Hinesburg Fire Department is hosting an open house Saturday June 5^th 9:00 to 12:00. Come meet the Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians who serve your town. 

 

We will be joined by the Vermont National Guard Civil Support Team, Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle, St. Michael’s Ambulance and Fletcher Allen Health Care.

 

Lt Jeremy Steele will be demonstrating the proper use a home fire extinguisher. Enter a drawing to win one of two home fire extinguishers donated by Estey Hardware.

 

Learn how a sprinkler system works. 

 

An Auto Pulse, which delivers compressions during CPR, will be demonstrated.

 

Asst Chief Rich Armstrong, a veterinarian with the Hinesburg Animal Hospital, will have a pet safety display. 

 

Hinesburg Community Police will be available for Infant/Child Car Seat inspections.

 

In need of a 911 Address Sign, order forms will be available. Watch a slide show of past fires and trainings. 

 

New this year, Hinesburg Fire Dept T-Shirts will be available for purchase.

 

 

On Thursday April 22^nd, HFD was joined by Charlotte Volunteer Fire Dept and Monkton Fire Department at Tailhook Towing for extrication training.

 

Two officers from Hinesburg and Charlotte spent the afternoon with employees from Tailhook Towing setting up an “accident” involving cars and a tractor trailer unit. The purpose was to create a scenario which we may encounter on the road, and have an opportunity to not only work with our mutual aid departments, but also to work with Tailhook and observe how their heavy duty wreckers can assist us.

 

The three departments met at our station, and “responded” to Tailhook’s yard on Commerce Street. Upon arrival at Tailhook, apparatus staged in front of the building while the first officer on scene established command, surveyed the accident scene for safety, and determined apparatus placement.

 

The Incident Commander was confronted with two vehicles under a semi-trailer, one from the side and another at the rear. Once the IC made an initial plan, he called the driver of the apparatus to approach the scene and instructed him on where to place his unit and to which vehicle the crew was assigned.

 

Crews, upon determining the scene was safe, proceeded to stabilize the vehicles and trailer, and disable the car batteries. EMS personnel were advised of patients in both vehicles. EMTs were assigned to each vehicle. Due to the nature of the accident, location of vehicles, and instability of the vehicles and trailer, EMTs had to stand by until it was safe to enter the vehicle. To a bystander, it looks like nothing is being done to help the patient. In reality, while the vehicle is being stabilized and made safe for EMTs to enter, we are observing what we have; where the patient is; how the patient is trapped; and what equipment is needed. 

 

While crews were preparing cribbing to stabilize the trailer, Tailhook was placing the boom of their heavy duty wrecker in position to lift the trailer off the vehicle in the rear. Once everything was in place, they lifted the trailer a few inches. Crews placed additional cribbing in the rear of the trailer, which allowed Tailhook to lower the trailer onto the blocks. When in place, the trailer was secure on the blocks, and off the vehicle. The boom and winch were left in place for additional stabilization.

 

An EMT entered the vehicle, assessed the patient’s injuries, and placed protective tarps over the patient and himself. Crews then began the process of breaking the remaining windows, removing the doors and roofs with the Jaws of Life and cutters to allow full access to the patient.   Once this is accomplished, EMTs can further assess the patient’s injuries; position a backboard near the vehicle, and safely remove the patient onto the backboard and away from the scene. Once clear of the scene, EMTs would further assess and treat the patient’s injuries and prepare the patient for transport to FAHC.

Rescuers arrive on a training scene to find two vehicles underneath a semi-trailer. Reports were of "patients" trapped in both vehicles.

Rescuers and a wrecker operator standby and plan the next step while others stabilize the trailer.