The accident scene was so realistic at times crews forgot it wasn’t the real thing.

Firefighters from Fire District 1, along with those from nearby Fire District 7, recently completed training for an incident where a car went over an embankment with people trapped inside.

“It was as close to real life as it could get,” said Training Chief Craig Clinton. “The rain and wind some days made it extremely difficult, but also made the training very successful. We often practice our skills in the best case scenario; the weather gave crews a more realistic feel of what this call could be like. ”

The muddy conditions made it difficult for crews to stabilize the vehicle and get to their patients. In most scenarios there were at least two patients, so they had to determine the best way to move and stabilize the vehicle without hurting either patient.

Firefighters practiced the same drill at night to get them ready for the real thing.

Photos courtesy of Fire District 7.