ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – Members of the Atlantic Highlands First Aid & Safety Squad gathered on a beautiful Saturday morning to make a wreck out of a car during an extrication drill.
The drill, part of the squad’s regular training program, was designed to let new and senior members experience working with the organization’s extrication and stabilization equipment in a non-emergency setting.
“Removing injured patients from mangled wrecks is part of our mission,” says Richard Huff, chief of the Atlantic Highlands First Aid & Safety Squad. “Using a vehicle generously donated by a borough resident, we were able to duplicate a variety of crash scenarios ranging from removing the roof to multiple vehicle lift procedures.”
The drill began with an in-classroom presentation on using the Res-Q-Jack stabilization and lifting system, followed by a brief outline of the way the multi-hour drill would unfold.
Members then went outdoors to make cuts, break windows, and examine how they’d remove a victim from a two-door Saturn vehicle.
Atlantic Highlands First Aid members at the drill used Hurst spreaders – known as the Jaws of Life – as well as various cutters and saws to dismantle the doors, windows, the roof and more. The team also incorporated into the drill a PullzAll Rescue tool that was donated to the squad.
In the end, the Saturn hardtop became a convertible, but the members in attendance were better prepared to help the community.
The Atlantic Highlands First Aid Squad is an all-volunteer EMS and rescue organization that serves the borough of Atlantic Highlands and occasionally the surrounding areas. The squad operates on donations from the borough and the community. For information, log ontowww.ahfirstaid.org.
“I think everyone walked away from the drill having learned a little, and better prepared to face an extrication situation,” says Huff. “I’m proud of the men and women who gave their personal time for this drill. Thankfully, we don’t face a lot of those types of calls, however, we must be ready and prepared for anything.”
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