| This week marked the fourth and final week of our Vehicle Rescue Training, and for the final evolution we invited our mutual aid partners from the Glen Moore Fire Company to join us for a challenging, realistic scenario.
Crews were “dispatched” to a reported vehicle accident to the rear of Station 49. We wanted to keep this training as close to a real-world response as possible, so members were not given any advance information about the scenario. Instead, crews received updates and additional information over the radio just as they would during an actual emergency response.
As crews began arriving on scene, they were met with a complex four-vehicle accident involving multiple trapped occupants. Two of the vehicles were on their sides, and all four vehicles were positioned extremely close together.
The combination of multiple trapped occupants, unstable vehicles, limited working space, and the close proximity of all four vehicles created several challenges that crews had to identify and overcome while working to safely and efficiently extricate each “victim.”
Members from East Brandywine and Glen Moore worked extremely well together, maintaining constant communication and coordinating their operations throughout the evolution. Despite the challenges presented by the scenario, crews were able to successfully and safely extricate all of the “victims.”
But the training didn't end when the last victim was removed.
After equipment was cleaned, restored, and placed back into service, members from both companies gathered inside the firehouse for an after-action review. Crews reviewed photos from the evolution and discussed what went well, along with what could have been done differently or improved. These discussions are an important part of training and help us identify ways to make our operations safer and more efficient when responding to an actual emergency.
This was a tremendous way to conclude our four-week Vehicle Rescue Training series. We would like to thank the members of Glen Moore Fire Company for taking the time to train alongside us and for the outstanding teamwork throughout the evening.
Training together before the call helps ensure we're ready to work together when the real call comes in. |
