The Sayville Fire Department Extrication Team recently competed in the Fire, Rescue & EMS Mega Show Extrication Challenge at the Nassau Coliseum for their sixth year. Sayville's Extrication team is not new to bringing home trophies from this event. However, this year's 2nd place trophy was special because the team had a new leader, Gene Giacioa, and half of the team was new to the competition.
The competition format is a simulated serious motor vehicle accident where the teams are judged and critiqued by three experienced judges accredited by the Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (TERC). The team does not see the scenario until they walk into the competition area. It's just like rolling up to the scene of an accident…firefighters don't know what they are going to see and have to jump into action because someone's life depends on their rescue skills.
Like in previous years, this year's scenario was challenging and one that a passerby would look at in horror had they come upon it on the road. Two cars lay on their sides in a position where both roofs were touching. One patient was trapped and required extrication from the vehicle with a crushed in roof. To make things interesting, that patient was still buckled in and trapped in the passenger side of the vehicle that was in the air. Sayville's highly skilled volunteer firefighters went out there and calmly and efficiently did what they are trained to do for the residents of Sayville.
Sayville Fire Department Chief Thomas Pantano said, "I am extremely proud of our team. They were able to showcase their skills, which is a result of their dedication and extensive training. Sayville's residents can expect the same high level of competency when our volunteer firefighters are called to the scene of an accident."
2012 Extrication Challenge Team Members: Captain Bill Roderka Station Lieutenant Gene Giacioa Ex-Captain Bob Smith Ex-Captain Chris Lopreto Firefighter/EMT Zach Haller Firefighter/EMT Eric Diaz Firefighter Alec Reutter
(Top row) Bill Roderka, Gene Giacioa, Zach Haller, Alec Reutter, (Bottom row) Bobby Smith, Eric Diaz
Team members working to extricate trapped pasenger
