Motorists driving along Wilmor Road may have noticed more activity, and a lot of car wrecks, than usual near the Washington Fire House Saturday.
However, these were staged accidents, and many of the firefighters were from as close as Deer Creek and as far away as Yuma, Ariz.
The Washington Fire Department, along with AEC Fire and Safety, hosted a stabilization training session using equipment from Res-Q-Jack.
Washington Fire Chief Mike Vaughn said before a victim of a multi-car crash can be treated, both vehicles must be stabilized to prevent further injury and keep rescue personnel safe.
Seven different accident scenarios were set up, and firefighters rotated through each. Stations were led by qualified instructors who explained the problems firefighters could face on scene. In addition, each instructor also talked about the equipment needed and its use.
Darrin Schumacher, from the Onarga Fire Department in Onarga, said the day was very educational.
“I would like to get more of our guys here,” Schumacher said. “It’s hard for two of us to bring the information back to the rest of the department.”
Capt. Jeff Green, of Yuma, Ariz., said the Yuma Fire Department recently purchased the Res-Q-Jack system after he wrote a grant application through the Arizona highway office. The department received the equipment last week, he said, adding, he and two other Yuma firefighters travelled to Washington to participate in the training session.
“It’s best to have the guys who make (the equipment) teach you how to use it,” Green said.
After rotating through the accident stabilization scenarios, firefighters were given a chance to train on rescue equipment from Holmatro USA.
Besides men from Washington, Onarga and Yuma, Ariz., firefighters from Gilman, Minonk, Spring Bay, Roseville, Roanoke, Forman, Decatur, Effingham, Ind., and Battle Creek, Mich., were in attendance. Instructors came from as far away as New York and Charleston, W.Va.
Brecklin’s in Washington and Chuck’s Towing in Peoria provided all but one of the cars used in Saturday’s training. The remaining car was donated by a private citizen from Washington, Vaughn said. Capt. Randy Hurd added the department is grateful for the donated vehicles and to Scott Weaver who arranged them in the crash scenario on the lot owned by Spurgeon Construction. Lindy’s Downtown Market catered lunch provided by AEC Fire and Safety.
