SOUTH DAYTON, NY — August 29 — Fire departments that were part of District 1 carried out a search and rescue training exercise in South Dayton on August 29.

The scenario involved a hiker who experienced a medical issue, called 911, kept walking, became lost and confused, and eventually lost consciousness.

Fire crews were given the hiker’s last known GPS location and began the search, but the patient was not found there.

Firefighters worked in teams, each led by a crew boss.

The exercise included the use of GPS technology, grid-line searches, and the Cattaraugus County Office of Emergency Services DisasterLAN (DLAN) system.County records explain that DLAN is a web-based system used for managing emergencies and preparing for disaster response.

During the training, teams navigated through dense scrub brush, which made it difficult to see and move.

While searching, crews discovered personal items belonging to the simulated victim before locating and safely removing the patient from the woods.

The participating departments were Gowanda Volunteer Fire Department, Versailles Volunteer Fire Company, South Dayton Volunteer Fire Company, Dayton Volunteer Fire Company, Conewango Volunteer Fire Company, Perrysburg Volunteer Fire Department, and Leon Fire Company #1.

The training allowed crews to practice coordination during searches, GPS tracking, field reporting, and communication between search teams and command.

Cattaraugus County Emergency Services highlighted that training first responders and coordinating fire and EMS services are key parts of their responsibilities.