Elite Palm Beach Fire-Rescue team takes part in statewide rescue competition

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Elite Palm Beach Fire-Rescue team takes part in statewide rescue competition

Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila braced himself as he used a circular saw to cut through a reinforced door.

With his vision obscured, firefighter Lex May navigated quickly through a narrow tube.

Also with his sight blocked, firefighter Tom Ardito launched himself through a small opening in a wall.

The trio were among 10 Palm Beach Fire-Rescue personnel who participated in the Rapid Intervention Team competition on May 1 at Palm Beach State College near Lake Worth Beach.

Two teams from Palm Beach took part in the Palm Beach State Invitational competition: Team 1 of Lts. Arcila and Stephen Montoya with firefighters Ardito, Austin Bohn and May; and Team 2 of Lts. Michael Bennett and Daniel DiRocco with firefighters Ryan Allen, Bruce Martin and Alex Park.

The teams completed a grueling course with challenges that included breaking through a reinforced door, navigating tight spaces and rescuing a mock victim while in blackout conditions.

Town of Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention team members, firefighter Lex May, from right, Lt. Walter Arcila, firefighter Austin Bohn, firefighter Thomas Ardito, and Lt. Stephen Montoya, discuss their strategy for the RIT competition at Palm Beach State College on May 1.

This was the second RIT competition for Palm Beach, which formed its first Rapid Intervention Team within the past year. Team members go through grueling training to be part of the team, said Assistant Fire Chief Joe Sekula, Fire-Rescue spokesman.

While Palm Beach’s pair of teams did well, they did not advance past the competition’s first day, he said.

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While wearing a blackout mask that totally impedes his vision, a member of the Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) throws his body through a tiny window during the competition.

“However, with just two competitions under their belt, they have already made a name for themselves and they are already looking forward to the next competition in Orlando in January,” Sekula said. “They will take everything that they learned here and incorporate that into their training.”

The training is very specialized and results in an “elite” fire-rescue unit, he said.

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Sparks fly as Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila cuts through rebar.

“That’s very labor-intensive as you can imagine,” Sekula said. “We are super proud of them!”

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Team 1 took first place, with Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue Team 2 coming in second, according to the rankings released by Palm Beach State College. In third place was Largo Fire Rescue.

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Town of Palm Beach firefighter Lex May takes a knee before competing.

The RIT competition was part of the larger Palm Beach State Invitational that took place throughout the weekend at Palm Beach State College’s main campus near Lake Worth Beach. Teams also competed in vehicle rescue, emergency medical services and rope rescues.

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at *****@*****.tld. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News:

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