Company Completes 48 Hours of Vehicle Rescue Training
Date: March 29, 2009
By: Firefighter John Morris IV
.....Over the past month and a half members of the Avondale Fire Company along with members from Union of Oxford, Kennett, and West Grove have been participating in three Vehicle Rescue Classes. Each class consisted of 16 hours and was broken down into two 4 hour classroom sessions and one 8 hour session that took place at the local junkyard where members could put what they learned in the class into practical use in the field.The first class was Vehicle Rescue Awareness where the participants learned about how to stabilize a vehicle and control all the hazards that come with a vehicle that has been involved in an accident such as un-deployed airbags.
.....The second class: Vehicle Rescue Operations, consisted of members learning how to disassemble, distort, displace and sever vehicles to gain access to occupants that had become entrapped in a crash using only hand tools.
.....The third and final class: Vehicle Rescue Technician, consisted of members using the Jaws Of Life and other power tools to disassemble, distort, displace and sever vehicles which had been involved in an accident. This valuable training will better serve our community and the drivers that pass through it.
All members of the class would like to thank matt and his fellow instructors for putting on three great classes! We would also like to thank Chief Guy Swift for all the awesome food we returned home to after our hours of hard work in the field. Lastly a BIG thank you to Blittersdorf Towing and Salvage for allowing us to use their facility and cars to better our training.
Units: Engine 23-1, 23-3, Squad 23, Amb 23-1, Rescue 22, Squad 22, S quad 21
Mutual Aid: Blittersdorf Towing and Salvage, Montgomery County Training Academy
Vehicle Rescue Awareness:
Crews stage cribbing and jacks used to................Hosemen Franks talks with instructor Matt
stabilize the vehicles
Crews used West Groves and Avondale's Rescue Struts to stabilize a vehicle on its roof and a
vehicle on its side
Vehicle Rescue Operations:
These doors were removed using only hand.........Crews worked on multiple cars to maximize
tools.......................................................................hands on time
FF's Mattson and Mack pose for a picture..............FF's work to remove this roof using a hacksaw
.............................................................................. and other hand tools
Vehicle Rescue Technician:
FF Morris IV Cuts the "B" Post with the Jaws of.....A FF/EMT from Station 12 moves the spreaders
Life........................................................................into place to begin removing the door
Instructor Brian lifts the dash demonstrating.......Rescue "12" and Engine 23-1
a dash roll using the hydraulic spreaders
