To Mr. McNeil,
I would like to thank you for donating three vehicles to our high school fire fighting program. It provided our students with an opportunity to train on auto extrication. The trainings assisted not just the fire program but several of the programs at our school. Each semester the firefighting, EMT, criminal justice, and forensic science programs participate in a mock mass casualty training. During the scenario students must not only apply the knowledge they have learned throughout the semester to the scenario but also work with students from the other programs. Sometimes this aspect of the scenario — communication and coordination of roles - is the most challenging for the students. The vehicles help set-up the scenario and create a more realistic environment. For the fire fighting program specifically, our students are taught about various methods of extrication and how the methods depend on the vehicle, the crash, and how victims may be trapped. The vehicles you provided gave our students a chance to use extrication equipment — including the Jaws of Life—to experience how the extrication equipment affects vehicles. Each cut made, each time the Jaws spread a door or support, the vehicle changes and the dynamics of the extrication process must be re-evaluated. The extrication process needs to be quick and efficient but always with the safety of the trapped patient as the top priority. Our students gained valuable experience through this hands-on training. I look forward to working with you in the future. From donating the vehicles, to bringing them to the school, to taking them away once our training was finished, McNeil's Towing was wonderful to work with. I appreciate your support of our program.
Sincerely,
Sarah Domyan CTEC Fire Science Program Administrator