Heavy Rescue Training

Newport Township FPD hosts Heavy Rescue class

Myers Fire Photos

For the second year in a row, the Newport Township Fire Protection District played
host to a Heavy Rescue Training class held at Newports station and the Lake County
Sheriff's shooting range located on the state line. This year Billy Leach from Big Rig
Rescue gave a half day classroom presentation and a day and a half hands on
practical training. The class is designed to help rescue workers tackle the hard job of
responding to vehicle accidents involving semi's vs passenger vehicles. The thing that
makes this class very unique is that firefighters get to work on actual staged semi
accidents. Rescue workers were taught stabilization and extrication using there tools
and also using the big Heavy Duty Wreckers that can help free a trapped patient or
stabilize a vehicle much quicker then the tools used by firefighters today. Wildwood
Service in Gages Lake, IL supplied the vehicles and staged four different wrecks for two
days worth of heavy rescue training. Wildwood crews teamed up with Floyd's Towing of
Racine, WI to show firefighters just how useful these large tow trucks can be in an
emergency situation. Firefighters learned that when a vehicle accident involves a big
rig, everything changes so rescue crews need to make changes in the way they
respond to these incidents. Firefighters attended the class from Newport, Waukegan,
Round Lake, Gurnee, Knollwood, McHenry, Woodstock, Paris WI and a few others.