CARIBOU – A local fire department has recently purchased new equipment that could increase the survival rate of people involved in vehicle collisions.
Caribou Fire Chief Robert Weaver said members were training Monday with new extraction equipment called the HURST Jaws of life edraulics – battery operated – so firefighters no longer have to hook up to hydraulic hoses in order to get the power to the equipment.
Such a set of equipment could set a fire department back about $45,000, but they were able obtain a $10,000 grant from the Sutherland Harris Memorial Foundation, as well as an additional grant from the Nova Scotia Fire Marshal.
“With both of these we had $30,000,” said Weaver. “The man who sells (the equipment) in this area had demonstration models that were a year old, so we talked him down about 15 per cent of the actual cost.”
The purchase includes a set of jaws, cutters and a ram. It will replace the fire department’s current extraction gear that is more than 30 years old. Members had their first opportunity to be trained on the new gear Monday and realized they now have the ability to remove four car doors in less than 12 minutes, which could make the difference in someone’s life.
“Every minute counts,” he said. “It is very basic and the thing is, if we don’t have these, our back up is New Glasgow, Pictou, Scotsburn, River John or any of our mutual aid partners.”
Weaver said mutual aid is an important resource for any department, but timing is crucial
when firefighters are responding to any call.
“You have an accident and someone has to come along and see the accident and someone has to make a 911 call and we have to get a page to tell us where to go. We are not a manned department so whoever is in the area has to get to the trucks. By the time we are on the road, it could be 12 minutes. If we can reduce that time when get there and extracting a person to get them out of the vehicle and to the hospital, they have a better rate of survival,” he said.
He added that a perfect example of this was the fire department’s response to a three-vehicle collision last December in its area that involved a young teen who needed to be removed from a car.
“It’s the time frame,” Weaver said. “It’s the golden hour for us and to not to have it (the equipment) we would feel really bad about that. We need to do it for our community.”
The fire chief said not only is the new equipment more convenient because it doesn't involve hoses for hookup, it is also better for working on newer vehicles that are made of stronger steel.
Currently, eight firefighters with the Caribou department have the level two extraction course and it currently has about 20 plus members, but it can always use more.
"I understand people work, but today I would be lucky to get six firefighters on the road,” he said, adding there many jobs people can do at a fire department that don’t have to involve fighting the actual fire.
Weaver added all of the training is free to become a member and the gear is supplied by the department. It costs about $15,000 to outfit one firefighter. The Caribou Fire Department will now start looking at purchasing a new truck which will be another larger investment for the rural department.