DAYTON — Forty members from different task forces across the country gathered in Dayton for crucial training on large machinery, preparing the next generation of task force members.
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The training, which meets FEMA requirements, focuses on heavy equipment operation and is designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of task force missions.
Participants, who have all been on task force missions before, are training to become heavy equipment specialists.
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“Most of us have 30-plus years doing this, and we’re getting older, and we are taking the next level of rescuer and bringing them up to speed, and getting ready to pass on the knowledge,” Michael Muhl, rescue team manager and heavy equipment rigging specialist, said.
The training includes 32 hours of coursework followed by a practical test where crews put their new rigging skills to the test.
“The test for them is set up to be like an operational period on a deployment,” Muhl said. “So they’ll rotate from multiple divisions and experience things that are replicant of different scenarios that we’ve encountered.”
This training in Dayton is a critical step in ensuring that task forces across the country are prepared for future missions, with experienced members passing on their knowledge to the next generation.
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