Pocatello Fire Department holds extrication demo

The Pocatello Fire Department had a new recruit go through an auto extrication simulation as part of training within the New Fire Recruit Academy.

Auto extrication is when a firefighter has to pull someone from out of a car. In Wednesday’s simulation, the recruit used Pocatello’s extrication tools. The recruit had to take the doors and the roof of the car off.

Then to make things interesting, the fire department also had their new guy try his extrication skills on a car on fire.

Travis Smith, division chief with the fire department, said it’s important for firefighters to have practice in these kinds of situations because there’s a whole new set of elements to take on.

“We have to deal with fuels, oils and lots of plastics and rubbers that burn,” he said. “They’re just really hard things to deal with.”

Other challenges with car fires is they usually happen on the road, so traffic and other hazards get caught up in the mix.