Firefighters use junked cars to help save lives

Scrap yard donates junked cars so firefighters can tear them apart.

Fire chief says "no donation, no training."

Reporter: Mary Rinzel with Photographer Duane Wolter
Email Address: mary.rinzel@weau.com

It's no cash for clunkers, but there are junkers… and they're saving fire departments cash.

An area scrap yard is chipping in junked vehicles so firefighters can tear them apart. It's practice that could save lives.

"It's one of the more stressful things we do," Township Fire Chief Jack Running.

When someone is trapped in a car, firefighters have little time to get to them.

"The patient has what we term the golden hour. They’ve got 60 minutes from the time of the impact and crash until the time they receive surgical intervention at the hospital,” Running says.

Which is why Chief Running, who is also a training instructor at Chippewa Valley Technical College, says extrication training is so vital.

"You can talk and show video. You can explain; but until you actually handle the tools—that’s the best way to learn," Running says.

And in extrication training the most important tool might just be the car. The one used Wednesday night came from Alter Scrap Processing in Eau Claire. The scrap company donated 15 to 20 beaters this year.

"I just think it's the safety aspect. These firefighters want and need to be trained," says Alter Facility Manager Rodney Deaton.

Alter can still salvage the scrap regardless of if the car is torn apart or not. But, workers donate their time to drop them off and scrape them up after the firefighters are finished with them. Deaton says it's the least they can do.

"If I’m in a car and I have an accident, then I really want someone who's trained to help me get out of that car and save my life," Deaton says.

The firefighters want to get the most bang for their buck so they spend up to an hour tearing the car apart. Each is worth around $200. They practice breaking every window, tearing off every door and they'll eventually rip away the entire roof. So when those real calls come, the rescuers will already have a couple cars under their belts.

After all “practice makes perfect,” Running says.

Wednesday wrapped up an eight week class through CVTC. Ten cars were torn apart in the process. The goal at a crash scene is to have the extrication complete in 10 to 15 minutes.


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