The Crash

rash by keith crosslerCThe

I was still young in the fire department and trying to decide if I wanted to take on the new role of Rescue. The best part of being a volunteer firefighter is that you get to decide how involved you want to be. Rescue is compiled of up to 20 members that respond to any “rescue” type of situation. While vehicle extrication is the most frequent type of call to be dispatched to, we respond to all types of rescue scenarios (high or low angle rope rescue, entrapments, confined space, etc.). Reaching out to other members, I was getting pushed to join, but still was hesitant on whether I wanted to sign up or not.

One cold, snowy winter night, the tones went out for a crash out in the county and I would soon know exactly how I wanted to participate.

“Moscow Rural Fire, Rescue, and Ambulance, emergency response for an injury crash.” I jumped up and headed out to the station. I called in for the rural truck, but quickly realized the crew had been filled and they would be on their way long before I got to the station. I kept going to the station hoping to jump on the rescue truck. Sure enough, I was there in time and caught them just as they pulled out of the bay. Quickly dressed in my turnout gear, I scurried into my seat and away we went. Lights flashing, sirens screaming, we were slowly winding through the snow-covered county roads.

An update came across from our incident commander, “One vehicle, on its wheels and halfway into a barn. We have one patient trapped in the vehicle.” Holy cow, this can’t be real!? I thought. Cars just crash on roadways, they don’t end up in the building, right?

We were still working our way to the crash and now thinking about how we would start our attack on getting this injured and frigid person out of their car and on to the hospital. Along with the other guys in the truck, we mapped out our plan and we pulled up. Sure enough, we see the car and only the back of it is visible. It looks like the barn just opened up and swallowed it. It’s been determined that we didn’t have a concern of any structural collapse so we started to lay out our tools: the Jaws of Life™, cutters, pushing rams, and a variety of blocks to make sure the car won’t move on us. Our plan was pretty simple- get it stable and start to cut our way in from the back. We quickly learned that wasn’t going to work. The way the patient was trapped-we had to cut them out from the front and with the side of the barn in the way- we were challenged with how to get access. Our patient was stable but was getting cold, so we needed a new plan and needed to get to it quickly.

The best tactic would be to somehow get the car out of the barn, at least enough to get to the patient. Our Rescue truck has a large winch on the front so we formulated a new plan with it. We carefully pulled the vehicle back so we could get access to our patient. It felt like an eternity getting everything in place. But, with rescue- you take your time and make sure no one gets hurt and you get it done right. The truck was now positioned and the winch was tight. We start pulling, ever so slow and steady. Inch by inch the car slowly starts emerging from the barn. Now that it was out enough for it to work, we shifted gears and started our-extrication. First we cribbed it up and made it so the car wouldn’t move on us while we started taking the front door. Being my first extrication, I wasn’t on the helm, but I was right behind the main rescuer, helping by watching and learning all I could. Now out comes the Jaws and they start stretching and tearing the metal. All of a sudden, POW, the first hinge goes! He kept spreading the door away from the post, going and going until, POP, the second hinge lets loose! With a quick motion, the door swings down and all that is left holding is the pin by the handle. A quick reposition of the tool and the spreading starts again to release the pressure on the last pin holding the door. Just a quick second later, PING, and the door is off and ready to be hauled off. Our patients’ legs were trapped under the dash and mixed up in the pedals. We had to get the dash up so we could get their legs out. The cutters were brought in to make the necessary relief cut at the bottom of the front pillar to allow the dash to move up out of the way. Once the triangle cut was made, over comes the hydraulic ram. We got it into position and started pushing. The sounds are pretty impressive. Popping, creaking, and moaning are heard echoing through the night as the car changes into shapes it isn’t intended to be in. Plastic breaking, metal twisting and we keep pushing until we’ve got full access to their legs and we can get them untangled.

Our EMTs have been patiently waiting through this process. Now that we are done, they step in to continue the medical treatment and start packaging up the patient to be transported. Of course, we still need to get them physically out of the car so it will be a combined effort. The EMTs start the bandaging and controlling the obvious wounds as we prepare the backboard for the patient. As the EMTs move the patient so carefully around with holding neck precautions, they are now positioned to slide out onto the board. On three slow counts, a little at a time we get them moved onto the board and carefully onto the ground to finish packaging for transport. Once we have them strapped up and in blankets, we lift them onto the gurney and then wheel them over to the waiting (and warm) ambulance. Finally, the patient is safely on their way to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A job well done by all.

Just like with the fire calls or any call we have, it is now time to clean up. Everything is loaded back onto the Rescue truck in its particular place. While winding our way back to the station we talk about how the rescue went, what we could’ve done better, or discuss things to consider for the next time. Once we are back at the station, we double check everything and make sure it is all cleaned up and ready to go for the next call. Wintry weather can keep the rescue folks busy and we want to make sure we are always ready to roll.

Now as this all started, I was on the fence about if I wanted to be involved with the Rescue side of the department. Though after this call, I was determined to become a member of the Rescue Company. I knew that this was just what I wanted to do to dig in a little deeper. As it turns out I would participate in many more crashes to solidify my choice to be a part of the Rescue Company, and I’ve been a proud member ever since.