Some of the members of the Bedford Fire Department took our bail-out training to the next level this weekend. This training is vital to survival should a firefighter get trapped in a burning building. A trapped firefighter will deploy a rescue system called the Petzel Exo, which is integrated into the gear we wear, and then literally jump out the window. The Petzel system controls the firefighter's fall via a hook attached to the window sill or a remote tie off.

New York State mandates these rescue systems and annual re-qualification.

A group of Bedford firefighters recently completed a class to certify as Petzel Instructors, which gives us the ability to do this training more often in-house. Frequent training will help keep our firefighters familiar with the deployment steps and keep them safe should they need to deploy the system. One of the key features of the proposed new firehouse for Bedford Village is an area like the one you see in these photos to allow us to repeat this training on a regular basis in our own firehouse.

Many thanks to East Coast Rescue Solutions for a great training class.