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Deer Valley, Utah—Over the last several weekends, the Park City Fire District (PCFD) special operations team braved heights of 200 feet to train for a high-mountain tower crane operator rescue—a real possibility in the construction-rich environment of Summit County.
“There are construction cranes going up all over Park City, and what we’ve seen happen elsewhere in the country could happen here,” said Battalion Chief Steve Zwirn, a 30-year PCFD veteran. “The experience we’re gaining today is invaluable. Tower crane conditions are unlike any we’ve ever trained for.”
Battalion Chief Pete Emery, head of special training for PCFD, knew that the experience needed to rescue a crane operator could not be replicated without actually rigging a working tower and sending his teams 160 feet higher than their typical training required. Emery approached Jacobsen Construction Company (Jacobsen) Project Manager, Tom Heath, about appropriating the tower crane being used at the One Empire Pass development in Deer Valley, and soon after a specialized training exercise was developed.
“It’s a beast of a climb to get up there,” said Emery, who was part of the first group of firefighters to scale the crane, “It’s a real gut-check. Nothing else can prepare you for the sway and turns at 200 feet off the ground while standing on an open-air cage instead of a solid building. We’ll be ready for it now.”
One Empire Pass owners, East West Partners, and Jacobsen agree that Emery’s tower-crane training drills provide the community with specialized emergency planning.
“As a community, we expect so much of our first responders,” said Heath. “We saw this as a chance to give back–to give them what they need for the best preparation possible for an unpredictable situation.”
“As owners in the beautiful Deer Valley area, we feel a strong advocacy for the community where we’re building,” said Erik de Bruijn, Vice President of Design & Construction for East West Partners. “We know the fire teams need opportunities to train in environments like the one at our site. We couldn’t be happier to help make that happen.”
About Jacobsen Construction Company, Inc.
Founded in 1922 by Soren N. Jacobsen in Salt Lake City, Jacobsen is a 100% employee-owned, Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) company. With more than 500 employees, Jacobsen is consistently ranked as one of the top contractors in the country, as well as one of the nation’s Top 100 Green Contractors. For more information explore this website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About East West Partners, Inc.
East West Partners is devoted to building, selling, managing, and supporting high-quality real estate and life experiences. We are dedicated to innovation, and we encourage our employees to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit. We understand that it is good business to give back to the communities in which we work and to vigorously protect the natural environment in which we thrive. For more information visit: http://ewpartners.com
About Park City Fire District
The PCFSD serves an area of 110 square miles consisting of residential, commercial, and wildland zones. The area has seen, and continues to experience, significant growth in the past few years and is home to approximately 83% of the population of Summit County’s 1,880 square miles and encompasses greater than $13 billion (86%) of the taxable value of the County. For more information visit: www.pcfd.org