Greene County looks to oversee technical rescue team

CATSKILL―An exclusive team of specialty trained first responders could soon be going under a new name.

A resolution to establish the Greene County Technical Rescue Team passed the legislature’s Public Safety Committee last week and would place what has long been the Twin Cloves Technical Rescue Team under county administration.

“Greene County seeks to strengthen operational oversight, training consistency, credentialing, and compliance with New York State standards,” the resolution states, adding that the “Greene County Department of Emergency Services is best positioned to oversee and manage countywide technical rescue operations.”

The volunteer team performs high-risk rescue operations, often utilizing high-angle rope systems to rappel down cliffs to bring fallen hikers to safety. But their work is not limited to the mountaintop.  

Last year, the team was called in after a man fell more than 100 feet into an empty silo at an abandoned factory in Cementon and they responded when a tractor trailer went off the New York State Thruway near Catskill and plunged down a steep embankment.

Greene County Emergency Service Director John P. Farrell, Jr. told county lawmakers that the team was established in 2015 through the works of fire departments from Tannersville, Haines Falls and Palenville. Centerville Cedar Grove Fire District joined shortly thereafter.

“In 2020, the team expanded into a regional partnership for the technical rescue service and resources sharing between Greene and Ulster counties, which included the City of Kingston Fire Department,” Farrell said.

Greene County currently has 56 active volunteer members on the team that has responded to approximately 58 incidents since 2019, Farrell said.

With the team going to the county level, Farrell said it will strengthen recruitment opportunities across Greene County, allowing individuals from all the departments to become members and receive the proper necessary training. It will also provide access to even more grant funding through the Department of Emergency Services, he noted.

The resolution is expected to pass the full legislature during their regular meeting later this month.