For a community surrounded by water on all sides, the need for adequate water rescue training for emergency responders has become a top priority in Alameda after a suicidal man drowned Monday in front of police and firefighters.
In years past, the fire department had a comprehensive water rescue team, interim Fire Chief Michael D'Orazi said before the City Council tonight, a program that included shore-based and surface-based tactics.
But after several years of struggling to balance budgets and making sacrifices, D'Orazi said, the program deteriorated to a state that left firefighters unable to respond Monday, when Raymond Zack, 53, waded neck-deep into the frigid water at Crown Memorial Beach and remained there until he lost consciousness.
Fire department paramedics on the shore were not permitted to rescue Zack because they were not certified in water rescue, the department's acting deputy chief of operations Daren Olson said Tuesday.
Read more and see a video HERE. For more on firefighter water training, CLICK HERE.
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