Twenty-five emergency responders from across the Matanuska-Susitna Borough are completing specialized trench rescue technician certification this week through Advanced Rescue Systems. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Department of Emergency Services hosts the annual training exercise for EMS, fire, and search and rescue departments.

The training addresses a recurring hazard in the borough. Trench collapses happen regularly in Mat-Su, where emergency crews have already conducted several rescues at depths of 10 to 15 feet, an emergency services official said. The borough rented an excavator for the week to create realistic training scenarios that progressively increase in complexity and depth.

The training focuses on stabilizing collapsed trenches and safely extracting trapped workers without endangering firefighters. Excavation sites are supposed to use protective trench boxes, but when those safety measures fail, entire walls can collapse and trap workers. The depth of the trench determines how difficult the rescue becomes.

The week-long course starts with shallow trenches and basic procedures, then builds toward complex, deep scenarios that push students beyond their comfort zone. By the final day, responders work with equipment at the limits of its reach in trenches far deeper than the initial exercises. The goal is to make real emergencies feel easier than the training.

All 25 students will be certified as trench rescue technicians by the end of the class. The certification spreads specialized rescue capability across the vast borough, ensuring responders can intervene anywhere an emergency occurs.

"That is kind of the goal that DES has, is give as much specialty as far out in the borough as we can," the official said. "No matter what happens, we will have people that will be able to go in and intervene and save people's lives."