Firefighters learn extrication techniques

Central City and Colorado Sierra Fire Department

Caitlyn Miller

1/27/2005 - To extricate, as defined by Webster – “to set free, release or disentangle.” As for two local fire departments, it is an afternoon of dismantling cars, fun, and yet serious, for if they err the patient could be hurt worse or medical help further delayed. So, as the fun was going on, in the back of everyone’s minds they knew this was no laughing matter.

  Saturday morning, Central City and Colorado Sierra Fire Departments met at Sierra Station One for a short classroom session. Safety is paramount and the potential hazards to rescuers of new vehicle construction were extensively discussed. It was then on to the field, with two cars, provided by Black Hawk Towing, the extrication equipment, and 21 firefighters.

  Each department took a car and began the practical exercises. They stabilized the vehicles, first upright, then upside down. Then they took them apart piece by piece, starting with the windows and doors, then the roof, followed by a dash roll and pulling the steering wheel. This provided real life experience in a non-threatening situation.  Everyone learned something new, from the rookies to the chiefs.

  The two departments decided to dedicate the January, February, and March trainings to these extrication techniques. This first training was just the basics; in February they will go more in depth with more advanced methods. Ending with the March training, the final exam will be scenario-based and done at night. Even, their joint medical trainings will focus on the care of a patient who has been extricated from a car. 

  The goal of these classes is to prepare them, when called upon, to respond to such an incident—only next time for real.