Your director forgot to tell you that this weekend he is attending the Central Idaho Fire Academy in Donnelly, Id. starting tonight at 6pm. He will have arson investigation and extrication classes to fulfill. He will not be returning to the ranch here until sometime late Sunday afternoon. Michael just called at 6 PM and said that he has internet and his laptop, so he'll be popping in and out of the site as classes permit. No need to call the house...catch him on the site. He and his buddy (Kelly) have the RV up there so they're comfey!!!!Like to take the time to say hello to Tracy and welcome to our world-wide family. Love MoparMom

Arson investigation... He could land a good paying job from that one...

Be glad it wasn't this place!!

Fire claims Gordon, WI Fire Station, equipment

September 19, 2013 Updated Sep 19, 2013 at 9:30 PM CDT Gordon, WI (NNCNOW.com) - Firefighters in Gordon battled flames Thursday afternoon at their own fire hall.

The fire broke out at the building along County Road Y just after 12 p.m.

Authorities said during a news conference Thursday that six trucks and the building are a total loss. There were sounds of explosions coming from the trucks during the fire.

No word on what sparked the blaze, but we're told there were no injuries.

Minong, Wascott, Solon Springs, and Barnes fire departments responded to Thursday's fire. Officials say those companies will continue to help out the town of Gordon as they recover from this incident.

"We are working through the state, fire association, there are other fire departments willing to help. We have already gotten phone calls about equipment and what our needs will be in the future," Gordon Fire Chief Mike Chmielecki said.

The Gordon volunteer fire hall was used as the headquarters for this year's Germann Road fire.

The fire department had just added an addition to the hall.

Senator Bob Jauch and Representative Nick Milroy say they will also work with the community to make sure they have the resources necessary to rebuild and equip the fire hall.

There will be a fundraiser at the Buckhorn Bar and Grill in Gordon on Friday Sep. 27 to raise money for the fire hall.

Story and video here

MoparMom goofed... I took extrication class but arson was my second choice. So I had 20 hours worth of being certified to cut up vehicles for 3 days. Doesn't matter how you crash there is a way to cut you out of that steel can. You'll have to wait I've got to the pictures from my buddy phone. Like I dummy I left my memory card in the computer for my camera. :banghead:

Welcome back, look forward to the pics. I have seen several things they cut cars up with even with you in them. Pretty amazing stuff.

Our final car was up-side-down and the top was crush. This was to simulate a roll-over accident like leaving a canyon road and rolling down a embankment. Well our class did excellent and managed to open up the car in a move called a Oyster Cracker. It's where you remove the front fender, cut the front door hinge, rip the nader pin, then cut your rear door hinge and pop the other nader pin. Using struts to stabilize. Now cut the B post lay down on the ground. Put a ram in place and slightly lift. Now cut A post and C post. Now lifting slowly with the ram 2 guys are ratcheting the struts in tighter lifting the car and the ram is holding the roof down it turn Cracking the Oyster open freeing the patients. So this is where the instructor said you want to see a garbage truck? Hua?! We all voted "Yes!" So cut 2 relief cuts near the B post in the floor using 2 come-a-longs we managed to fold the backseat up on top of the car. So the backseat was up right and the cab was up-side-down. My buddy Kelly got the shot of all us around the Garbage truck. Oyster Cracker http://www.fireengineering.com/topics/m/video/31233413/oyster-cracker.htm

Did they teach you what to look for and what to avoid when cutting open newer model cars, like the high strength metal alloys that will destroy the jaws of the extracation tools and what to look for and avoid with airbag systems and where the manufacturers hide all the high pressure canisters ect.When I was in firefighting and extracation training this was a large part of the class.We saw a lot of videos where first responders and fire fighters were seriously injured or killed by undeployed airbag or other safety systems while trying to save a victim.

The instructor that we had was also a vendor of tools. He had a lifetime warranty on all tools. There was absolutely nothing his tools wouldn't cut. He went as far as cutting the steering wheel off a harden shaft. No damage at all to the tool. Now as for our dept tools I know are much much weaker and would never be able to do that. The biggest thing he cut was a 3/4 axle tube and shaft but I hard to say it the tool lost then. As for the airbag we where taught how to find most of them using a peel and peek method looking for devices. Even shot a few bags off to show strength. We has cut the driver side back so the instructor leaned the seat back against the airbag driver wheel and fired it. The seat back flew a good 20-30 feet up and back. Did the same with the passenger bag and once again eject that seat back like a toy straight up in the air. Our policy is to cut the battery power first thing to minimize the chances of deployment of a airbag during rescue.

Mike; I hear that the "New Village People" are looking for another member...............and that a fireman was preferred!!!! Any interest???

Kidding!!!

When I went through ours, we got schooled on a good portion with the hybrids.. Hope you touched based on some of those...

Yes. Basically take the smart key and get it away from the vehicle after its shut off. You could cut battery power to it (FD dept policy?) But if the battery bank catches fire the say to let it burn. As for extrication on a hybrid vehicle same peel and peek is required for air bags and work as usual just being careful and cautious.

Yea.. and DO NOT cut the high voltage wires! ...orange, IIRC.

Yea.. and DO NOT cut the high voltage wires! ...orange, IIRC.

Like our instructor said most of the time the high voltage stuff is in the center of the vehicle and could be any bright colored wire (Yellow, Orange, etc.) It now a standard for orange to be used but early years there wasn't so be aware. Also a note a "standard set" of bolt cutters will not be able to even open bigger enough to cut high voltage lines.

A marina customer of mine gave me a fine set of almost new wire cutters. He was an electrician. Yup, they were welded closed where he cut some live wire!

Also a note a "standard set" of bolt cutters will not be able to even open bigger enough to cut high voltage lines.

The hydraulic shears would!