This past week, four members of the Center Moriches Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team qualified as Surface Water Rescue Swimmers.

Over the 2 days, Firefighters spent time in classroom sessions as well as hands-on water rescue training. This training included assessing water conditions, rescue decision making, proper personal protective equipment, water rescue skills and watercraft usage.

The Center Moriches Fire Department Water Rescue Team is part of a multi-agency Marine Incident Response Team. This multi-agency response team is comprised of firefighters and EMS personnel specially trained to respond to water-based emergencies.

Each department on the team has specialized equipment to provide a rapid response to a variety of water-based incidents including citizens or vessels in distress, search and rescue, marine firefighting, and EMS assistance on our local waters 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.