Ryan Ranch Safety Exercise
October 13, 2005
With safety being the first priority at the Don Chapin company, our team was delighted to partner with the Monterey County Health Department to prepare for a disaster drill simulating someone falling into an abandoned well. To create this situation, the “Team in Blue” was proud to drill the well, and to fabricate a well casing for the disaster team to use. This special project was part of a grant given to the Monterey County Health Department to search and map out abandoned wells and to conduct safety drills to increase public awareness of the potential dangers posed by abandoned wells.
The drill will involve dropping a “dummy” down the hole, then having rescue personnel lowered into it to retrieve the dummy. Search and rescue personnel will be treating this “dummy” as a potential real person, getting the chance to practice their rescue skills as well as get some practice in heat and oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide and oxygen monitoring, among other things.
If you would like more information on this project, contact Ralph Sahagun at rsahagun@donchapin.com.
Or for information on any other Don Chapin project, contact us from our ‘contact us’ page.
Updates
The Monterey County Urban Search and Rescue Team performed a six-hour training drill in late September. The drill used a “dummy child” that was lodged in the well about 13 feet deep, and rescue crews sent Salinas Rural Fire Department’s Larry Freitas down the 27 inch diameter well. As Freitas was lowered down the well, the shaft narrowed too quickly and the rescue attempt from above was abandoned. Using a backhoe, rescue crews dug a trench on the side of the well to reach the “dummy child.” The rescue was a success and the training was well appreciated.
Gallery