The Okotoks Fire Department dedicates any of their down time between responses to make sure their skills up to the standard and beyond in any emergency situation.

We recently caught up to Okotoks' finest to observe their vehicle extraction training or as we know it as using the "Jaws of Life".

Fire Department Captain Dave Hodgins says in a serious accident where the injuries are substantial, the fire department has a tight window to get people out and into medical care.

"The Golden Hour as we call it, from the time of the accident you want somebody in a emergency room with a surgeon within an hour," he says. "So even when we're at the hall assuming it takes us 10 minutes to get to a call we want somebody out within 5-10 minutes, ambulance there and starting their transport."

It can take around 3-5 minutes for the Jaws to pop a vehicle's door off to access them.

Hodgins says in his time on rescue efforts he's seen the Jaws of Life open many different doors.

"Everything from school buses to heavy transport and all kinds of vehicles, new vehicles now they have super high tensile steel that makes it a different game then what was even a few years ago."

The department through the Jaws of Life and vehicle extraction in some situations will use mechanical saws to cut off the steering wheel column to allow them to have more room in the rescue operations.

Hodgins says they need every possible solution to help save a life.

"We've had to change a lot of what we do," he says. "With new cars now they are so strong now in the passenger compartment that when we do have entrapment it is really difficult to open them up and we have to keep up with gauging our skills and training just to make sure can get people out."

Hodgins will hopefully take some members of the department out on the lake next Friday so they can work ice rescue training which is an important regiment in the long winter months.

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