Collision Pros, Farmers Insurance and HURST Jaws of Life Hosted First Responder Education Event Demonstrated How to Extricate People from Today’s Advanced Vehicles on May 20
MEDIA NOTE: Photos and video from the NABC® Recycled Rides® Presentation are available (here)
LOOMIS, CA (June 6, 2023) – More than 20 first responders from the Higgins Fire Department donned their rescue gear for a hands-on demonstration of the latest techniques in emergency vehicle extrication, preparing them to provide the best response for car accident victims in the Loomis area, all thanks to the Collision Pros, Farmers Insurance, HURST Jaws of Life and the National Auto Body Council® F.R.E.E.™ program.
Collision Pros at Loomis hosted first responders from Higgins Fire Department at a special NABC® F.R.E.E.™ education and guidance program on May 20 at the Collision Pros facility to help ensure Loomis drivers have the best prepared response in case of an accident.
Today’s vehicles are equipped with numerous airbags, advanced technology and innovative safety systems that keep drivers safer in case of an accident. But, these same safety advantages make it harder for first responders to rescue those drivers and passengers. Add to that the potential challenging presented by electric and hybrid engines, and first responders need a whole new arsenal of rescue tools and procedures.
“It was great to get the opportunity to work with newer tools and high strength steel. The new metals react very differently. You have to know how to leverage your cuts to be most efficient. It also just takes more time, and I wasn’t aware how strong they were,” said Jack Schaefer, Firefighter, Higgins Fire Department.
The National Auto Body Council® First Responder Emergency Education (F.R.E.E.™) program helps prepare local first responder teams to rescue accident victims from these late-model vehicles. The program provides education and live demonstrations on working with high-strength steel, airbags, advanced restraint systems, onboard technology and safety around alternative fuel vehicles.
“This was a very worthy event. Watching the first responder’s enthusiasm with new tools and learning life-saving knowledge gave me an even greater respect for the challenges they face every day,” said Christee Sena, Director of Accounting and Human Resources, Collision Pros.
Farmers Insurance provided the vehicles, and HURST Jaws of Life supplied the classroom education and extrication demonstration.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL AUTO BODY COUNCIL®
The National Auto Body Council® is the premier organization of collision industry partners dedicated to strategic networking opportunities that positively change lives in the communities we serve. The collaborative membership of the National Auto Body Council® has gifted more than 3,000 vehicles, provided extrication opportunities for more than 5,000 First Responders and is helping educate students and adult drivers in communities around the country through NABC® Recycled Rides®, NABC® First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) and the NABC® Drive Out Distraction program. That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC® membership dollars. The National Auto Body Council® is changing the paradigm of how the collision industry works and is viewed. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.
