MVA's

A car wreck is something no one ever wants to face. The fear of getting into a motor vehicle accident, MVA, has rendered some people from ever getting behind the wheel because they are so fearful of it. Though it should definitely be a fear, it can be used as an advantage to make people drive safer and realize the consequences of being ignorant while driving. Firefighters don't just run in burning buildings, we “run” every MVA, no matter day or night. The only car accident we don't run is a little fender bender. What would be the point in Rescue 1 showing up to something where the only damage done is some chipped paint? That would be kind of hysterical if you think about it. Most of the MVA’s we run are for considerable reason though. In an accident where the person is trapped inside because the door won't open, or the roof has collapsed, we are the lifeline to get the person out. Whether the car is on its top, on its side, or even on the wheels, we have extrication equipment for it all. The spreaders, or commonly known as “the jaws of life”, are used to pry doors open, move something out of the way, or even to pry a dashboard off of a person. The cutters are what their name implies. They are used to cut door hinges and the pinions so the door can be completely removed instead of just popped open. They can also be used to cut the roof off of a car if need be. Another piece of equipment we have is called the “ram.” It is used to hold a car up if it is suspended, or also used to push a dashboard off of a victim. With any situation thrown at us, we are well equipped and ready for anything. Every truck has a set of spreaders and cutters on it, but Rescue 1 is equipped with anything involving. . . well. . . rescue. We get paged on MVA’s a lot more often than we do on house fires. An MVA is just like anything else in this life; it can be very minor, or it can be tremendous. The worst wreck ever seen could have survivors with nothing more than a scrape on the arm while the most insignificant, minor collision into a ditch, or collision with another car could have people dead on arrival (DOA) at the scene. Sometimes it’s hard to see God’s plan, especially when something happens like what I just explained. Although it's hard to see, it’s faith that has to be seen.

                                                                      (He Survived)