Ten Terrace and Thornhill firefighters were recently involved in a four-day, 32-hour IDHL (Imminent Danger to Health and LIfe in a Confined Space) rescue training program. A rescue of this type involves the rescue of an injured person in a confined space where there is little room to maneuver.

It is difficult and dangerous work that always holds the potential for toxics, poisonous gases or an oxygen deficient atmosphere. The training program took place at the site of the Wilson Ave. reservoirs in Terrace and was held in two sessions—June 2-5, and June 9-12—with five firefighters attending each. The instructors were assistant fire chief John Kenyon and Capt. Paul Kump, both from Port Coquitlam.

The photos on these pages were provided by the Terrace fire department and demonstrate how an IDHL rescue situation would be handled. In the scenario, a city worker doing routine maintenance at the Wilson Ave. water storage tanks had fallen 10 feet through an access hole providing access to a pressure relief valve, and had suffered serious head injuries and multiple fractures. The challenge for rescuers is how to get the victim out of the hole without causing further injury. In a confined space, it is a difficult task, perhaps impossible . . . Unless you know what you're doing.