieved. This responsibility falls on the elite Pittsburgh River Rescue team whose primary mission is to "help prevent, respond to, and mitigate all waterborne emergencies on the city's waterways."2 The 24 paramedic divers that staff the unit provide a medically directed approach to the rescue and recovery of victims from the water. The team is prepared to deliver ALS care to patients from the moment they're brought to safety. Pittsburgh River Rescue is...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Rescue & Vehicle Extrication Operations Source Type: news