On Wednesday November 19th, 2014, Thorndale Firefighters wrapped up a month long training series covering Vehicle Rescue. Each Wednesday evening for three weeks the crews were given a scenario and tasked with successfully completing the evolution. Instructors Jim Reagan and Scott Piersol from Chester County Emergency Services Training Center were on hand to observe and critique the evolution each night.

At the first session, crews encountered a four door sedan on all four wheels with one victim trapped in the back seat of the vehicle. The vehicle was stabilized with wood cribbing and the doors removed to gain access to the patient. The patient was immobilized and quickly removed from the vehicle. At the conclusion of the evolution, the crew gathered in the Engine Room to discuss the operation.

At the second session, crews found a minivan on its side with one victim trapped. Due to the vehicle being on its side, struts were used to stabilized the vehicle and prevent it from rolling over. The roof of the minivan was removed to provide a clear exit path for rescuers to access the patient. After the evolution was complete, the crew gathered around the minivan to discuss the operation, then returned to the Engine Room to clean all the equipment and place it back into service.

In the third and final session, the crew was given a scenario involving a two door sedan on all four wheels with a baby trapped in the back seat of the vehicle. Crews quickly stabilized the vehicle, removed the driver's side door and extricated the baby from the back seat. The baby was not removed from the car seat as it provides immobilization to prevent further injury. After the baby was extricated from the vehicle, the crew removed the passenger side door as well as the roof and completed a dash lift.

Thank you to Instructors Jim Reagan and Scott Piersol for coming out to observe and critique the evolutions and to Darrell Fling of Fling's Towing of Coatesville for providing the vehicles each week for the training.