So what does Hazmat and extrication have in common?
You could be dispatched to a motor vehicle accident that involves a vehicle vs a truck carrying hazardous material. Could you give your crew a green light to make a rescue? Most firefighters are certified to hazard awareness or operations and even with annual training we do not retain enough. The old use or lose it is very true for Hazmat.
My department decided to spare everyone from one of our technician level firefighters teaching a class and brought in the folks over at Federal Resources to teach HazMatIQ.
What is HazMatIQ you ask? HazMatIQ is a revolutionary hazardous materials response training company that teaches responders how size-up any chemical in 10-seconds, verify the hazards in 2-minutes, select the proper meters and PPE and operate safely in the hot zone. This training could mean the difference between a rescue and recovery on an extrication scene.
The class that I had was the HazMatIQ First Responder Offensive. The HazMatIQ First Responder Offensive system incorporates the proven “Above the line /Below the Line” size-up tool while instructing First Responders equipped with a handful of instruments, whether they can safely enter the Hot Zone to attempt a rescues. This is accomplished by teaching responders how to use and understand meters (Radiation meter, 4-gas meter and Temperature Gun) and reagent papers (pH and F papers). This equipment assures their safety when they choose to enter the hot zone to attempt a rescue.
Overturned Tractor-Trailer Extrication
Check out the overturned Tractor-Trailer, confirmed entrapment, and power pole down that Elizabethtown Fire Dept Station 74 had earlier today.
Large Vehicle with Heavy Entrapment
The Washtenaw County Technical Rescue Team recently assisted Milan Area Firefighters with this complex extrication. Team members assisted Milan Firefighters and utilized HURST Jaws of Life and Paratech to extricate the heavily entrapped driver quickly.
Heavy Rescue
Large Animal Rescue
Working with their past experince, the Patterson Fire Department’s completed their 4th horse rescue in the past several years.
Horse Rescue
Per the post from the Patterson Fire Department’s Facebook page:
At 0732, 25th of August 2021, the Patterson fire department was dispatched for a public assist to a local farm. Patterson’s heavy rescue, 22-6-1, arrived on scene and found a 31-year-old male horse, named “Dozer”, in distress. He had apparently fallen and managed to get himself stuck between a rock and a fence line. At first, the crew attempted to assist the horse in getting up by shifting his position. It became apparent that additional equipment was going to be needed to help Dozer out since he had become too exhausted to get up on his own. After some discussion, it was established that the best plan of action was to use a Paratech bipod system. It would be used as an artificial high directional with TU-32 griphoist’s assistance to lift the horse up. With a lot of sweat and effort, the crew was able to lift the horse up onto his feet. After some much-needed fluids and rest, we were happy to see Dozer trot away, unassisted.
An interesting fact, this is Patterson Fire Department’s 4th horse rescue in the past several years, all with successful outcomes.
Photos below from Andrew Akin
