CFD companies 1 and 3 responded to South Main St in the area of Sampson’s Lane for a vehicle that had left the roadway and landed on its roof. First arriving Deputy Eric Germaine located the car over a guardrail and down an embankment. The lone occupant was trapped in the car and required the Jaws Of Life and lifting airbags to be freed. Carver Fire dispatches a Heavy Rescue, 2 Engine Companies, a Safety Officer, and 3 Chief Officers to all reported MVA with entrapment calls. This allows us to put tremendous manpower on scene to rescue the people trapped, and permits Carver EMS to focus on patient care.
An incident such as this requires multiple simultaneous operations, including
- Operating several Jaws Of Life tools
- Utilizing lifting airbags to pick the car up off the patient
- Chainsaws to remove trees blocking patient access
- Vehicle stabilization to keep the overturned car from moving with the patient and firefighters in harm’s way
- Staffing a charged hose line in case the vehicle catches on fire while the occupants and rescuers are inside
- Setting up scene lighting
All of these actions take place on a roadway with vehicles passing by. We are thankful for the efforts of Carver Police Department to keep the scene safe from secondary crashes, which is a significant hazard to firefighters. Training and planning for these incidents gives the Carver Public Safety team the ability to provide the best possible response for injured patients when these crashes occur. The patient was subsequently transported to a local trauma center for care. No further information is available. (Photos courtesy Rob Reardon and CFD Photo Team)
