Orange, VT - Gathering for an intensive technical rescue session on August 12, 2026, members of the Tri-Village Fire Department deployed across Columbia County to conduct full-scale vehicle extrication drills utilizing passenger cars generously donated by community members.

Crews operated an array of heavy hydraulic rescue tools, commonly known as the "Jaws of Life," including high-pressure cutters, spreaders, and hydraulic rams. Firefighters began each evolution with critical scene safety and stabilization protocols, placing stepped wooden cribbing, struts, and wheel chocks beneath the vehicle chassis to prevent sudden shifts during cutting.

Teams systematically worked through glass management, controlled door pops, full roof removals, side-wall blowouts, and dash-lift evolutions to simulate clearing major entrapment points around a victim.

The controlled setting allowed personnel to slow down the entire operation, test alternate tool placements, and examine how reinforced steel, B-pillars, and modern vehicle construction react under heavy mechanical force. Firefighters rotated positions to gain hands-on experience handling the heavy equipment in tight clearances, practicing patient packaging and spinal protection strategies simultaneously.

By evaluating multiple tactical approaches on real vehicles, the department sharpened the speed, tool coordination, and adaptability required to safely free trapped occupants during high-stress roadway emergencies.