Fire and rescue companies from Southern Maryland will participate in a two-day Big Rig Rescue™ Level 1 training on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Chaney Enterprises Waldorf Plant on Acton Lane.

Coordinated by Bret Krabbe of Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department/EMS and Charley’s Crane Service of Landover, this program is a comprehensive knowledge and skills course developed and presented by Billy Leach Jr., co-author of “Big Rig Rescue.” The course is designed to teach personnel the safest and most efficient rescue techniques involving big rig and small car collisions.

The classroom exercises will be held at the Mechanicsville fire station on Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. Topics covered in the training are: Air Bag Lifting Systems; Timber Cribbing and Strut Support Operations; The 5-Step Discipline of Overturns; and Underrides and Fundamentals of Winching.
 
Beginning 8 a.m., Saturday morning at the Chaney Enterprises Waldorf plant, fire and EMS personnel will engage in five scenarios involving autos collisions with a concrete mixer, an overturned tanker, a bobtail trailer, a school bus and a semi.

A final scenario has yet to be determined. At the end of the training, participants will see an air cushion demonstration using multiple 3- to 5-foot airbags to assist in uprighting an overturned semi with a box cargo trailer.

Participating fire/EMS companies include Mechanicsville, Hollywood, La Plata, Prince Frederick, Waldorf, St Leonard, Hughesville and Hyattsville. For information call (301) 932-5665 or visit www.ChaneyEnterprises.com.