June 12-13 – Members of Minnesota Task Force 2 spent time in Virginia practicing their skills in Low and High Angle Rope Rescue. The training took place at various locations in the city including the ”Honda Hills” mine dump, Virginia fire station, and the Virginia Public Utilities plant. ”We’re very happy to be training with our partners on the task force,” said Duluth Deputy Fire Chief Rob Morehouse. ”This training helps us to maintain our operational capabilities.” The training was provided by instructors from the Regional Emergency All-Climate Training (REACT) Center at Volk Field at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Minnesota Task Force 2 is a specialized statewide Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR). It has about 40 members from the Virginia, Duluth, and the Minnesota Air National Guard 148th fire departments. Task Force 2 has responded to a number of incidents in the region ranging from the partial roof collapse at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth to a mine pit rescue in Virginia.
