Mastic, N.Y. – On Sunday August 11, 2024, at around 9 AM Members of the Suffolk County Urban Search And Rescue Team (USAR) also known as SCTF-1 along with the Mastic Fire Department met at the Forge River after a briefing at the Mastic Fire House. The members were there to conduct a Water Rescue and operations drill. The task force responds to major incidents. 

The task force is a type III task force which can provide 40 member teams with enough equipment for 12-hour operation shifts up to a period of 72 hours.  In addition to Swift water rescue and Water rescue the team operates at Collapses, during storm response and other surface type missions as needed. The Suffolk County USAR team is equipped with a 16 person Surface water Rescue/ Swift water rescue team.

For the training on Sunday August 11^th the team split up and rotated stations covering multiple different scenarios. 1 of the scenarios included using one of the departments ARC boats (amphibious rescue craft) during a rescue. Team members practiced getting to the patient as well as loading the patient onto a boat during different types of situations like a calm patient vs an excited patient.  A 2^nd scenario was removing a person from the water using the Suffolk County Fire Rescue Jetski or any other fire rescue jetski. For this situation they practiced with and without a water rescue sled was attached to the jetski and 2-3 members worked together with one playing the role of a victim and the other members going out and working to assist the victim in getting on the jetski with and without the sled. The last component was using an Inflatable rescue boat. Again a “victim” who was a member of the team outfitted in cold water rescue suit to prevent cold exposure and a life vest was put into the water and treaded water until members from the team arrived with the boat and worked on getting them aboard through different maneuvers. 

All Instructions during this exercise were provided by senior members of the Suffolk Fire Rescue USAR team on how to use all the equipment as well as tactics. Several senior members on the pier including the team leader and medical branch coordinator and doctor were on hand to observe but also act if needed. The Mastic Fire Department deployed its Marine Incident Response Team (MIRT) on their boat along with an EMT from Mastic Ambulance to provide overwatch and protection as needed and react if a real-life rescue was needed. Several units from Mastic Ambulance under Chief Mike Ryans Command were also on shore to assist in support as needed. Thankfully no real-life emergencies occurred that caused any of the members to need these lifesaving resources as a real victim.

I would like to thank Suffolk County Fire Rescue Acting Commissioner Rudy Sunderman and Deputy Director of OEM and and current Chief of Mastic FD Steve Januszkiewicz for the invite to this event to take pictures. I Would also like to thank the Entire Suffolk USAR Team, Mastic FD MIRT Team and Mastic Ambulance Company for their Hospitality while at the drill.