Cliff rescues are something firefighters in Pismo Beach are unfortunately all too familiar with, including last summer at Dinosaur Caves Park.
“A dog went down the cliff chasing a bird. The owner went down to try to rescue the dog," explained Battalion Chief Paul Lee. "They both got down there uninjured, but unfortunately, the cliff was too steep for them to come back.”
It was a tricky situation, but firefighters say they were able to perform the rescue quickly and safely. However, the task could’ve been a lot more difficult without this piece of equipment:
“This vortex is essentially a tripod that makes our angle going over the cliffside a lot lower,” Lee said.
This week, the fire department organized a demonstration to show me how their emergency rescues usually unfold and the significance of keeping their equipment up-to-date.
“Those ropes going over the side, they get abraded on rocks, they get dated with saltwater, they can be cut," Lee explained. "So we have a life expectancy of ropes of about five years.”
The City of Pismo Beach has allocated $10,000 to purchase new rope rescue equipment including:
- A vortex, which comes at a cost of about $5,000 each
- More compact-sized ropes to make room for other equipment in the vehicles
- Boats
- Wet suits and dry suits, which are individually used for different types of rescues whether at sea or on land.
Pismo Beach Fire Captain Carlos Pacheco, a firefighter for more than 20 years, has seen multiple updates to equipment over the years and says he’s glad to see changes that both heighten the safety of victims and make their lives as firefighters a bit easier.
“The way our rescue equipment has evolved to [being] lighter, stronger….it has evolved tremendously," Pacheco said.
CAL FIRE says there have been 67 specialized equipment rescues in Pismo Beach since the beginning of 2023.
