On Sunday Morning at 9:00 am members of CFD joined together with members of other North Fork Fire Departments for a water rescue drill hosted by the Cutchogue Fire Department

This is the latest of a series of joint monthly drills hosted and coordinated by the North Fork Fire Departments. The scenario-based search and rescue training began at the end of Duck Pond Rd. in Cutchogue in Long Island Sound.

The Drill gave CFD the opportunity to share several lessons that were learned from a water rescue occurring at the same location a little over a year ago.

After a briefing, units were dispatched to a simulated emergency that was reported to take place in the area. Boat crews had to launch from the beach and navigate to a specific area and search for a missing “person” in the water.

Responders were tasked with locating 2 items/victims and then extricate them from the water onto the boats.

The teams working together were able to locate the victims and coordinate their transport to shore quickly.

The teams were also tasked with a shoreline search from both water and land to search for an unaccounted "victim".

Utilizing several UTV's (all terrain rescue vehicles) Firefighters searched the shoreline from the Duck Pond Rd to Bailey Beach in Mattituck. Boats conducted a search parallel to the shore from the water.

With UTV's working from both the east and west, the "Victim" (mannequin) was located at the mid-way point of the 3-mile stretch of shoreline. Crews communicated and coordinated the treatment and removal to waiting EMS personnel at the command post.

The drill lasted approximately 2 hours and included Orient, East Marion, Greenport, Southold, and Cutchogue Fire Departments as well as the Southold Town Police Deparmtent.

The members of CFD would like to thank all of the Departments who came out to this training as well STPD marine unit for their help at the start of the drill.

Members of the CFD Water Rescue team and other local Responders continue to train and be prepared any emergency.