Firefighters Compete in Skill Test
A team of six Pugwash firefighters are headed to Windsor this weekend to compete in a test of skill among fire departments across Nova Scotia. The challenge is to get people out of crashed vehicles, or as the firefighters call it, “motor vehicle extrication”.
The Pugwash Fire Department team (pictured here) includes: L to R Richard Schnare, Kenny Casey, Kevin LeBlanc, Kathie Betts, and Alex Mundle, and Deputy Chief Ron Betts, who took the photo.
The Motor Vehicle Extrication competition pits teams of six firefighters against the clock and each other in a hotly but friendly contested meet.
Firefighters are regularly faced with complex situations where people are trapped in vehicles, sometimes threatened with fire or even explosion. The people entrapped may be unconscious or injured, adding to the difficulty of getting them out safely.
During the competition, the teams will be confronted with various scenarios, challenging them to find the appropriate solution for getting the vehicle occupants to safety, and perhaps, to medical care.
The PFD team has been practising over the last few weeks, trying to imagine to scenarios they might face. The accident scene might involve examples of cars shown in this photo: us-side-down, on a side, or simply smashed or even crushed by impact.
The competition runs for two days, with winners declared on Sunday afternoon.