Advanced Vehicle Extrication Challenge

Despite some progress, motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death and disability.  Surviving a motor vehicle crash is dependent on the severity of the crash and the injuries incurred, but it is also linked to the abilities of a rescue unit to be able to perform a safe and fast extrication.

Six local fire and rescue departments; Sussex, Lisbon, Merton, Hartland, North Lake, and Stone Bank, will be competing/demonstrating in an extrication challenge endorsed by S.A.F.E. (Safe And Fast Extrication, Inc.) at this years Lions car show on August 21^st.  Fire Department crews will perform vehicle extrication on multiple crash scenarios scheduled throughout the day.  The rescuers will demonstrate their skills and techniques in cutting apart vehicles to disentangle crash victims.  The event will have announcers describing details of the crew’s maneuvers, and will have internationally certified judges to score and evaluate the teams.  The teams are scored in numerous categories such as establishing command, size up, personnel safety, scene and vehicle stabilization, patient care, cutting procedures, and other criteria.  Each team will be allowed 20 minutes to perform a safe and fast extrication.  All teams have spent hundreds of hours in practice and training and have successfully completed SAFE’s Advanced Vehicle Extrication Program.  The 6 teams were involved in the Greater Milwaukee Foundation Grant research project which was performed and evaluated by the Medical College of Wisconsin.