Confined-space rescue and standby services are offered by the Muscatine Fire Department to many industries throughout the Muscatine area. These industries may have a need for a confined space entry in the course of their operations and are required by OSHA to have a rescue team designated and informed prior to making entry, a news release says.

Muscatine Power and Water recently announced that it will shut down its in-house confined space team and would solely use the MFD as their confined space response team. MPW and MFD have had a long history of training together on a variety of rescue scenarios and in HAZMAT operations.

Jim Garrison, safety and training manager, and Donyell Archer, safety and training specialist, are the MPW safety personnel that MFD works with the closest and who facilitated the donation and agreement. Most of the equipment was immediately put into service with extra equipment set up in training bags for in-house training by MFD members. A dedicated set will be used for the recruit academies.

Over the last few years Muscatine Fire has developed a great relationship with all the great members of the MPW safety team and MPW, which has led to an increase in training opportunities, facility tours throughout the city, and now, new equipment to add to Fire Department inventory, the release says.