Firefighters from around Spartanburg and Cherokee counties converged for a weekend course in Big Rig Rescue ™.  The class developed by Billy Leach Jr. of Sanford, NC and hosted by the Cowpens Fire Department teaches students stabilization, truck anatomy, and extrication techniques to use on these special vehicles.  Towing operators from Jolley's Towing and Recovery were also utilized in the class.  These specially trained operators are essential to a Fire Department on this type of incident.

One night of classroom was followed by two full days of scenarios.  These included under-rides, over-rides, loaded box trailer rollover, and a loaded cement mixer rollover onto a vehicle.  On Sunday crews had the opportunity to hear from a doctor at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center on the effects of rescue and the crucial element of time.  Following the morning classroom crews were met by a final scenario.  Personnel were faced with a S.U.V. which was crushed by a fully loaded tanker truck weighing more than  50 tons.  Crews worked for over an hour to extricate the two victims (manikins) from the wreckage. Pictures of the crews working the scenarios can be seen HERE.

The class was a huge success and plans to continue offering the course at Cowpens are in the works.  Thanks to all who participated and a special thanks goes out to Jeff Jolley and all of his crew at Jolley's Towing and Recovery of Spartanburg, SC for all the effort they put forth as a partner in this class.