RACINE — Amidst a backdrop of shattered glass and plastic from a newly deconstructed SUV, six firefighter recruits inched closer to completing the five-week Racine County Fire Academy, the first of its kind.
According to Racine Fire Department Driver/Operator Adam Forstner, academy recruits have to learn how to extricate a patient from a vehicle safely. In 2025, vehicles are much more advanced and require specialized knowledge to avoid cutting high voltage lines or setting off curtain airbags. Forstner estimated that RFD extricates patients from vehicles about a dozen times a year.
Before cutting into a vehicle to extricate a patient, firefighters also have to stabilize the vehicle, which is another skill Racine County Fire Academy recruits practiced March 11.
RFD Driver/Operator Adam Forstner explained that modern safety features in cars can pose hinderances to emergency extrications. Recruits have to get "pretty in depth" as they learn how to safely remove a patient.
According to Racine Fire Department Driver/Operator Adam Forstner, academy recruits have to learn how to extricate a patient from a vehicle safely. In 2025, vehicles are much more advanced and require specialized knowledge to avoid cutting high voltage lines or setting off curtain airbags. Forstner estimated that RFD extricates patients from vehicles about a dozen times a year.
Before cutting into a vehicle to extricate a patient, firefighters also have to stabilize the vehicle, which is another skill Racine County Fire Academy recruits practiced March 11.
