2024
Breakout
Sessions

Below are course descriptions for each breakout for our 2024 event. If you prefer, a PDF of all the breakout sessions can be downloaded by clicking here.

Cars Hanging Around

Kyle Bishop covers the topics of vehicles hanging from structures, trees, guide wires, etc., and the challenges responders must manage. These extrication incidents also require ladders and, in many cases, high-angle rescue tactics while operating tools. Students will complete scenarios with vehicles in suspended positions utilizing various tools, tactics, and rope operations. 

** Students must have completed a 24-hour rope rescue course. Certification must be provided with registration! 

The Ugly Tree: Cars in Trees

Les Baker is taking Cars Hanging Around to the NEXT level! How do you deal with vehicles hanging in trees from high-speed collisions or running off embankments? The course will be utilizing many of the concepts discussed in Cars Hanging Around with some additional discussion points and tactics. 

** Students must have completed a 24-hour rope rescue course. Certification must be provided with registration! 

Winching, Moving, and Lifting

Rich Garber provides participants with practical information, new skills, and a better understanding of winching, rigging, moving, and lifting in various vehicle extrication scenarios. This session will include rigging, winching, lifting bags, stabilization equipment, etc., to demonstrate and practice these skills. 

Advanced Tactics

Randy Schmitz covers advanced tactics that are not used on a routine basis, but when needed are invaluable. These tactics include floor pushes, inverted patient removal, tunneling, etc. Emphasis will be placed on scenario-based training. 

Lifting Struts as an Active Rescue Tool 

Cris Pasto presents training on all aspects of res-q-jacks, the complete line of versatile rescue struts & jacks available today. The practical exercises will cover wheel-resting, side-resting, roof-resting, and over-ride vehicle stabilization and lifts. Exercises will also cover advanced roll-over & over-ride extrication tactics 

Large Vehicle Lifting/Extrication 

Robert O'Donald instructs students how to better prepare for an incident involving heavy vehicles and the types of extrication scenarios found with vehicles of this type by discussing vehicle design and construction and how this relates to the incident. They will also provide a better understanding of lifting equipment, including lift bags and struts, available to first responders. The focus will be the safe mitigation of real-life scenarios involving vehicles, construction accidents, collapse scenarios, and big rig entrapments. 

Patient Vehicle Movement 

Toot Lee discusses how most extrication incidents can be mitigated with common initial plans, including some form of a side, roof, or tunnel tactic. But when those initial plans fail to provide a suitable path of egress, you’ll need to implement your secondary disentanglement plan. One potential secondary disentanglement plan involves moving the patient's vehicle before the patient is extricated. Although this tactic is seldom required, when it is needed, it can prove invaluable. 

Patients Hanging Around

Chris Rufert covers the topic of patients entrapped in hanging positions when the vehicle is side or roof resting or in more complex situations such as vertical positions, multi vehicle incidents, etc. Emphasis will be placed on tactics that provide a large path of egress for ease of patient handling, tips to ensure a smooth patient removal, and stabilization/movement tactics. 

School Bus Extrication

Bryan Bennett addresses the number of different types and sizes of buses traveling the streets and highways throughout North America. These vehicles all share certain characteristics, but each type is also unique in some ways. Conducting safe and efficient extrication operations at bus collisions depends largely upon the extent to which rescue personnel know these vehicles and what to expect when they are faced with a collision involving one. 

Tractor and Machinery Extrication

Eric Rickenbach provides information on whether your district is rural, suburban, or urban, tractors and large machines will be found in your first due. Are you prepared to deal with this equipment, and the mechanical, hydraulic, and other hazards that can potentially complicate the extrication? In most cases, the hydraulic rescue tool is NOT the answer. This session will focus on the challenges of performing extrication when faced with these challenges. 

Confined Space Extrication

Jim Wilson provides challenging scenarios the students have to overcome, such as vehicles in gully’s or ditches with no side access or trapped under a collapse or tree. Responders will be challenged to utilize a variety of tactics and equipment. 

Are you ready to register?

Breakout sessions will be filled on a first come first, serve basis. Sign up for our emails to be notified when registration opens.