NLFR Rescue Team 2018 | Front Row (L to R) – Captain Steve Miller, Assistant Chief Lynn Wiley, Fire Chief Brian Wade, Deputy Chief Tyler Moore, Captain Brandon Ward. Back Row (L to R) – Safety Officer Franklin Floyd, Firefighter Kristen McKinley, Captain Mike Muskus, Firefighter Ryan Beasley, Captain Chris Decker, Safety Officer Trey Kornegay
North Lenoir Fire & Rescue recently received several advanced rescue certifications from the North Carolina Association of Rescue and EMS (NCAREMS). The department and its members have invested in significant equipment upgrades and thousands of hours of advanced training and planning to obtain these credentials, making it one of the only departments in the region to offer these advanced rescue services.
The NCAREMS certified North Lenoir Fire & Rescue as a Heavy Rescue, High Angle Rescue and Surface Water Rescue provider. NLFR is now one of only three Heavy Rescue certified departments and one of only two High Angle Rescue certified departments in the region.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished,” said NLFR Fire Chief Brian Wade. “I appreciate the time and effort our dedicated members have put into training to better serve our community and our neighboring communities.”
“These advanced certifications are the result of significant investments in equipment and training by our members and allow us to offer highly technical life-saving services,” said NLFR Public Information Officer Chris Decker. “We constantly work to improve the level of service we offer to our community and these certifications are a testament to that.”
In addition to the new certifications, the department has also formed a Rescue Team comprised of members trained in various technical rescue disciplines. “The members of this team have obtained credentials in advanced technical rescue training and committed to continually working to hone their skills,” said Rescue Team Commander and Captain Brandon Ward.
The department now has its eyes on obtaining certification in Agricultural Rescue, which provides additional training to deal with farming equipment and heavy machinery, and Wilderness Rescue. NLFR hopes to complete the required training for these certifications by the end of the year.