People don't need to be alarmed by a flurry of activity on the Chattahoochee River on Monday afternoon. It is just a training session to ensure emergency personnel are up to speed when they have to respond in the case of a real emergency.
Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services will be hosting a swiftwater river rescue training drill on the Chattahoochee River from 1 - 3 p.m. Monday. The other agencies involved include Gwinnett County Police- Aviation Unit, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and The Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The drill will take place at Buford Dam West Lower Pool.
Officials said this training is necessary because of the dangers involved with this type of rescue.
"Swiftwater emergencies are among the most hazardous types of rescue situations that firefighters are faced with," GCFES public information officer Eric Eberly said in a press release. "The often unforgiving and turbulent waters can be deadly to people who are unsuspecting. Each year firefighters respond to calls for people distressed on area rivers and streams. For this reason, firefighters from various jurisdictions train together to prepare for busy spring and summer and to share this safety message."
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Eberly said the drill will include several agencies mitigating a simulated river rescue emergency with two or more victims.
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