SBCoFD’s Swift Water Rescue Team is one of the few in the county that is capable of responding to both man-made and natural water channels.
All San Bernardino County firefighters receive basic swift water rescue training, and well over 100 county firefighters are trained in advanced swift water rescue skills. Swift water rescue personnel have the ability to perform land-based swift water rescues, in which rescuers work from stream banks, bridges, dry land locations, and water rescue systems in which rescue personnel enter the water.
Nearly all of San Bernardino County Fire’s (SBCoFD) first-response engines, ambulances, squads, and rescue units are equipped with swift-water rescue gear, which includes dry-suits, floating ropes, personal flotation devices, and other rescue equipment.
In addition, inflatable rescue boats, line guns, (which can propel rescue ropes over long distances), and other types of swift-water rescue gear are positioned throughout the county for rapid deployment, especially around streams where heavy rains can create deep, fast moving currents
