Command training for extrication

[Cain]

I am the T.O. with a small rescue squad in northern BC Canada. Does anybody have ideas or websites or information sources for training ideas when it comes to command at extrication operations. ANYTHING would be greatly appreciated.

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Remember plan "B"

[Carl Avery]

to me the KEY to Extrication is team work, One way to build this is through Black Board or Table top Extrications. What do I mean either Draw or set up a scenario (using Toy Cars) and then have the team Discus how they would handle it. If there is a Large number in your class, break you group into 5 person teams and then rotate through the scenarios. What this does is gets people all thinking together. and promotes an exchange of information, Select a team Captain on each team and Have them discuss there Scenario amongst themselves and then present it to the rest of the group. Certainly there are other things that need and should be done. But here is one idea for you to use

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Rescue is the Art & Science of matching your tools, talents and tricks to needs of our customers!
Carl D. Avery

[Diesel]

Our Department approaches the issue of command at MVA's in the same manner as we do for all other incidents. Your Incident Command System (ICS)should be exactly that - YOURS. And while nearly all incident command systems vary slightly from department to department, they are all based on the premise of workload division for supervisors. We apply the same "span of control" concepts to structural fire situations, wildland fire situations, water rescue situations...what-ever. The same principles apply to MVA's, you just modify the components slightly to fit the situational requirements.

For motor vehicle accidents, typically the Incident Commander will assign sector officers to one or more of the following functions: extrication, fire/hazard control, patient care, and safety. The size and nature of the incident may lend itself to additional sector assignments such as staging, rehab, public information, etc etc etc. Really thats the beauty of the ICS, it affords you with a very flexible approach to any situation. The key is to establish the basic components you'll utilise at 90% of your incidents, but be flexibly enough to allow for the stuff that arises at the other 10%.

If you don't have any ICS reference materials available, I'd be happy to send you some of the material we're using here in Ontario...e-mail me at "[email protected]"

Stay safe,
Diesel

[firefighter26]

I have been on my department's extrication team a year now (we have only had one team) and the thing I found that works best, not only in compitition, but on the street, is to cross train. Everyone has to be able to do everything. My department is 100% volunteer, and, like most volunteer halls, they find that man-power during the day can be slime. Our members train in everything from fire suppression to First Responders to Auto Extrication. That way, when we are at a call, it doesn't matter if you have fred or bill or hank, they are all able to do the job. Our department also does this for IC (during practices only). Everyone in a while, the chief will say "tag, your in command." Of course, the chief doesn't throw him in cold turckey, he is allowed to listen to the captains and ask advice.
We have found that when working on the street (which is 100% different then compitition) we can gell like a team, always knowing what the guy next to your, or the guy in the car is thinking and doing and most importantly, what you need to do to help him

[Ten8_Ten19]

Sorry to stray off-topic but I just wanted to reinforce firefighter26's comment about teamwork and, most importantly, thinking two steps ahead at all times. We had an mva recently where I felt that things really clicked. Four of us went to work and really had very little communication. It just seemed we knew what was coming next and did it. Not to downplay IC but if a team trains together and works enough incidents together the IC is going to have it easy.