A ‘Swift Water Flood Training Center’ has opened today in Oriskany, Oneida County. The Center is dedicated to training New York State first responders. The state-of-the-art facility is the only training center of its kind dedicated to training the state’s fire, law enforcement, and EMS responders on the technical skills necessary to perform water rescues in controlled conditions. The training facility occupies approximately seven acres and includes a three-acre pond, a concrete swift water channel, and an urban flood simulator to allow rescue personnel to train in flooded streets and buildings. The facility will support training in the various techniques and procedures necessary to undertake these rescue operations, including shore-based rescue, “Go” rescues where rescue personnel enter the water or swim to complete the operation, aerial rescue operations, and emergency boat maneuvers.
