The other side of firefighting … the bigger side

Some of the hydraulic tools firefighters use to free people trapped in vehicles after a collision.

Photos by Stephen Dafoe

While it is well known fire fighters rush in when everyone else is rushing out, what is lesser known is that a considerable percentage of the calls the Morinville Fire Department respond to are vehicle collisions. As first responders, the department has a role to play in ensuring the safety of the public as well as ensuring those who may be injured are freed from the wreckage as swiftly and safely as possible. To ensure the likelihood patients have the best chance at survival our volunteer firefighters regularly undergo training with their rescue tools, practicing on donated cars to get the skills down pat. The following photos are from a recent late-evening training session at the Town yard.

A volunteer firefighter cuts the straps of a seatbelt
Firefighters remove the roof of a car after cutting it free with their tools
Working to remove a door
A firefighter uses one of his tools to roll back the vehicle’s dash. This part of the procedure is critical in cases where a patient’s legs become trapped under the dash.
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