| South Salem firefighters were faced with a challenging drill on Monday night, November 21st. In the rear of the firehouse, Chief A. Llewellyn and 2nd Asst. Chief Scott set up an accident scene which involved an SUV on its side, partially submerged in water, with an occupant trapped (the always willing to help out rescue dummy).
The drill was conducted in real time, with 1st Asst. Chief I. Llewellyn as the IC and Capt. Yorke as Operations. Their initial size up was a SUV rollover, with a single occupant in the vehicle with his arm pinned underneath. As R-21 and E-167 arrived, crews went to work stabilizing the vehicle and formulating a plan for extrication. It was determined that the quickest and safest way to remove the victim was to remove part of the roof of the vehicle between the A and B pillars. This would help maintain the structural integrity of the vehicle and prevent it from possibly shifting.
Once the section of roof was removed, the vehicle needed to be lifted in order to free the victim's arm. Air bags were utilized, but proved ineffective due to the lack of depth needed for them to safely lift once positioned. It was quickly determined that the spreaders would have to be utilized to lift the vehicle. Along with constant cribbing, the spreaders successfully lifted the vehicle the few inches needed to free the victim.
Once the victim was placed on a back board and clear of the hot zone, the drill concluded and a debriefing was conducted. The overall time to extricate the victim came in at just under twenty five minutes. Chief A. Llewellyn, who observed the drill and took notes, lead the debriefing. Members discussed the challenges that they may face at any accident scene, as well as ever changing conditions and always having a backup plan. |
