Port Moody Fire-Rescue has rolled out a new mud rescue protocol following a call last August which showed a need to learn new skills.
Fire chief Remo Faedo said a woman had ventured out into the mud flats next to the old mill site the previous summer and wound up getting stuck waist-deep.
Firefighters used ladders, ropes and shovels to free the woman, who was otherwise unhurt.
"It was effective, but it wasn't efficient," he said, adding two fire crews were tied up for an hour.
The story gained national attention, said Faedo, and one month later, Port Moody Fire/Rescue was invited to take part in a mud rescue workshop in Bayview, WA.
From this new techniques were learned, and a pair of mud rescue boots were purchased - which slip on over other footwear and prohibit firefighters from sinking - paid for with money already existing in the department's equipment budget.
A kit consisting of several lengths of fire hose, the mud boots and a backboard (to be used as a working surface) has been created. Also included is a special nozzle which firefighters push into the mud which allows water to be injected, and loosens the muck's grip on the victim.
In practice sessions, firefighters have been able to effect a rescue within about 10 minutes, said Faedo.
