Members of Westwood Fire Company have been in the process of renewing the licensure of the Voluntary Rescue Service Recognition, which is the highest level of certification pertaining to Rescue Companies. Westwood was the first Fire Company in Chester County to obtain this certification back in 2007.

Part of the renewal process is to continue our training with classroom and hands on practical operations.

December 5th was the first day and members from Westwood Fire Company and Wagontown Fire Company along with a few members from Modena met at Westwood for the classroom portion. Members of both companies have been working for some time now to complete this state course which is required for certification of vehicles under the State's Voluntary Certification process.

Instructor Jamie Rohrer from Bucks County was on hand to deliver the classroom portion of the class which covered topics such as Buses, Trucks and a review of Basic Vehicle Rescue. After lunch on the first day, members then toured the two tool boxes, aka Rescue 35 and Rescue 44 which will be used for day two of the class. Also joining us were employees and Owners of Flings towing who are taking the class with us to learn how to incorporate the use of Tow company equipment in the process of vehicle rescue. Tow companies bring a wealth of knowledge along with equipment that can be very useful in vehicle rescues.

Day two of the class was held the following Saturday December 11th, again at Westwood. Our friends of Flings Towing Company provided the necessary props of a passenger vehicle, work van and a school bus.

The first scenario was a passenger vehicle that rear ended a school bus and trapped the two occupants in the front seat. Manikins were used to simulate patients. Crews were split into three groups, thus separating the different company members so they work together. Crew 1 was to use any means necessary to raise and stabilize the drivers side of the bus, Crew 2 was to do the same as Crew 1 on the passenger side, while crew 3 prepared the passenger car to utilize chains and come-a-longs to pull it back out from under the bus and then extricate the two patients.
The scenario was successful with all Crews working together.

The second scenario was a school bus which partially rolled over onto a work van trapping the simulated driver with the only access being the drivers side towards the school bus. Crews were tasked with stabilizing the bus using any means necessary which included the use of Fling's wreckers.
The primary stabilization was the use of the Junkyard Dog Struts and Paratec Struts. Once this was accomplished Fling's hooked back up to the bus and made the situation safe. To compound the scenario the instructors would not allow the use of the front or rear of the work van or the passenger side. Crews gained access to the patient via opening the roof of the van, while the balance of the crews entered the bus and worked on opening the roof of the bus. The entire operation took approximately 1hr. 30 mins and was successful. The Manikin was then removed from the van and into the bus then taken thru the front windshield of the bus.

The Westwood Fire Company would like to thank the members of Wagontown and Modena Fire Companies along with employee's and owner Daryl Fling Towing and also Bucks County Instructors Jamie Rohrer, Chuck Stanford and Bob Devonshire.