West Knox Fire Department wins extrication challenge

Firefighters with the West Knox Fire Department won the extrication challenge recently. It was their third straight win at the fire muster competition.

A team of West Knox firefighters took first place in the extrication challenge at the Appalachian Foothills Fire Muster, marking the third consecutive win for the department.

The team of Darryl Baker, Steve Mayer, Richie Wynn, Amos Moses, Kiker Moses and Brandon Ledford cleared the scene of potential hazards, stabilized the car, removed three doors, a door post on one side and the roof, and forcing the dash forward to “free” the two people “trapped” when it was forced back by the impact.

“We had to pretend there were patients in the front seat,” Baker explained.

Each team had 20 minutes to complete the event.

The West Knox team completed the event in seven minutes, eight seconds.

“We were slower than normal because we were only allowed on spreader and cutter,” Baker said explaining that when paged to a. wreck, there are two sets of the device known as “The Jaws-of-Life,” on each truck that firefighters will use simultaneously.

“We could have shaved probably about two minutes off of it at a real scene,” Baker said.

Baker said three judges were watching the firefighters work and made several notes on their score sheets.

“They wrote in general comments that we had really good teamwork,” Baker said adding that out of the 38 firefighters on the roster, this was one of the best teams that could be assembled.

However, it was purely by chance.

“This was just the normal firefighters that could come out Saturday,” Baker said when asked if the department had a competition team.

Baker said the judges did mark the team for failing to verbalize in several instances such as when firefighters broke the glass out of the doors.

“For every window you break out you are supposed to say ‘Breaking glass!’” Baker explained. “On a car wreck, we are not used to verbalizing.”

Baker said he is proud of his firefighters, adding that while there were only three departments competing in the event this year, the competition is stiff.

“It is fun to win, but it is fun watching other departments do it because you always learn something by watching them,” Baker said adding it is a friendly competition with the teams cheering each other on.