MCCTC students learn to use life-saving tools

By Billy Ludt

bludt@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Seniors in the public safety program at Mahoning County Career & Technical Center spent their school day Thursday training with equipment used to open up vehicles to save people trapped inside.

The tools for vehicle extrication, also known as the “jaws of life,” are used to remove, cut or pry external parts of vehicles open to extract people as quickly and safely as possible.

“Time is of the essence,” said program instructor and Austintown Fire Department Capt. Tom O’Hara.

When it comes to vehicle extrication, O’Hara said, the tools are imperative.

“The idea is to let the tool do the work,” he said. “We’re just there to put the tool in the right place.”

Students enrolled in the public-safety program at MCCTC are required to fill 260 hours of training, which is usually broken up into two-hour slots during the school day. For the required jaws-of-life course, the students spent the entire school day geared up and training on several vehicles.

Students handled cutters O’Hara said are like big pairs of scissors, and spreaders used to pry open doors on cars. The cutters cut through the car’s body.

One technique to help ensure that victims in vehicle extrication remain safe is cribbing. Firefighters place objects – in the students’ case, planks of wood – under a vehicle to stabilize it while other tools are used.

“Movement on the car isn’t good for patients, and we don’t want them to move the car while they’re opening it up,” O’Hara said.

Another point of extraction is through a car’s roof. By sawing through and removing all glass panels on the car, the students could safely remove the roof without the danger of shattered glass.

“Really, you get prior training,” cadet Will Mallog said. “You have the knowledge to do it beforehand, so you can do it efficiently when you start working.”

This was the second time Mallog took vehicle extrication training. The first was with the Jackson Township Fire Department.

Mallog said he enrolled in the program because he’s always wanted to help people, and becoming a firefighter is what interested him the most.

Jeswald Towing, 6528 Mahoning Ave., donated three vehicles for the training.