By Luke Voogt
Locals watched curiously as Geelong firefighters hung suspended from Kardinia Park’s 73m light towers today.
The firies joined MFB, SES and Police Search and Rescue crews in high-angle rescue training, said Geelong CFA acting operations officer Tony Field.
“It’s just an inter-agency operation so everyone has an understanding of each other’s systems,” he said.
“You need to maintain skills and have an awareness of each other’s roping systems.”
While onlookers and opportunistic photographers envied the view or described it as “terrifying”, Mr Field said the firefighters were well within their comfort zone.
“They’ve all done the training before,” he said.
Mr Field said the roping systems the crews were practicing were vital for rescuing people stranded in high locations.
He said the systems could be used at locations like the Melbourne Star Ferris Wheel, or for rescuing people from wind turbines and industrial sites.
“When our ladder platforms can’t bring them down we have to lower them down.”
