Robins Fire Emergency Services personnel participate in vehicle extrication training. The training is a requirement for all firefighters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Angela Woolen)
By Angela Woolen, Robins Public Affairs
Published July 15, 2016
"We could get called anytime on base, plus we're responsible for a 10-mile stretch on Ga. Highway 247," said Kevin Cotton, Fire Emergency Services assistant chief of training.
During the three-day training, firefighters responded to a simulated rollover and a person ejected from a vehicle.
The crew uses a battery-powered saw to help cut through doors if necessary.
Once they arrive on the scene, some of the firefighters search the perimeter to locate anyone outside the vehicle while others assess the medical condition of those still in the car.
Laying on the hot pavement, in full gear with shattered glass from busted windows, a firefighter could get into his own predicament trying to help the car crash victims.
With the heat in Georgia, the crew is also monitored for dehydration and exhaustion while in their firefighter gear."We might rotate these guys in and out as they could be overexerted," Cotton said.
The evaluation team has dummies they use for the exercise, from 60 pounds to well over 200 pounds. Once the victim is stabilized and put on a back board, as needed, the team delivers the victims to the ambulance to take to the local hospital.
After the exercise is over, the group meets to critique the exercise. Others will have the opportunity to use the Jaws of Life or other equipment to make sure they properly know how to use it.
"Our main objective is to get them to a primary hospital within 30 minutes. That is the golden hour," Cotton said.
