RANKIN COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Local firemen are working on new techniques to save patients involved in vehicle wrecks.
This week the Reservoir Fire Department is holding an advanced extraction course.
The firefighters are learning the correct ways to cut open a car with the jaws of life, by avoiding airbags that have not been deployed.
Some of the new model cars have airbags along the doors where the cuts are usually made, making the firefighters job more difficult to get in to their patients.
"If we deploy one of these airbags its at 350 mile per hour deployment so it will injure a firefighter or re injure the patient," said Trainer and firefighter Ross Cook. "That is the sole goal here is to not have that happen."
The firefighters used the jaws of life and cutters, which use air pressure which can cut through the hardest car metal like butter.
"There's a cylinder in there which is the gas cylinder which deploys the airbag," Cook said. "I has 45 to 49 P.S.I., if we accidentally went through it with the jaws or cutters it's going to be a mess."
The cars used in the extraction training were all donated by Capitol Body Shop.
The firefighters will be practicing their exercises through Wednesday.
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