POLICE attached to Chifley Police District’s Rescue Unit turned plenty of heads on Wednesday as they honed their vertical rescue skills by abseiling down the side wall of the All Saints’ Cathedral bell tower.
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The exercise was included in a two-day training program for officers as part of their accreditation requirements.
They undertake the training every quarter.
In addition to abseiling down the 20 metre drop of the bell tower, the officers also undertook training in road crashes, bomb appraisal, search and rescue, breathing apparatus, remote piloting (of drones), confined spaces and gas detection.
In previous training sessions the unit has used the old Denison Bridge as part of their exercises.
Senior Constable Nathan Snow-Jones said the training was about keeping officers’ skills up to date.
While Chifley Police Rescue Unit is the primary responder for the city, they have been called on to assist all over the regions as well as Sydney for a range of incidents including car accidents and rescue operations.
While undertaking their training on Tuesday, the unit was called out to a three-car pile up on the Sydney Road, Kelso where a driver had lost control of their vehicle which flipped and landed on its roof.
Squad members must have been on the police force for three years and are put through a rigorous three-day selection process before being selected for rescue training.
