The Trussville Fire Department has a Trench Rescue Team comprised of eleven members. Each member is trained in Trench Rescue to the technician level. With the amount of new construction in the City of Trussville and also in the surrounding communities we realized a need for this specialized type of rescue capability. We currently have a 24 foot trailer and a large utility truck both loaded with specialized equipment from hammers to pneumatic air shores and different kinds of lumber to make the trenches safe for our personnel to perform search and rescue operations. 

            OSHA defines a trench as any opening in the ground that is deeper than it is wide. These trenches are being dug every day in this area and while most are safely shored some are not. Shoring is a system made of timber, metal, hydraulic, or mechanical members that support the trench walls and prevent cave-ins and collapses. When these systems fail or are not used then the chance of a collapse is very likely. 

            If you see an open unmonitored trench please stay away and contact the Fire Department at 655-9123.