Rocky View County firefighters hone vehicle extraction techniques

Rocky View County firefighters took the time to sharpen up their skills in vehicle extraction last week.

RVC vehicle extraction instructors gathered in one place to make sure they all knew the best procedure when extracting someone from a vehicle. From there, they will take back what they have learned and pass it along to everybody else at their fire departments.

Jon Evans, Deputy Fire Chief for Rocky View County Fire Services, talked about why firefighters need to practice all the skills needed in any situation.

"If we have an established set of procedures to do something, it ensures that the county's risks are mitigated or minimized and that they are in line with industry best practices and proven methodologies."

For RVC firefighters, training equips them with invaluable knowledge for handling emergencies effectively. Preparedness not only accelerates operations but also ensures their precise execution.

With RVC having many major roadways like the QEII and Highway 1, a lot of their calls are motor vehicle collisions that require extractions.

"Seconds count in situations like this, and for our staff to have automated reflexes on how to cut a roof off, how to remove a door and things like that matter when it comes to patient care, the sooner we can get the patient out of the vehicle, the sooner our partners with EMS can do their job."

Photo of local firefighters practicing vehicle extraction.

Photo of local firefighters practicing vehicle extraction.

Evans went on to talk about a few other sets of skills that they practice normally.

"We practice how to gain a water supply, ventilation, forcible entry, and search and rescue by trying to find where the people are trapped inside a structure. We also practice electrical safety."

Another big component that they practice is firefighter survival if disaster strikes.

"Sometimes we find ourselves in a precarious situation within the structure, and being able to get ourselves out of harm's way is very important."

Of course, the firefighters also practice how to control grass fires and wildfires for situations as we had in December.

RVC has a total of seven fire stations, four of which are full-time (Elbow Valley, Springbank, Bearspaw and Balzac) and three that have paid-per-call volunteer employees (Madden, Irricana and Langdon).  

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