THRISSUR : A fisherman out on his boat suddenly clutched his chest and fell into the river. People called for help and threw objects towards him to rescue him, but in vain.
Suddenly, a team of women responders reached the spot on a dinghy of the fire and rescue services department. Carrying life-support equipment, they jumped into the water and pulled the fisherman out without wasting a second. They then gave him proper first-aid and saved his life.
The all-women team of scuba divers of the fire and rescue services department impressed all with their skills and expertise during the demonstration held as part of their passing out parade on Tuesday.
The team of 17 divers, the first all-women group in the state as well as the country, passed out of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services Academy, Thrissur. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan received the salute during their water parade and felicitated them with medals.
The 17 women were selected from 100 women recruited by the department in 2024. They were shortlisted for the scuba diving team based on their interest in adventure.
Sruthi P Raju, one of the team members, “We faced several challenges during the training. While all of us passed the swimming test to join the department, diving was an entirely different experience. Now that we have we completed the training, we are now confident of taking on the world.”
From managing the fear of depth to understanding concepts of buoyancy, underwater current and other aspects, the team of women rescuers overcame it all to complete the training and, in the process, scrip history.
The team can dive to a depth of 30m in water bodies – freshwater and salt water. “The department recently introduced underwater communication system as well, which we can use while diving for search and rescue operations,” shared Anusree, another team member.
They also learnt how to operate the underwater camera for carrying out extensive search operations. P Dileepan, the director of Scuba Diving Training Centre of the fire and rescue services department in Fort Kochi, where the team was trained, said the officers underwent 21 days of basic open water diving course in which they covered 15 to 10m depth and later moved on to the 10-day advanced course in which they dived to a depth of 25 to 30m. “The syllabus was of international standards.
A major challenge was to instil confidence in trainees to take up scuba diving,” Dileepan said, adding that expert women scuba divers were invited to the institute. “They interacted with the trainees to address their concerns and boost their confidence. The officers were deployed in the scuba diving team in the district headquarters of the fire and rescue services department in the state,” Dileepan said.
“There were challenges like decompression sickness, menstrual hygiene and many others when we ventured out for the task. However, with right guidance and practice, we completed the training,” said another team member.
From flood rescue team to mountain rescue team, the fire and rescue services department operates various squads for different situations. The all-women team will work in collaboration with their male counterparts in the department’s squads.