Crews Use Hydraulic Spreaders and Backboard Retrieval to Free Suspended Driver in Rollover Drill

Saddle River, NJ - Upper Saddle River Fire Department personnel conducted an intensive, hands-on vehicle rescue training drill on Monday, September 14, tackling a complex side-rollover scenario with simulated driver entrapment.

The practical evolution was staged around a passenger vehicle resting precariously on its side, simulating a severe collision in which an occupant—represented by a weighted training mannequin—remained suspended in an elevated position by the seatbelt harness.

Crews initiated the drill with a thorough scene size-up and deployed specialized tensioned rescue struts alongside cribbing to fully stabilize the vehicle chassis, preventing shifting or secondary tipping during operations. Once the vehicle was secured, firefighters performed glass management by removing the windshield before putting hydraulic rescue tools into service. Operating cutters and hydraulic spreaders, members severed structural posts to complete a roof removal, opening clear interior access to the cabin.

With the roof displaced, personnel entered the compartment to support the suspended patient and establish in-line spinal precautions. Responders carefully released the seatbelt, maneuvered the patient onto a backboard, and lowered the victim out of the wreckage for immediate transfer to simulated emergency medical care.

Department officials emphasized that regular, realistic vehicle extrication evolutions are vital for sharpening tool discipline, coordinating glass management, and mastering patient handling during high-stakes highway and roadway emergencies.