(WTXL) - It's the last week of training after firefighters across Georgia put in more than 300 hours to be part of the Georgia's Search and Rescue Task Force Two.
These men and women take on any natural disaster that comes our way.
When a natural disaster hits, Georgia's Search and Rescue Task Force Two, is on the front line for relief.
That's why firefighters are put through an intense 360 hours of training.
"There's a lot of material we're out here working with. A lot of heavy concrete, crane locators so it was a little intimidating when we first got here," said Keith Niehanke, Task Force Two trainee.
Keith is one of 38 firefighters who will become part of the task force after completing four key classes.
"Rope rescue so we do any kind of high angle rescue. We do confined space so if somebody is trapped, we're trained to go in there and get them out," said Jeff Thibodeau, Special Operations Captain. "Trench rescue and this is the last class, the most technical one, which kind of rolls everything into one, which is structural collapse."
In one drill, trainees are given a situation where they have to get their heavy equipment over some type of concrete rubble. The solution, working together to build a bridge that hoists it over.
"Something you may not be as sharp on someone else is and vice versa. So that's why were a team. We work together put our heads together to come up with a solution to whatever issue or dealing with," said Niehanke.
The task force needs at least 75 members so they are ready to deploy when there's a need. They'll have a team of 90 after this week's training.
"A lot of them are very, very critical and dangerous skills that we do as far as dangerous for us as rescuers and also dangerous to the people that we're going in to rescue so we have to keep honing our skills," said Thibodeau.
If you don't use it, you lose it and Georgia's Search and Rescue Task Force Two holds training sessions throughout the year to stay on top of their game.
The trainees will continue with the structural collapse class this week and have a final exam this Saturday before officially becoming members of the Task Force Two Team.
