| The Sayville Fire Department Extrication Team recently competed in the Fire, Rescue & EMS Mega Show Extrication Challenge at the Nassau Coliseum.
This is Sayville's fifth year in the competition, where each team is given a scenario set up to simulate a real response to a serious motor vehicle accident (MVA). Each team's scenario is different, and each team is kept behind closed doors while the scenario is set up in the competition area. When they are given the go ahead to proceed to the competition area, it's just like rolling up to the scene of a real car accident&you never know what to expect when responding to a MVA alarm.
The six-member team quickly assessed the situation, planned and implemented a strategy and got to work making access to the patient so he could be stabilized while the extrication was being done. In addition, stabilization of the cars was very important because of the unsteady position the cars had been placed in.
Rescue Captain and team member Dan Karl said, "This year our team was presented with what I consider to be the toughest challenge we have faced in any of our previous extrication challenge scenarios. This year's scenario included a heavily pinned victim with obvious head trauma. The victim was suspended in his seatbelt in a vehicle on its side, with the roof of the victim's vehicle wedged against another car, giving us very limited access to work. Without the benefit of the full compliment of tools that we carry on our Rescue truck, our team performed a difficult extrication in an extraordinary manner.
Three experienced judges accredited by the Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (TERC) score and critique the teams. Teams were judged in many areas, such as extrication performance and strategy, safety, patient care, communication, coordination and control. Although Sayville did not come home with a trophy, the competition provided them with valuable hands-on rescue experience. In addition, the judges shared their knowledge of alternative extrication approaches and techniques.
Click Here to view the Extrication Challenge : http://www.islip.tv/view_video.php?viewkey=d7a324bdbfe7c79525f6
2008 Extrication Challenge Team Members:
Rescue Captain Dan Karl
Lt. Chris Chester
Lt. Bill Roderka
Ex-Captain Bob Smith
Firefighter Chris Bailey
Firefighter Chris Lopreto |
