Outstanding Rescue After Playground Mistake in Kingston, NY

Kingston, NY firefighters are being praised for their quick reaction and outstanding teamwork after responding to a playground emergency at a local summer camp.

The Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Kingston was effusive in her compliments after a camper became stuck in an infant swing. Photos (below) show exactly how many firefighters it took to eventually free the child, and the department shared why the rescue was an important lesson in emergency response.

Swing Rescue at Loughran Park in Kingston, NY

"On Tuesday August 1st, 2023 at approximately 4:00pm the Kingston Fire Department was alerted of a child that was stuck in playground equipment at Loughran Park", the KFD recently shared on their Facebook page. "Firefighters began by using the least invasive tools to remove the child and continued to use various saws and equipment until the child was removed." The cuts made in the swing (below) had to be carefully made in order to release the camper from their cramped quarters.

Emergency Equipment Used by the City of Kingston Fire Department

The KFD also used the opportunity to explain to the public why a seemingly large response to more lighthearted emergencies is often necessary, as it took a creative approach with many of the department's diverse resources to eventually free the child. From the KFD:

Firefighters regularly train on all of our equipment however in situations like this a combination of teamwork and outside the box thinking made for a successful outcome. This incident highlights the importance of why firefighters respond with a fire engine or ladder truck to all emergencies as we carry a variety of equipment that we may need to use at any time.

Lynsey Timbrouk, the Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Kingston thanked the KFD for their hard work. "My staff and I were so impressed with the level of communication and teamwork [the KFD] displayed, how pleasant they were while working under pressure, and of course their ability to keep the camper as calm and relaxed as possible", she wrote in a letter of recognition.

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Emergency Preparedness in Kingston, NY

As the KFD mentioned, many different training scenarios help prepare emergency responders for the real-world situations that they are called to every day. Most recently, the KFD trained members on vehicle extraction, using saws and other tools to tear apart donated vehicles and safely extract the mannequins they used as passengers (below).

The KFD is just one of many emergency response organizations in the Hudson Valley that are hard at work everyday. Check out some other impressive operations, including a helicopter extraction of a stranded hiker and the rescue of a horse from a residential swimming pool below.