| After many months of planning, the Big Rig Rescue course was presented by Billy Leach Jr. on Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th. Attendees gathered at MVFD Friday evening for approximetly three and a half hours of classroom instruction on the five (5) step discipline process for overturns and underrides of large commercial vechicles. Members were instructed on several topics including estimating a vehicles weight to proper stabilization of these large vehicles using struts, chains, and cribbing.
Members met for hands on training at 0800 on Saturday morning at Chaney Enterprises along with tow operators to practice what they learned on four (4) challenging scenarios. Scenarios included a car underneath a school bus and tractor trailer, a loaded cement mixer overturned with its drum on a car, a car under a bobtail tractor, and a overturned tanker onto a car. Each scenario presented its own hazards and challenges. Attendees used many tools in the class to inlclude paratech struts, high and low pressure bags, plenty of cribbing, and even the griphoist which was new to many. At the end of each scenario, the tow operators explained thier rigging and how they could help in each scenario. At the end of the day, a demonstration was done by Charley's Crane Service and The Auto Barn using thier high lift airbags to right an overturned tractor carrying a box style trailer.
A special thanks goes out all the following: to Charley's Crane Service, The Auto Barn and G & M Towing for assisting in the class and providing all the vehicles. Chaney Enterprises for letting us use thier property and providing a cement mixer. Fire and Rescue Products and Paratech for providing us with two trailers full of tools to use for the class. Mr. Billy Leach for coming to Southern Maryland and teaching the class. Waldorf VFD for providing Squad 3 and an EMS unit, Hollywood VFD for providing Squad 7, and to La Plata for providing a traielrs worth of cribbing. The MVFD Ladies Auxillary for providing lunch and refreshements on Saturday and finally to all those who participated in the class. Participants included members from MVFD, Hollywood VFD, Waldorf VFD, La Plata VFD, Hughesville VFD, Prince Frederick VFD, St. Leonard VFD, 2nd District VFD, Bryans Road VFD and Hyattsville VFD. Keep your eye on MVFD.com for a different class from Mr. Billy Leach late next year.
To see additional photos of the training click the link below.
http://photosbydan.smugmug.com/Fire-Department-Events-1/Big-Rig-Rescue-Training/9746834_mVwUf#662363660_V865Q
**Thanks to Captain Dan Emmart and Auxiliary Member Jackie Turner for the photos** |
