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Big Rig Rescue Course
I have just completed the Big Rig Rescue course, and for those who don't know what that is, let me tell you a little about it. This course is designed to teach firefighters on how to go about what they need to do when arriving at an accident involving a big rig and a car. Whether it be a tractor trailer, cement truck, a tanker truck with a car pinned under it. This course teaches you
to appreciate the hazards encountered while operating at a big rig accident, and to practice safety precautions for such. You will also learn about the advantages, and disadvantages of high, and low pressure air bag rescue systems. You will also get a better understanding of assembly, and capacity of various types of cribbing formations. You will also learn about the grades of chains, types of synthetic slings, types of wire rope, hooks, and fasteners, and their suitability during rescue operations. You will also learn on how to work along side of a tow truck operater, usually heavy recovery is needed in lifting the rig off the vehicle, and stabilizing the larger vehicle before starting your extrication. You will also learn the five step
discipline for overturns, and underrides as follows: The first thing is to identify the cargo of all vehicles involved. Second is to stabilize the larger vehicle. Third is to lower the smaller vehicle. Fourth is to lift the larger vehicle, and fifth is to separate the vehicles, and extricate victims.
I could go on, and on with what I have learned in this course, and I have learned much.
The reason I am starting this descussion is because anyone who lives in a community where you have large trucks traveling through it, you know it's just the matter of time when you will be faced with this type of accident, and you need to know what to do, and to be able to do it in a safe manor.
This was the first time a class of this magnatude was offered here in the state of South Carolina, and I am thankful that I was a part of it. I can also speak for the rest of the firefighters that took the course, as they learned much as well.
If you are interested in taken this course, or would like to know more about it, you can contact the instructor directly by e-mailing him at resqman@asheboro.com The instructor's name is Billy Leach Jr., and I am sure he can help you out with any questions you may have. I will also add that this course is not just a classroom course, but also a hands on as well, so if you are thinking of taking this course, be ready to work your tail off.
To all, be safe, and God Bless each, and every day for you are very special men, and woman for the job you do saving, and helping other in your community.
Ex Capt. Mickey Shelley
to appreciate the hazards encountered while operating at a big rig accident, and to practice safety precautions for such. You will also learn about the advantages, and disadvantages of high, and low pressure air bag rescue systems. You will also get a better understanding of assembly, and capacity of various types of cribbing formations. You will also learn about the grades of chains, types of synthetic slings, types of wire rope, hooks, and fasteners, and their suitability during rescue operations. You will also learn on how to work along side of a tow truck operater, usually heavy recovery is needed in lifting the rig off the vehicle, and stabilizing the larger vehicle before starting your extrication. You will also learn the five step
discipline for overturns, and underrides as follows: The first thing is to identify the cargo of all vehicles involved. Second is to stabilize the larger vehicle. Third is to lower the smaller vehicle. Fourth is to lift the larger vehicle, and fifth is to separate the vehicles, and extricate victims.
I could go on, and on with what I have learned in this course, and I have learned much.
The reason I am starting this descussion is because anyone who lives in a community where you have large trucks traveling through it, you know it's just the matter of time when you will be faced with this type of accident, and you need to know what to do, and to be able to do it in a safe manor.
This was the first time a class of this magnatude was offered here in the state of South Carolina, and I am thankful that I was a part of it. I can also speak for the rest of the firefighters that took the course, as they learned much as well.
If you are interested in taken this course, or would like to know more about it, you can contact the instructor directly by e-mailing him at resqman@asheboro.com The instructor's name is Billy Leach Jr., and I am sure he can help you out with any questions you may have. I will also add that this course is not just a classroom course, but also a hands on as well, so if you are thinking of taking this course, be ready to work your tail off.
To all, be safe, and God Bless each, and every day for you are very special men, and woman for the job you do saving, and helping other in your community.
Ex Capt. Mickey Shelley
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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Mickey,
I took this class up north. The program is really awesome. The problem or challenge I faced post class is my department's lack of committment to starting "big rig towing and recovery equipment" as part of our fire-rescue response and/or allowing them to be involved in the "rescue" operation from administration.
Hope you don't experience this stumbling block, it can be extremely frustrating.
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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on
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I'm sorry to hear that your department can't commit to a course like this. What are you going to do when you are faced with this type of situation, call for another department to respond who has taken
a course such as this, and yall stand around with your thumb up your a**. The department i'm with hosted this class along with a local recovery rigging outfit, and once the word get's out, i'm sure we will
be called out more offen on these types of accidents. As far as I see it, all departments should be involved
in this type of rescue/recovery situation. This is a part of our job as firefighters. I didn't join the fire department just to put out fires, but to assist the community in any, and every way I can. Don't let your frustration get in your way, keep fighting for it. Good luck, and be safe.
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Permalink Reply by Chad Furr on
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Sounds interesting will have to look and see if there is one close around to me. Thanks .
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Your more than welcome, you will learn much from this course, it sure was a eye opener for me, and I feel better knowing I can do more for my community, and the people passing through it. If I can help you out any further, just let me know.
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Permalink Reply by Jason on
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Sounds like a very interesting and fun course. A person never knows what you are going to get on a call and at least having a look at big rig/school bus accidents can better prepare you for the future. Last winter we were called for mutual aid for a tractor trailer, car and pick up wreck on an icy night. Once upon the scene our chief assumed comand and got everyone doing what needed to be done...nice thing was the TT was across the road alone and the two smaller cars were on the other, so we were able to treat them as two seperate scences. TT driver was ok so that made it much easier to deal with on that end of things but real easyily we could have had an issue we hadn't covered before.
The class sounds great..
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Permalink Reply by Kevin " Bucky" Ayers on
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the Tn.Asso. of Rescue Squads puts on a great Big Rig class every year alot of education on truck stabilization and resources you can use to help in extracation process
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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Been there done that...got the t-shirt, well in Illinois anyways. 2 other fun ones are school bus and heavy equipment. Semi vs car are never fun, been to more than I care to usually a fatality involved, had a semi run over a Yugo during a snow storm, took the car to a local garage to do the recovery. Anyways about the class, tunneling was the neatest thing I remember.
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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on
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My dept. has as many MVA's as any in the county, but bad ones...maybe 1 or 2 a year. The reason behind that is we have the borough, and everywhere in that 2.2 sq mi is 35 mph or less, so the 2 dept.'s to either side of us get almost all the bad ones. I could see this being an excellent class for those two dept.'s, although I've never heard of it in my area. It does sound great though. I've never seen carnage on the road (with and without big rig involvement) like I did with my old EMS service, in another county from my home. It covered approx. 30 miles of I-80. The wrecks up there were simply unlike anything we see in my current service (even with an even longer stretch of I-99, which for whatever reason is a much, much, much milder interstate, MVA-wise). I can truly respect the need of courses like this for the dept.'s like the ones I worked with up there, the entrapment situations involving big rigs are, simply put, mind-boggling.
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