It was a smaller crowd attending the Heroes in the Sky event in support of Lamont Emergency Services held Sept. 14.
But when it came time to destroy an SUV the crowd swelled as firefighters explained the procedures they use to safely remove people who may be trapped in a vehicle following an accident.
As one member explained the processes the firefighters train for, several firefighters proceed to dismantle the vehicle.
The crowd was told a firefighter is always inside the vehicle with the victim to assure them of what is going on and to communicate with the firefighters outside conducting the removal of windows and doors.
After jacking the vehicle up to stabilize it, firefighters circled to check for any leaking fluids.
Once that was completed they used a spring loaded punch to crack all the side and rear glass.
The glass fractures into small chips and fire fighters can use tape prior to breaking it to remove it outward, or they will break it into the vehicle.
The front windshield is sawed with a special saw that only cuts on the back stroke so no shards of glass fall on victims trapped inside.
The crowd was told rescuers locate airbag cylinders and the seat belt tensioners are disabled prior to the major rescue taking place.
A hydraulic spreader, sometimes referred to as the Jaws of Life, was then used to pop open and cut through hinges on the doors of the vehicles.
The crowd was told the spreader has several different attachments allowing them to cut through metal to create gaps in the vehicle.
JOHN MATHER
