| Members of the Hanover Township Fire Department recently gathered at Fire Headquarters for an in-house Vehicle Rescue and Patient Packaging Refresher, providing firefighters with an opportunity to sharpen existing skills while practicing more advanced vehicle extrication techniques.
The training began with a review of the fundamentals of vehicle rescue, including scene safety, vehicle stabilization, tool selection, glass management, and basic extrication concepts. These foundational skills remain an important part of ensuring crews can operate safely, efficiently, and as a team when responding to motor vehicle crashes.
As the training progressed, crews moved into more advanced extrication evolutions utilizing the department’s battery-powered eDRAULIC rescue tools. Members practiced techniques including dash lifts and cross-ramming with eDRAULIC rams, reinforcing different options firefighters can use when conventional access and displacement techniques may not be enough to reach a trapped patient.
An important component of the evening was connecting the rescue operation with patient care. Members reviewed patient packaging, movement, and removal techniques, emphasizing the coordination that must take place between rescuers and EMS personnel throughout an extrication. Vehicle rescue is about more than removing the vehicle from around the patient—it requires protecting and caring for that patient from initial contact through final removal.
The hands-on format allowed members to rotate through different positions, operate the rescue equipment, and work through techniques in a controlled environment where questions could be asked and different approaches could be demonstrated.
Training opportunities like this help ensure our members remain proficient with the equipment and techniques they may be called upon to use during real-world emergencies.
Special thanks to Career Firefighter/EMT Scudder for donating the vehicle used during the training. Having an actual vehicle available for hands-on evolutions provided our members with a valuable opportunity to practice realistic rescue scenarios and get meaningful time operating our extrication equipment.
The Hanover Township Fire Department remains committed to continued training and preparation so our members are ready to provide professional and effective service when our community needs us most. |
