Firefighters Hold Extrication Drills At HATC

Last week, the Harrodsburg Fire Department and the Hughes-Jones Harrodsburg Area Technology Center (HATC) worked together to tear things apart.

For two days, HATC students—as well as students from Anderson County schools—watched firefighters demonstrate techniques to extricate accident victims from wrecked cars. In emergency situations, first responders try to remove the car from the victim before removing the victim from the car, Harrodsburg Fire Chief Ric Maxfield told the students.

Firefighters used tools to slice away the cars piece by piece, from the windshields to the doors and roof and even the dashboard. Even when half the car was lying in a pile, the chassis remained steady so rescuers could work safely.

Maxfield said the demonstration wasn’t just for the benefit of the students, but also for his firefighters.

“We’re helping them out, but they’re helping us out a bunch,” he said. Thanks to people holding onto their cars longer, programs like Cash for Clunkers and junk yards stripping cars for the used parts market, the chief said it was hard for the fire department to find cars in order to practice extrication techniques.

“Our younger guys don’t get the opportunity to cut up the cars like they used to,” Maxfield said.

To learn more, check out this week’s issue of The Harrodsburg Herald.