The instructor or unit operator can terminate all fires immediately and initiate smoke and heat evacuation fans at the first sign of trouble.
TERC (Transportation Emergency Response Committee) Atlantic ran a vehicle extrication training. This session, and the “Saving Our Own” mayday drills put on by Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency took place at Wolfville’s public works property.
TERC members, representing several teams from around the Atlantic Provinces, have competed internationally at extrication events. Safe best practices have been developed for real world scenarios. Participants were coached through scene arrival, circle checks and hazard identification; and then directed through an actual scenario.
“It’s one of the more significant tasks we have to do on a regular basis,” said TERC Atlantic representative Vince Conrad.
With extrication, he said, the vehicle first has to be stabilized. Rescuers do a “peel and peek” to look for hazards. Entry is made to the patient; the patient is stabilized and then extricated, before rescuers return the scene to safety. In addition to making sure the car doesn’t move, its battery is disconnected to disable airbags, for example. Extrication tools include hydraulic rams, spreaders, cutters and combo tools that both spread and cut.
Included in the “Saving Our Own” mayday drills is a lesson on when to call a mayday. Participants went through an obstacle course using eight different props to simulate what a firefighter could encounter inside a building. Several hazards could result in mayday situations for firefighters: entanglement, wall breach, floor collapse, wall collapse and following a hose.
* To watch a video from the FDIC hands-on sessions, click on the "Video" tab above.
