ATASCOCITA, TX – The Atascocita Fire Department hosted a joint swift water rescue training exercise today on Lake Houston, bringing together multiple agencies to prepare for flood-related emergencies.
The training focused on scenarios involving victims stranded in floodwaters, including rescues of individuals trapped on top of vehicles and rooftops. Crews practiced low head dam operations, re-flipping rescue boats in the event of capsizing, and retrieving victims safely from boats. Motorized boats, including banana boats and rigid inflatable boats, were used in the exercises.
Division Chief of Training Chad Donnally stated that swift water rescues are high-risk but low-frequency events and that the exercises are part of an annual training cycle that runs from April through October to ensure responders remain prepared.
Participating agencies included Eastex Fire Department, Atascocita Fire Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department Marine Patrol, and the Sheriff’s Air Unit.
