Simulated Gunshot car -vs- logging trailer

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Shortly before 6pm, the call out comes in from Vilas county. “Gunshots heard and possible gunshot victims in a remote area.” Arbor Vitae Fire and Rescue get takes the call and responds. On the scene a small white compact car is crushed beneath a logging truck. What appear to be bullet holes run down the side from front to back. A power line is down across the trailer. Additional help is requested from the St. Germain Fire department. Firefighters and First Responders fan out to determine if there has been anyone ejected from the vehicle.

In the tall brush next to a wood pile the still body of an infant is found lying in a pool of blood. A First Responder is on the air, immediately with the Incident Commander, then with emergency personnel at Howard Young Medical Center. The First Responder, along with another fire fighter assess the child, move her to a backboard, strap her in and deliver her to an awaiting EMS vehicle.

Back at the vehicle there appear to be at least two passengers pinned in the wreckage. But they cannot be reached it until the live power line is deactivated, and the trailer filled with logs can be lifted. After personnel from the Wisconsin Public Service arrive and neutralize the line, rescue work can now begin. With a fire team standing by on a charged hose in case of fire, the joint Arbor Vitae and St. Germain Fire Departments begin the precise task of bracing the trailer. Using lift bladders and cribbing, they begin the painstaking job of raising the trailer off the crushed car. Inch by careful inch the trailer is raised until Rescue Two can pull the vehicle free.

The scene is one of mangled steel and shattered glass. The roof of the car is crushed down to the rear of the vehicle pinning a victim beneath it. The roof must be removed using the hydraulic powered Jaws of Life. Once the victim is free, the medical team begins assessing the injured persons condition, extricate him from the vehicle, and deliver him to EMS personnel for transportation to the hospital. Next the passenger door is removed at which time a fire arm is discover by rescue personnel, The firearm is delivered into the hands of local law enforcement officers. The next victim is pinned by the seat and part of the remaining roof structure. Following extrication by First Responders, he is also delivered to EMS and sent to the hospital. The remaining victim, the driver, is pinned in place by the collapsed driver door as well as the steering wheel and part of the dashboard. Again using the Jaws of Life, the door is cut off and dash is hydraulically moved out of place to allow the victim to be placed on a backboard, removed from the car, and delivered to an awaiting EMS vehicle for Transport. It is at this point that a large quantity of white powder is found in two plastic bags that could contain illegal narcotics. These are also delivered to law enforcement personnel. Other potential challenges on the scene include a large semi trailer the is leaking what could be toxic, or flammable fluids.

A drug deal gone wrong followed by a high speed chase that ended in an horrific accident? Could be, but from the time rescue personnel arrived on scene, until the last patient was transported to emergency services at the hospital, barely an hour had passed, weapons, and drugs were discovered, and dealt with in proper fashion. Both fire and rescue department worked well together, and no emergency personnel were injured.

Did this really happen? Yes it did on the night of Monday August 14, 2006. But in this instance all of the victims were props, and the accident staged. The way it was handled was as if it was real. This is how we train for the real thing. Even our training is taken very seriously because you never know when the next call out will send you to a scene that involved real trauma and real danger. It’s how we train to protect those in our community.

A Special Thank You to the Fink Family for allowing us to use their property, and equipment for this training.

Arbor Vitae Fire & Rescue

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