In the trenches

Ithaca firefighters and Cornell safety personnel participated in a specialized training program in trench rescues March 31 and April 1, at a training site off Palm Road, with expert instructors from the Fairfax County (Va.) Fire Department. The rescue teams were trained in how to safely remove victims in trench accidents. Above, Ithaca firefighter John Powers (white helmet) and Steve Wehrspann of Cornell shore up the sides of a trench to keep it from collapsing. The program and new trench-rescue equipment are a joint project of the Ithaca Fire Department and Cornell's Department of Environmental Health and Safety. Nicola Kountoupes/University Photography