News

On Sunday, May 15th, 2011, members from Orangeburg were joined by other county fire departments and departments from Westchester and Long Island to practice their skills and to be trained using a tool called "Res-Q-Jack". Firematic, which sells the rescue tool, is a Long Island based firm that came to the Rockland County Fire Training Center (RCFTC) to demonstrate the product. Over 70 volunteer firefighters came out to participate.

Several of our members went to the RCFTC at 8 AM to practice and sharpen their skills on vehicle extrication. This all day session, ending at 4 PM, was provided by technicians from the company called Res-Q-Jack. There were seven unique extrication stations where vehicles were placed in various positions offering different challenges to the participants. Vehicles were on top of each other, on top of a jersey barrier, on their sides, etc, etc.

The most challenging scenario was two vehicles nosed together with a third vehicle resting upside down between them. The technicians showed the students how to properly stabilize the two vehicles on the ground and then raise the middle vehicle to allow access to the vehicles underneath to remove trapped victims.

The volunteers did a great job and we thank them for coming out to the RCFTC on a Sunday to participate in this exercise and to sharpen their extrication skills.