Every 2 days IFD extracts people from wrecked vehicles. Here's how they stay prepared.
On a Wednesday morning in early October, dozens of Indianapolis Fire Department firefighters gather at a city-owned junkyard turned extraction training playground on the near west side of the city.
It's hot and muggy, yet the group is focused as they suit up in their turnout gear. At their feet lay various Holmatro hydraulic cutting and spreading tools, sometimes referred to as the jaws-of-life. In front of them sit numerous wrecked cars — some on all four tires and some on their sides or upside down — maneuvered into what appears as real-life accident scenes.
"Today is a crawl before we walk scenario," Bryan Fleck, special operations captain with IFD, said. "We have some of our younger firefighters, led by some experienced ones, learning how to extricate a patient from a vehicle that has some sort of compartment intrusion."
A dark blue Saturn with an Indiana University basketball sticker pasted to its hood sits next to a silver Mazda with CDs and a college textbook still on its front passenger seat. Though unplanned, these details act as small visual reminders for those in training this day at what truly is at stake — life.
Cutting through metal has its challenges. While time is on their side during training, Fleck says IFD tactical crews are working against the golden hour in real-life scenarios.Unlike in photography, it doesn't involve pretty sunlight, rather increasing the odds a patient lives by working quickly to get them to surgical care within an hour of trauma.
"Firefighters that are assigned to heavy tactical units, we see this every day," Fleck said. "It's just the nature of vehicles on the roads. But the better prepared we are the better off everyone will be."
Crew by crew, the wrecked cars are carefully pieced apart. Instruction from elder firefighters with years of real-life experience overpowers the roar of generators running their hydraulic tools. To some, this is the first time they're using these vital life-saving tools. They're assured it won't be the last.
According to IFD Special Operations Chief Kevin Jones, the department works at least 200 extractions per year.
"On average, every two days someone's getting cut out of a car," Jones said. "And this training helps ensure we're giving our best response on their worst day."
Since the training, temperatures in Indianapolis have dropped significantly, meaning extra challenges for first responders.
"It's unpredictable and that's the hard part of tactical rescue," Jones said. "You have to stay vigilant and prepared daily because you never know what's coming your way."
Contact IndyStar photojournalist Mykal McEldowney at 317-790-6991 or mykal.mceldowney@indystar.com. Follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IFD firefighters extract people from wrecked vehicles every 2 days
