More than 20 first responders from the Kenton, Gibson County, Dyer, Milan and Rutherford, Tenn., fire departments recently put on their rescue gear for a hands-on demonstration of the latest techniques in emergency vehicle extrication, preparing them to provide the best response for car accident victims in the Nashville area, all thanks to CARSTAR Russom’s, Allstate, GEICO, the Rutherford Fire Department and the National Auto Body Council (NABC) First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.) program.
Today’s vehicles are equipped with numerous airbags, advanced technology and innovative safety systems that keep drivers safer in case of an accident. But these same safety advantages make it harder for first responders to rescue those drivers and passengers. Add to that the potential challenge presented by electric and hybrid engines, and first responders need a whole new arsenal of rescue tools and procedures.
“I really appreciate CARSTAR Russom’s Collision and NABC for offering this training to us,” said Scott Reeves, fire chief for Kenton Fire Department. “This was a great opportunity for the firefighters to get extrication training as part of their NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication program. This program provides first responders with the skills to safely extricate victims from modern vehicles, which often feature advanced safety systems and materials and is delivered at no cost to local firefighters.”
The NABC F.R.E.E. program helps prepare local first responder teams to rescue accident victims from these late-model vehicles. The program provides education and live demonstrations on working with high-strength steel, airbags, advanced restraint systems, onboard technology and safety around alternative fuel vehicles. Since it was founded, it has provided education for more than 6,000 first responders.
“We just wanted to give back to our community,” said Brad Russom of CARSTAR Russom’s Collision of Rutherford. “All of our local fire department members work hard and we wanted to help them prepare with the latest techniques in emergency vehicle extrication.”
CARSTAR is an I-CAR Gold network and is North America’s largest multi-operator network of independently owned repair facilities, offering 24/7 assistance for auto body repair, paintless dent repair and storm damage repair. Allstate and GEICO, which are level one partners in NABC, provided the vehicles for the exercise. Genesis Rescue Systems, a level two member of the NABC, supplied the classroom education and extrication demonstration.
For more information on the NABC, visit NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.
