It was a 10-minute exercise that seemed so very real.
A young lady is trapped inside a compact car after being struck by a vehicle.
The firefighters' job now is to try to get the woman out of the vehicle safely, swiftly and efficiently.
The North Bay Firefighters worked quickly, and collectively to pry open the vehicle using what firefighters call a spreader, cutter, and a ram.
“What we are looking at today outside the stabilizing the vehicle and the patient condition was to try to create the biggest access point for EMS and fire,” stated scene supervisor Peter Methner, a Platoon Chief or the Niagara Falls Fire Department.
Within less than 10 minutes the vehicle was opened up and the patient was safely taken to safety. Not too long ago, work like this would have taken close to a half hour.
The very realistic situation was actually a very realistic mock accident exercise for the North Bay Fire Department which is doing a week long training session at Fern Piche & Sons wrecking yard just off Old Callander Road in North Bay Thursday afternoon.
Methner, who runs training sessions like this around the world, says every accident is different, but the firefighters always need to follow a process.
“We took the back door off first, then they took the front door off the vehicle continuing by removing the B-pillar and potentially having a lower extremity entrapment, raise the dash out of the way so we could free that as well,” he stated.
“I’m checking stabilization, I’m checking command, I’m checking teamwork, I’m checking purchase point access, tool knowledge - tool knowledge is very important in any motor vehicle collision on any motor vehicle collision and being able to read the vehicle collision itself.”
The fire department is using some new equipment that was purchased last year, essentially equipment that is cordless.
“It gives us an advantage over the base units that we have always had but we keep both units on because they have their advantages and disadvantages,” said North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whitely.
Whitely says these firefighters will be able to take this training and hand off the information to their respective platoons.
“I think we do things really well here but we want to be on top to make sure that the service we are delivering to the citizens of North Bay is sufficient and the best that they can get,” he said.
“So when you bring somebody in here that brings a little bit different perspective, gets us thinking a little bit different, just reinforces what we have been doing well, where there are areas to improve on and we are going to try to embrace that and put that into our level of service just so when we are on scene you are going to get quick, efficient response from us.”