SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – As projections for the Russian River teeter around flood stage, North Bay fire agencies used a break in the weather to train for swift water rescues on Sunday.
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Sonoma County swift water rescue teams used the flooded parking lot of Steelhead Beach in Forestville as their launch point to take to the river, using a variety of boats and jet skis.
"We don't get a whole lot of opportunity to come out here and train like this," said Chuck Franceschi, an engineer with the Sonoma County Fire District.
"We have to wait for the water to come up to a specific height, so we can operate our boats safely and efficiently out there," he said.
Until the river reaches flood stage, teams survey the river's status and also rescue any wayward drivers.
"Most of the time we get cars that drive into the flooded water," said Franceschi. "We have to go in there and get them out safely and bring them back to the shore."
Beyond the flood stage, the calls for help get a bit more involved, trying to get people out who’ve stuck out the harsh weather at home.
"People who just thought they can survive it and need help to get out to safety," he said.
Franceschi is keeping a close eye on the forecast but isn’t too concerned about how much flooding this storm will bring.
In the meantime, the teams will continue to use the opportunity to practice safety training.
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