SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Days after catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene wiped out towns and left widespread devastation across the South, Kevin Krotzer had a sobering thought Tuesday for a classroom full of students at Cetronia Ambulance Corps.
“I don’t think anybody’s ready for what happened in North Carolina," Krotzer said.
As special operations team coordinator for Lehigh County, Krotzer served as the lead instructor for “Water Rescue for the First Responder,” an awareness-level program developed and certified through the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Offered by the Lehigh County Office of Emergency Management and the Allentown Health Bureau, the course aims to lay a foundation for advanced training through the Pennsylvania Water Rescue Program, with students learning:
- What to expect during an emergency response
- Personal protection equipment used by rescuers
- The training needed and development of a water rescue team
- The water rescue process
- How to stay safe and keep others safe during a water-related event
Attendees included members of the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, program; Allentown’s Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps; the city health bureau; county and municipal employees; and others with varied backgrounds in emergency services.
One attendee indicated she’ll soon join the incoming cadet class at the Allentown Fire Academy, where Krotzer also will teach water rescue.
Drowning a leading cause of death
Krotzer said even classroom-based instruction is imperative for anyone who works on, around or near water — especially as severe weather events and flooding have become a frequent threat across the region, resulting in loss of life and property.
The presentation highlighted drowning as a leading cause of accidental death across all age groups, and seventh as a cause of death for firefighters in the line of duty.
Krotzer said that’s concerning, as intense storms, such as the one that dropped more than five inches of rain Aug. 18, are becoming much more common.
"We really take the water for granted just because we’re so used to it."Kevin Krotzer
Scores of drowning fatalities can be attributed to weak or non-existent swimming skills, swimming in unsupervised areas and failure to wear a personal flotation device, he said.
But more importantly, a general lack of aquatic water knowledge among the public is something first responders such as Krotzer must always keep in mind.
“We really take the water for granted just because we’re so used to it,” he said.
Moments later, he told the class how more than 50% of flash flooding deaths occur when vehicles are driven into hazardous flood waters.
“Most vehicles can be swept away in just a small amount of rapidly moving water,” he said.
“People who are making that decision don’t know if the roadway is intact. They don’t know what kind of hidden hazards are below the surface.”
'Everyone should have this training'
Helene is being called a storm “unlike any experienced” by those who have lived in North Carolina for decades.
More recently in our area, Tropical Storm Isaias brought floods and tornadoes in 2020 and was the most potent and deadly tropical system to hit the Lehigh Valley since Sandy.
The following year, Tropical Depression Ida hit the region especially hard. It dumped up to 8 inches of rain in some areas, spawning multiple water rescues.
Krotzer said there are things that have made those rescues more logistically challenging in Lehigh County.
Sometimes, there are few ways in and out of a community, he said. In addition, the Lehigh Valley is seeing more roadway flooding than it ever used to.
The presentation ended with news coverage of the family swept away and the lives lost during flash flooding in Upper Makefield, Bucks County, on July 15, 2023.
It was just one example so close to home of the “high-risk, low frequency events” that are a big issue for first responders and can be devastating to a community.
“Everyone should have this awareness-level training,” Krotzer said. “Especially if you are near the water.”
To learn more on Pennsylvania water rescue training, visit https://www.fishandboat.com/Education/PennsylvaniaWaterRescue/Pages/default.aspx.
