When Clearwater and District Road Rescue (CDRR) members arrived on the scene of a collision on Highway 5 in January 2021 near the Wire Cache rest area, they split into two crews, each quickly working to release the occupants in two vehicles.
One man had the dashboard wrapped so tightly around his right foot, that one crew member untied the patient’s boot, while another went in by the seat to pry apart the components with ramming tools just enough so they could pull the man’s foot from his boot.
It took them 35 minutes to get them all out.
“Anything over 30 minutes is a bad crash,” said Mike Savage, Blackpool Fire Rescue chief.
The CDRR volunteer team held a practice Tuesday night, mimicking arriving on the scene of a collision , and essentially ripping apart a donated Volkswagen in the yard behind the hall, in an effort to sharpen their skills and ability to work as a team.
The goal is to get the patient out of the vehicle in 20 minutes, including arrival on scene and assessment of work, to prying out doors and freeing the occupant.
While the Volkswagen wasn’t crushed, other conditions, such as the night sky, cold temperatures and snow, helped the team to recreate a possible scene, as most of the incidents CDRR attends are in winter conditions.
Upon arriving at the mock scene, crew members performed a scene survey and walk around to start assessing the tools they’ll need, such as spreaders (commonly referred to as the jaws of life), rams and cutters, as well as work lights to illuminate the space.
Next, a team member will pry the hood with a Hooligan tool (a forcible entry tool used to pound, puncture, pry, twist and cut various barriers) to gain access to the battery and de-energize the vehicle so the airbags won’t deploy as the crew cuts and prys at the vehicle.
Just because the vehicle is without power, doesn’t mean the airbags can’t still deploy. Crews still need to be careful about where they cut to avoid the airbags’ 300 psi cartridges. This can be tough as many modern vehicles can have anywhere from 16 to 23 airbags, said Cpt. Melanie Savage.
CDRR members will work to take the doors off the vehicle and lifting back the roof, ensuring to pry away from the occupant, while also keeping communication with them to help them stay calm and be aware of what the team is doing.
“We act as one brain when we’re out there,” said Cpt. Mike Poitras during the practice debrief.
The vehicles used in CDRR practices are donated, and the group is looking for a few more. Contact Blackpool Volunteer Fire Rescue fire chief Mike Savage at blackpool.firerescue@outlook.com.
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