Although all the members of the Mentor Fire Department are trained to respond to any emergency that may occur, several choose to excel in responding to some special situations. For instance, water rescue is something that is practiced annually by the entire department. This training teaches first responding companies how to perform many life-saving skills from the shore, or on the surface of the water. Performing rescue diving, however, takes an enormous commitment of time and training. The Mentor Fire Department therefore has three “Special Teams” of trained personnel to respond to the dangerous, yet less frequent emergencies that could occur. These include the Water Rescue Team, Technical Rescue Team, and the Hazardous Materials (haz-mat) Team.