AVR Fire and Resuce met at the firestation to practice rescue techniques with the new stabilization equipment recently purchased with money from fundrasiers such as the gun raffle and pancake breakfests.

Doug Cincurak of the city of Green, Ohio was available to teach the department the correct and preferred way of using the new equipment. Doug is sales manager for HJR Equipment and a firefighter himself for 23 years. He is a Lieutenent for the City of Green.

Fireman gathered out behind the station to learn new care technology. Cincurak explained that the newer vehichles are not built the same as the older models that they are used to. Hre explained how the vehichles are built and the best place to cut open vehichles during rescue missions. He also explained other components such as air bag canisters and how not to explode them during rescue operations.

The equipment that was recently purchased was chucks and stabilization bars. Cincurak explained that the braces can be used to holding up garage doors, stabilizing walls in a burning building and roll-over vehichles. He explained the two brace, three brace, and four brace method of vehichle stabilization and enlisted fireman to try to push the vehichle over that was on its side.

Cincurak who has written many articles for National Fire and Rescue Magazine, added that this equipment is the best on the market to date. He explained the pry and peek method of cutting a vehichle apart and then proceeded to cutting the top off the car that was placed on its side. He cut the top bars front and back of the vehichle and then laid the top down like a bed. He further explained the top can be used to stabilize a patient during rescue.

With new car technology, Cincurak explained to firefighters the importance of determining if the vehichle is electric or hybridwhich carries high voltage that nusr be disconected before operations can begin.

He also stated that just because you do not hear a vehichle does not mean that it iisn't as is common with electric vehichles. He also stated that an electric vehichle can lunge forward and cause injury to a firefighter / rescuer.

Circurak explained that the tools to cut a vehichle apart are only 1/3 of the weight that they used to be which enables better and faster extraction from the vehivhle. It took him a total of 31/2 minutes to stabilize and cut open the vehichle in the demonstration.

Two vehichles were donated for the training seminar. Brandon bare, a firefighter with the department for 3 years donated a Cherokee and Donley / Gary Jordan donated the other vehichle.

Courtesy the ATTICA HUB
By Janet Postell