The
Prairieton, Indiana Fire Department has taken ownership of the Neoteric rescue
hovercraft formerly employed by the Vigo County Emergency Management Agency in
Terre Haute, Indiana. As Dick Setleff, former Emergency Management director
said, “It’s about the price of a good
motorcycle, and that’s nothing if you can use it to save just one life.”
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First
responders David Phelps and Ben Cottrell are eager to use the craft for water
and ice rescue operations. “There’s a lot
of flooding in our area; we’ve rescued a lot of people from stranded vehicles
and flooded homes. We’ve had a lot of ice rescues, too,” says Phelps.
Phelps, a
50-year veteran of the Prairieton Fire Department, says, “I’ve known about Neoteric for a long time. And Vigo County Emergency
Management used their hovercraft in our area quite a few times. Then we had an
opportunity to buy it.”
Cottrell
adds, “It has the advantage of going
anywhere you want to go. The reverse thrust buckets, those are really nice in
maneuvering sideways and going around in circles.”
But buying
the rescue hovercraft was just the first step. The very next step was to enroll
in a Hovercraft Training Centers pilot and maintenance course. “We had an opportunity to use it on a water
rescue, but I opted to wait until we get our training. We want to be sure we
know how to do everything properly and not hurt anyone – including ourselves.”
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Ben
Cottrell (left) and David Phelps (right) receive their hovercraft pilot
certifications from Chris Fitzgerald (center).
See photos of their flight training … |
