Rescue Me
PWC Put to the Noblest of Causes
Text by Cpt. Terry Harvey
Photography by Cpt. Bryan Wells

The County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) has year-round water capability through the staffing of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Task Forces. These task forces are composed of six personnel each and are located in the Los Angeles basin city of Pico Rivera and in the high desert city of Lancaster. At both of these locations, a trio of Honda F-12X Turbo Aquatrax watercraft is also stationed. The Aquatrax, while employed as lifesaving equipment are known as Rescue Watercraft (RWC).

(Above: The Aquatrax Honda RWC with the Zodiac Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRB))

The RWC are provided to the Fire Department through American Honda and one of their participating dealers. The Fire Department is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the vessels and returning them to the manufacturer, through is participating dealer, in a sellable condition. Currently, the LACoFD works with Mid-Cities Honda in Paramount for its watercraft maintenance and distribution needs.

The LACoFD currently has six Honda Aquatrax RWCs. They are used in conjunction with Zodiac Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRB) also carried on the USAR units. Personnel undergo 40 hours of training, learning how to operate the IRB's and RWC's in dynamic water conditions in addition to the 40 hours of River/Flood rescue training, they must undergo as a prerequisite. The RWC training is conducted at the Colorado River, under a special arrangement with the Palo Verde Irrigation District.

Many areas served by the LACoFD are near natural and man-made rivers that swell during the rainy season. The personnel at the USAR stations are qualified to take the RWC into these waterways if need be to rescue a victim that may have ended up in the river. Further, the RWCs and IRBs are used in the many man-made and natural lakes and reservoirs in the area. RWCs and IRBs make for a stable platform to conduct dive rescues and searches.

In addition to the local responsibilities, the LACoFD supports California Task Force 2 (CA TF-2). CA TF-2 is a 72 member team that can be employed to respond to natural and man-made disasters. One such mission was Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Working through California's Office of Emergency Service (CA-OES), 14 members of CA TF-2 responded with seven other teams from California to New Orleans. While there, CA TF-2 members - through the partnerships formed with American Honda - acquired two Honda Aquatrax to use for Search and Rescue.

(Above: Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, California Task Force 2 (LACoFD-CA TF 2) search the downtown area of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.)

The Honda Aquatrax proved invaluable in allowing personnel to quickly assess and recon areas of the city, allowing the IRBs to come in to remove victims from harm. The durability of the RWC when encountering obstacles such as submerged vehicles, fire hydrants, and fences, made them a necessary tool in the flood evacuation work.

For safety reasons, all personnel in the water wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The operator guides the RWC to the "victim" assigned during training; here the RWC approaches the "victim."

The operator talks to the "victim" and extends his hand out to assist with controlling the "victim" towards the rescuer.

After taking control of the "victim," the rescuer advises the operator that they are clear to exit the danger area to calmer waters.

The High Surf Accessories Rescue platform is stable and has a variety of hand holds for the rescuer and victim. The Honda F-12X proves agile and powerful enough to pull out of a hydraulic hole.

Training in aerated water allows the RWC operator to test the limits of themselves and their machine while the Honda is battered about by the forces of the Colorado River. In the photo sequence below, the RWC starts to submerge into the standing wave created by the clam-shell dam. The RWC flips as a result of the dynamic water conditions. Flipping and righting is a skill the student must master to be proficient in the operation of the RWC. The rescuer and operator return the RWC to the proper attitude, allowing them to return to the rescue at hand.