FORTY firefighters have taken part in a major training exercise on a building site in York.

Crews from York, Acomb, Huntington, Tadcaster, Ripon and Malton were involved last night in the mock rescue of a 'casualty' who had 'collapsed' in a cab at the top of a crane in Walmgate.

David Dryburgh, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service's group manager for York and Selby, said the casualty, played by a dummy, was winched down to the ground using specialist ropes and pulleys.

He said the exercise tested firefighters' readiness to deal with a situation where a casualty was too high for the service's aerial ladder platform to reach and where the platform was unable to gain access.

The firefighters also rescued two casualties 'trapped' under rubble on the ground, caused by the crane dropping its load when the driver collapsed.

He said a vigilant member of the public rang police during the exercise to report they had seen someone climbing the crane, and was reassured it was a fire training exercise.

He added that the service needed to be prepared for further development in York in coming years, some of which would involve cranes with cabs at a high level and sites which were inaccessible to the aerial ladder platform.

The exercise took place on a site close to The Press where a new hotel is being built with the cooperation of the builders.

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Forty firefighters involved in York rescue exercise: Update 11.15 am Thursday

FORTY firefighters have taken part in a major training exercise on a building site in York.

Crews from York, Acomb, Huntington, Tadcaster, Ripon and Malton were involved last night in the mock rescue of a 'casualty' who had 'collapsed' in a cab at the top of a crane in Walmgate.

David Dryburgh, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service's group manager for York and Selby, said the casualty, played by a dummy, was winched down to the ground using specialist ropes and pulleys.

He said the exercise tested firefighters' readiness to deal with a situation where a casualty was too high for the service's aerial ladder platform to reach and where the platform was unable to gain access.

The firefighters also rescued two casualties 'trapped' under rubble on the ground, caused by the crane dropping its load when the driver collapsed.

He said a vigilant member of the public rang police during the exercise to report they had seen someone climbing the crane, and was reassured it was a fire training exercise.

He added that the service needed to be prepared for further development in York in coming years, some of which would involve cranes with cabs at a high level and sites which were inaccessible to the aerial ladder platform.

The exercise took place on a site close to The Press where a new hotel is being built with the cooperation of the builders.

Read this article:
40 firefighters involved in York rescue exercise: Update 11.15 am Thursday

Who would have thought that a simple thank you is worthy of a scientific study?

Robert Emmons, Ph.D., and professor at the University of California, Davis, has written the first major scientific study on gratitude - its causes, and potential impact on human health. Published findings from his studies have shown that a conscious focus on blessings improved moods, coping skills and overall physical well-being.

Emmons says, Gratitude is one of the few things that can measurably heal, energize and change peoples lives. It is a turning of the mind, not what I dont have, but what I have already.

As Canadians head into their Thanksgiving holiday, many will gather around a family table and acknowledge their blessings. Still, for many, there will be a but after the thank you. It sounds like this: Thanks, BUT I really need a bigger house, more friends, that promotion, etc.

Ingratitude blocks the ability to see what we already have. Inspiration from a well-used guidebook in my life asks the question: Are we really grateful for the good already received? And follows with the promise: Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more.

Its clear that being satisfied with what we have is crucial to our well-being. Thats not always easy. And, it might help if we take a look at the source of the good in our lives and how understanding and acknowledging that regularly can result in blessings that might at first seem impossible.

A well-known historical example of what gratitude right in the midst of what looked like real lack produces is when Jesus was faced with feeding a crowd of thousands. His disciples saw that they did not have enough to satisfy their needs. He did not see it as lack; he saw it as a misperception of the fact that God - not the sea or the land - provides everything we need. In his view, since God is infinite, there could be no limit to His provision for the crowd. He expressed gratitude for what they had before he instructed that the crowd be fed. They were satisfied - and even took home leftovers!

If true satisfaction comes from an understanding that the good in our life has a constant source in the Divine, then we can and should acknowledge ongoing, infinite good even when the evidence is not immediately apparent.

My friend, Carol, confirmed Emmons findings on how a conscious focus on blessings can improve health. She told me of a time when everyone around her had all the symptoms of the flu. She awoke one morning with similar symptoms, but immediately started going over everything she had to be grateful for and acknowledging the ever-present, Divine source of all good in her life. She could see that since sickness isnt good, it isnt from, or of, God. So, she could refuse to let it have any effect on her well-being. Very quickly, she felt totally well and energized, and went about her day.

Gratitude unlocks the door to understanding that the good in our lives has a constant source in the Divine. Little wonder it leads to better health.

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Here are some photos taken of the eclipse in the U.S., China and Nepal:

The eclipse as seen near the "Enlightenment Giving Power" statue by John Gelert, which sits at the top of the dome of the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, N.J. Julio Cortez/AP hide caption

The eclipse as seen near the "Enlightenment Giving Power" statue by John Gelert, which sits at the top of the dome of the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, N.J.

The Earth's shadow begins to fall on the moon as it goes behind a weather vane shaped like a Spanish galleon on the Freedom Tower in Miami. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption

The Earth's shadow begins to fall on the moon as it goes behind a weather vane shaped like a Spanish galleon on the Freedom Tower in Miami.

A photo taken using multiple exposures in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui province. Guo Chen/Xinhua/Landov hide caption

A photo taken using multiple exposures in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui province.

The moon glows red as it rises during a total lunar eclipse as seen in Kathmandu, Nepal. Narendra Shrestha/EPA/Landov hide caption

The moon glows red as it rises during a total lunar eclipse as seen in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The "blood moon" eclipse above the Washington Monument just before dawn on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times /Landov hide caption

Excerpt from:

The 'Blood Moon' Eclipse Was Quite A Show