by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — The Whitewater Region fire department is upgrading its extrication equipment to the tune of $14,000.
Chief Wayne Heubner spoke about the new Jaws of Life machine the Haley Station fire hall has been using for the past little while since its extrication equipment was sent to Toronto for repairs.
He spoke about the history of the fire department during the protective services committee meeting last night.
When he started with the Cobden fire department in 1975, they used crowbars and sledgehammers for extrication, he recalled. In 1997 he became fire chief of Cobden and 2001, became the fire chief for Whitewater Region.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in those years, especially with technology,” he said. “The one thing that has remained constant is driver error.”
Highway 17 from Storyland Road to Meath Hill has had its share of fatalities over the years, Chief Heubner said.
There were problems recently with the extrication equipment at the Haley Station fire hall, so while it was being worked on in Toronto, the latest in extrication equipment was left on loan, he said.
Watching this new extrication at work, Chief Heubenr said. “There were a few times I got excited just watching the guys work with it.”
Explaining, he noted it takes about four to six minutes with the current extrication equipment to take a door of.
“With the new set, the guys had the door of in one minute and 56 seconds,” he said. “I’ve never seen it done that fast before.”
Chief Heubner invited council members to see the equipment at work — the current one from the Cobden station and the new jaws of life on loan — and Councillors Charlene Jackson and Cathy Regier took advantage of that invitation.
Coun. Jackson was “very impressed” with the demonstration of how the new jaws of life worked.
“It was amazing to see,” she said, adding, “They timed the two of them. One door was off and they were ready to work on another door and the other equipment was just getting started.”
She noted for anyone waiting those three to four minutes for firefighters to set up extrication equipment can seem like an eternity. The new equipment can be used to extricate the people right away, she added.
This new equipment would be great for the highway and municipal roads the fire department serves, she said.
Chief Heubner noted it’s because the new equipment is battery operated, compared to having to set up a generator and hoses for the current equipment.
“Time is of the essence at an accident scene,” he said. “This is a life-saving tool.
“I was skeptical at first, but when I saw it working, I was very impressed.”
Chief Heubner, as well as Coun. Jackson, said Barron Disposal Systems Inc. provides the vehicles for the firefighters to train on.
“Without Barrons, our firefighters are not really able to train,” she said.
Mayor Hal Johnson said he was in favour with moving forward with the purchase of the new jaws of life, but stressed he wanted a new set, not a demo or used.
The committee agreed to recommend to council that the fire department be allowed to spend $14,000 plus HST on the new jaws of life.
