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Fayetteville police, firefighters and swift-water rescuers responded to a call at about 1 p.m. Monday that a vehicle was stuck.

Police Officer Paul Twardowski said the man did not appear to be in immediate danger when crews arrived, but had he been a little farther south where the water was higher and moving faster, it could have been a different story.

With the National Weather Service reporting that Fayetteville received 2. 42 inches of rain by Monday afternoon with more precipitation expected, Washington County Emergency Management officials are asking people to play it safe when it comes to traveling in adverse conditions.

People should pay attention to road warnings and signs, and if a sign states that a road is impassible when flooded, people shouldn't attempt to navigate it, said John Luther, the county emergency management director. If an emergency occurs, like a vehicle driving into deep water, witnesses should call 911 and give as much information as possible, but they should not try to be a hero, he said.

"Don't even be tempted," he said. "We don't want multiple victims."

Luther said in a water rescue situations, his department has specially trained teams to execute the res- cue quickly and efficiently. Each rescuer has undergone intense training in the water and in the classroom and knows how to safely remove a victim from a potentially deadly situation, he said.

"It's not as easy as sticking out a hand or throwing them a rope," he said.

Luther said the county works with the Fayetteville and Springdale fire departments to provide water and swift-water rescue coverage. Fayetteville covers the central part of Washington County, Springdale covers the north part and Washington County's teams, made up of members from various county departments, cover the south, east and west.

Luther said the teams are equipped with state-of-theart gear. They have specialized rafts, wet suits, helmets and boots. He said equipping one rescuer could cost $ 500 to $ 1, 000.

"We put a lot of time and money into our teams," he said. "It's a very, very deadly and dangerous situation that you hope you never have to see."

He said rescuers have three levels of training: awareness, operations and technical. Awareness is a three-day class, with two spent in the water learning what not to do. Operations and technical courses are more in-depth, teaching procedures and how to use equipment.

Luther said that even the basic training requires a lot of time, so anyone without training should stay out of the water and do their best supplying the dispatcher with information.

Fayetteville police Sgt. Shannon Gabbard said people can avoid emergencies during bad weather by obeying signs and staying away from problem areas like steep hills and bridges.

"To be honest, for these bridges it doesn't take much water to wash your car out," he said.

Gabbard said the Police Department often calls local radio stations to inform people about which roads are closed during bad weather.

 BY DUSTIN TRACY
Northwest Arkansas Times