On January 26th and 27th, 25+ members from several of the

On January 26th and 27th, 25+ members from several of the Middle Peninsula area volunteer fire departments participated in the inaugural Middle Peninsula Mayday/RIT Weekend.

In the fire service, when a firefighter is unable to get him/herself out of a hazardous environment he/she is trained to call a “mayday”. A mayday situation is uniquely stressful for both the firefighter calling it as well as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) firefighters who are tasked with saving one of their own. These situations can be mentally and physically taxing, and require good and repetitive training to be prepared.

Recognizing the need for a better Mayday/RIT training opportunity, GVFRS and Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue teamed up to host a weekend packed full of classroom and hands on training. Instructors from both departments, as well as several other Hampton Roads departments spent the weekend helping to teach students the vital skills of saving themselves and each other.

GVFRS and AVFR would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who attended, taught, helped with logistics, or even just came to observe. Without you all the first Mayday/RIT weekend could not have been such a HUGE success. Your dedication to training and learning doesn’t go unnoticed, and may one day help save a life.

If you weren’t able to attend this time, we hope to make this class a recurring event. Keep your eyes open for future announcements.