Students who take Mrs. Casey’s First Aid/CPR class at Abington High School went on a field trip to North School on very cold Friday, Dec. 6 to watch the firefighters use the Jaws of Life. 

As students arrived at the school parking lot, there was an ambulance, a firetruck, a broken-down car, and a tarp was on the ground with all the tools the firefighters were going to be using. There was a lot going on. There were several firefighters at the scene, along with a police officer.

There were two dummies in the car. One was in the driver’s seat and the other was in the back row. You could imagine what the scene of a real car accident would be like.  

All the responders were trained in what they were doing, and each had a specific role to complete to make the rescue run smoothly. While the students watched the rescue, a firefighter was explaining what the first responders were doing and why.  

Before they were able to start the cutting, the car had to be stabilized and completely turned off to prevent further injuries to the victims or to any first responder. After that was done, they cut their way to the driver.  

The door was separated at the hinges and eventually pulled off to better retrieve the driver. Once the door was disconnected, the dashboard was pushed away from the driver to create more room for his legs to be moved.  

Amanda Lopes, a junior at Abington High School said, “I would feel very scared if I was in the driver’s seat and the firefighter had to use the Jaws of Life. I’ve seen a few really bad accidents in my life, and I would never want to be that person in that driver’s seat.”

Once the driver was out of the car and on a stretcher, the responders started to get the passenger out of the back. They had to make the car into a “convertible” by completely taking the roof off and bending it until the back row was completely open. 

While this was happening, there was a firefighter in the back row laying with the person under a blanket to keep the victim safe from any pieces that may have fallen while cutting off the roof.

After both victims were out the vehicle and on stretchers, they were removed from the scene.  

Lopes said that, “Seeing the firefighters use the Jaws of Life made me realize that it takes a lot of strength to be a firefighter.” 

Students were given information about the Jaws of Life that they would not be able to get in any other course offered at Abington High School.  Lopes said, “I thought the field trip was very good and informative” adding that she would also like to see the “paramedic side of things.” 

Anyone that wants to pursue a career in the medical field should consider taking the First Aid/CPR semester-long class. Not only do they learn about the role of first responders, but students learn other very important skills, like how to preform CPR on adults, children, and infants, along with learning how to bandage, use an epinephrine pen, and other skills that would be useful in an everyday life.