Reading’s Benefit Fire Department welcomed fellow firefighters from across the local area for a two-day training course this weekend.
The training focused primarily on extrication situations ranging including rollovers, head-on collisions and collisions between vehicles and farming equipment. Reading Chief Scott Wilkerson says this scenario was particularly important, noting vehicle equipment collisions are a major concern, especially given that large farming equipment, namely combines, are out in abundance on area roadways this time of year.
As part of the training, firefighters were able to utilize a variety of technology and tools, including some state-of-the-art equipment, according to Wilkerson.
In addition to the hands-on learning opportunities, Wilkerson says the weekend’s training was also important from a collaboration standpoint, noting almost all area departments have mutual aid agreements between one another. He says having the chance to build chemistry across departments means greater efficiency and faster response times in the field. Wilkerson says efficiency and collaboration are essential, especially in extrication situations, where time is of the essence.
According to Wilkerson, 40 individuals attended the two-day course with five instructors on hand and 52 donor vehicles.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News and Reading Benefit Fire Department
