Fire Rescue News- Volunteer firefighters from Stafford, Eagleswood perform vehicle-rescue simulation

Posted: Saturday, April 28, 2012 7:03 pm

By DONNA WEAVER Staff WriterpressofAtlanticCity.com 

The firefighters spoke of the last extrication they performed, last month on the parkway after a motor vehicle accident.

“I’d say it’s all adrenaline when we get to a scene. Every situation is different. You never what you’re coming onto,” Stafford fire Chief Jack Johnson said.

Johnson said the department holds similar training exercises about three times a year.

South Shore Towing of Stafford Township donates time and towing vehicles to the training, owner Peter Iadarola said. The towing company sets up the wrecked vehicles and participates in the simulation with the firefighters.

“We do this for the departments in Stafford, Barnegat, Beach Haven and Pinewood Estates. I grew up here, so I want to give back to the community,” Iadarola said.

Training officer Joe Paolo crouched next to the firefighters and coached them as they used a spreader and cutter to remove the trunk of a sedan in order to tunnel through the vehicle to rescue a hypothetical victim.

“Most of the time the call will come in as a confirmed entrapment. You’re listening to the radio as you’re on your way, and your adrenaline is just pumping,” Stafford Deputy fire Chief Heidi Michel said as she watched the training Saturday morning.

John Fugee, 30, of Stafford Township, worked to dismantle the trunk of a wrecked vehicle during the simulation. He said he was in the zone, as if he were responding to a real call for help.

“When you’re on your way to the scene, you can hear on the radio all the updates and you’re hearing, ‘Hurry up, expedite.’ It’s pure adrenaline,” Fugee said.

If it were an actual accident, Fugee would have to climb in through the trunk and into the vehicle to rescue victims.

Fugee is about 5 feet 5 inches tall, and Johnson said if they’re available, the department will always send in their smallest member to perform tunneling to rescue entrapped victims.

“It’s hard. You’re working in a confined space and it’s hot in there and in the summertime it’s worse,” said Fugee, who has been a volunteer firefighter for seven years.

Fugee said that although he has had to cut a lot of vehicles involved in motor vehicle accidents, he has yet to cut into the rear of a vehicle to perform a tunneling rescue.

“It’s really kind of a last resort that you want to do. If there’s a victim in the back seat, the way you’re pushing on the seat, you can hit the victim,” he said.

Johnson said that ultimately, when firefighters arrive at the scene, the training that they receive like they did on Saturday kicks in.

“There are a lot of scenarios to take into consideration when you get to one of these scenes, like an airbag blowing up, leaking fuel and possible explosions. You just never know,” Johnson said.

Contact Donna Weaver: 609-226-9198 DWeaver@pressofac.com