Gaston Fire & Rescue members joined firefighters from other area departments on Monday night, August 17, for another Technical Rescuer: Heavy Vehicle Rescue exercise. This scenario placed a bus on its side with multiple simulated occupants trapped inside.
Before anyone could enter, crews had to make the vehicle safe. Firefighters assessed how the bus was resting, established stabilization points, and secured it against movement that could endanger rescuers or patients.
Teams then created several ways into the overturned bus. Members worked through the rear and front while other firefighters reached the side of the bus that had become its top. Each access point gave crews another route for reaching occupants and moving equipment into the confined space.
Inside, rescuers practiced locating, packaging, and removing simulated patients while working around rows of seats, broken glass, narrow passages, and other obstacles. Crews also cut and removed portions of the bus to create more room for access and patient removal.
A bus or other large vehicle creates very different rescue problems than a typical passenger car. Its weight, construction, number of occupants, and position can all change how firefighters stabilize the scene and reach the people inside.
Training together gives area departments time to build those skills before an emergency. It also strengthens the coordination and problem-solving crews will need when a complex rescue brings multiple agencies to the same scene.
Bus Rescue Training
Members from Gaston Fire & Rescue and neighboring departments gathered after completing the overturned-bus scenario.
Crews secured the bus with stabilization equipment before beginning access and rescue operations.
With the bus resting on its side, firefighters used a ladder to reach what had become the top of the vehicle.
Members practiced entering through the rear of the bus while other teams prepared additional access points.
Train With Gaston Fire & Rescue
No prior fire service experience is required. Gaston Fire & Rescue provides the training and equipment volunteers need to serve their community.
