Catastrophic Accident Extrication Training 2004
This year Discount Towing & Glen Williamson of the Maine Air National Guard with
the assistance of T & W Garage were again able to set up and train with all the
local fire, rescue and ambulance services in the area. In this training, a
large Catastrophic Accident scene was set up and all first responders including
the wreckers and the drivers worked to extricate the trapped victims in the
multi-vehicle pile up. We at Discount Towing, use this opportunity to show
how our equipment and extremely well trained drivers can very often be used to
save time and help when facing this kind of scene. One technique that Mike
Mellott, took a moment to demonstrate was when faced with a vehicle that had the
roof crush in and the dash board had rolled in on the trapped passenger.
He explained that the Jaws of Life could be used to cut the front windshield
support and then the car carrier bed is to be lowered and backed against the car
for support of the car. A strap should be placed around each of the
windshield support just cut and brought back to the winch of the car carrier, as
the winch was wound back up, the roof of the car peeled up toward the back of
the car in a matter of seconds. The same would be done to roll the dash
forward by rapping the strap around the steering column. As I walked
around that day and watch each of the rescue squads, there was one that had been
assigned a car that been crushed and driven under an 18 wheeler trailer.
The leader of the squad assessed the situation completely, and decided they
would use the new technique they just seen. They cut the front window
supports and the side window supports and the wrecker backed up lowered its
wheel lift to support the car and the straps were placed on the front window
supports and the other ends of the supports were hooked to the winch of the
wrecker and the roof raised as though the car was a convertible. The squad
was able to have access to their injured within minutes of being assigned to
that portion of the accident scene, even they seemed amazed at how quickly and
safely it worked.