Modern fire departments respond not only to fires and medical emergencies, but also to complex **technical rescue incidents** that require specialized training, tools, and teamwork.
Below are the principal rescue areas recognized in the fire service, each with a brief description of its scope and purpose.
Captain Veronica Hidrogo Cantu is our Captain for Technical Rescue Incidents for the H. Cuerpo de Bomberos Voluntarios de El Centenario
Firefighters use hydraulic tools, stabilization systems, and patient-care coordination to safely remove victims while preventing further injury or hazards such as fuel spills or electrical risks.
Teams use ropes, pulleys, anchors, and harnesses to raise or lower rescuers and patients, applying strict safety and load-management procedures.
Deals with emergencies inside tanks, tunnels, wells, or other limited-access environments that may contain toxic atmospheres or restricted movement.
Personnel rely on atmospheric monitoring, ventilation, retrieval systems, and personal protective equipment to conduct rescues safely within regulatory and NFPA standards.
Specialists stabilize soil walls, use shoring systems, and manage heavy loads to prevent secondary collapse while extricating victims.
Teams perform search, breaching, shoring, lifting, and victim removal operations using heavy tools, technical search devices, and canine units.
Rescuers use specialized flotation gear, throw-bags, and inflatable boats to recover victims while minimizing risk from current, debris, and entrapment.
Handles emergencies where victims are exposed to colder temperatures where hypothermia can be a problem.
Responders wear thermal protective suits, use reach-and-throw techniques, and employ rope-based systems to conduct safe recoveries in cold water conditions.
Operations include land navigation, tracking, communications, and coordination with air or ground units for patient access and evacuation.
Specialists identify, contain, and mitigate chemical, biological, radiological, or flammable hazards to protect life, property, and the environment.
Involves incidents in elevators, cranes, construction sites, or industrial facilities.
Teams secure power sources, stabilize equipment, and extricate trapped individuals using lock-out/tag-out and mechanical-advantage systems.
