Oakdale Firefighters Complete Month of Technical Rescue Training

Volunteer firefighters from Oakdale Hose Company spent September conducting technical rescue training focused on ladder operations, rope rescue, swiftwater emergencies and vehicle extrication.

The month-long training program took place throughout September 2026 in the Oakdale area of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Members practiced ground ladder placement, elevated rescues, rope systems and water rescue techniques to reinforce operational skills and responder safety.

The program concluded September 30 with a simulated vehicle rescue involving a car resting on its side and a patient partially ejected through a passenger-side window. Firefighters stabilized the vehicle using struts and cribbing before practicing patient protection and extrication procedures with hydraulic rescue equipment.

The training provided members with practical experience in several rescue disciplines while emphasizing equipment familiarity, scene stabilization and crew coordination during technical rescue operations.