Published: July 18, 2008 12:12 pm         

An up-close look

Firefighters stage accident rescue for fair-goers

Six fully-suited Logansport firefighters gathered around a car with rescue tools in hand on Thursday evening.

Ladderman Clayton Freels jumped on the hood and began cutting the glass, while two others reached their hands inside the car to keep the glass from falling.

One fireman stood next to the “victim,” speaking over the noise to explain the process. One by one, the firemen worked in the 90-degree heat to help in freeing the person sitting in the car.

This was all a part of a demonstration staged by the Logansport Fire Department on Thursday at the Cass County Fairgrounds.

“It makes people aware of what we have to go through,” said Dave Huff, assistant fire chief. “It makes them aware of the trauma that goes on and the tools that are used.”

During the event, two volunteers acted as victims to add to the authenticity of the event. For the second year at the fair, firemen carried out the demonstration on two vehicles donated by Cass County Recycling.

Huff and Gary Baumgardner, 4-H fair board vice president, organized the event. Both felt it was a good opportunity for public education.

In addition to Huff and Freels, Logansport firefighters Matt Harris, Rob Grisez, Steve Miller and Jason Nolte were all a part of the demonstration.

Training officer Grisez thought the demonstration was a good way to give the community a first-hand look at what goes on during an emergency.

“I think it’s good interaction,” he said.

With the start of the event, the firemen performed what Grisez referred to as the basic principles of extrication. This included cutting the window, removing the roof and doors one by one, cutting off the passenger’s seat and “rolling the dash,” which helps free the victim’s legs and feet.

As hydraulic tools make their cuts, the plastic and metal make a “crunching” noise. Once the top is disconnected, one of the firefighters pounds on the roof so it will fold back.

“We try to make it as realistic as possible, but you can’t make a substitute for the real deal,” Grisez said.

To add to the authenticity, the Samaritan helicopter arrived from Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne to pick up an accident victim.

Grisez said even though the demonstration was realistic, it couldn’t illustrate every situation the rescuers might face. Depending on the position of the vehicle, whether down in a ditch or wrapped around a tree, the firefighters must go about their jobs in a different way.

Once the firefighters think they have seen it all, he said, they come across something new.

“You think, ‘How the heck did that happen?’” he said.

Miller added that an actual accident scene is always more stressful.

One problem is when a tool breaks, leaving firefighters to go “old school” and simply use hand tools to finish the job.

Local resident Carol Woolever showed up to see her nephew, Miller, in action.

“It’s definitely a good idea,” she said. “It gives the community an opportunity to see what they can come into contact with.”

No matter what, Huff hopes people walked away with a different way of thinking.

“I think when people witness a mock disaster, how we cut the cars, it may click a light in their head and they might slow down a little bit,” he said. “They can see how serious things can be. It can make an impression on them and stick with them over the years.”

Miller said that even though Thursday’s event was only a demonstration, the energy firefighters put into the exercise was real.

“When we are done tonight, we’ll all be spent,” he said.

Denise Massie can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or via e-mail at denise.massie@pharostribune.com



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