Firefighters refresh skills

Balclutha firefighters use cutting tools to extract "victims" from a crashed car watched by members of 10 Clutha district volunteer fire brigades during a refresher course yesterday.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand regional trainer and station officer Ed Oskam said it was important new firefighters learned to work with what was on hand when they arrived at an accident and yesterday's course at Kaitangata was a refresher for first responders.

"While there is a common scale of equipment, each station has slightly different gear on board their engines, so these new firefighters must learn how to utilise the tools and skills they have to do as much as they can before the pump rescue team arrives.

"We are teaching them how to protect the scene, stabilise the vehicles, glass management and to try to do as much as they can with the resources they have in their vehicles," he said.

 - John Cosgrove