Local first responders weigh in on rescue efforts after plane crash in DC

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Recovery efforts continue in Washington D.C. as crews from multiple jurisdictions comb the Potomac River inch by inch. The scene is being closely watched around the world. We spoke with first responders in Milwaukee as they pray for their brotherhood in D.C.

The water temperature in the Potomac River is around 36 degrees. It takes bravery and selflessness to put on a dry suit and risk your own life for the mission.

"Those are things you never forget. They stay with you for the rest of your life," said Lt. Junior Grade Santiago Tamburini, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan.

Right now, some 300 first responders are working together to find as many of the 67 victims as they can.

"Our priority is to help people, try to save as many as we can and bring them back to their loved ones one way or another," said Lt. Junior Grade Tamburini.

Although the Potomac's just eight feet deep in the area of the search, the mid-air collision brought other challenges.

"So, not only do you have victims and being underwater and all of those hazards, but you have the shrapnel and metal entanglement of everything else which is something you have to keep in mind," said Lt. John Zaworski, Milwaukee Fire Department Dive Rescue Team Director.

Sharp objects can rip your dry suit or your skin and cut your air hose or your line.

"A plane could be, its fuel is going to be hazardous. You don't want to come into contact with that. The aircraft that's under the water could be unstable," said Deputy Chief Ron Firnohr, Milwaukee Fire Department.

With an annual air and water show in Milwaukee, along with daily flights over Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Fire Department's Dive Team and the Coast Guard regularly train for mass casualties.

"We're well equipped. We’re well trained and we're well staffed. And that is the reason we're able to go out the door right now," said Deputy Chief Firnohr.

And when the day is done, it's about being there for each other, and seeking professional emotional support, too.

"All firefighters you know, kind of look out for each other but the dive team, especially. It's a very close-knit group," said Lt. Zaworski.

We're told first responders from Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland mobilized quickly. Milwaukee, although one of the larger dive teams in our area, does not expect to be called to D.C. to help.