Rescue crews in a race to save lives

[five_alarm]

The accident scene is frightening. A small Volkswagen Fox has rolled over and skidded to a stop against a giant propane tank. Inside, a middle-aged woman lies unconscious with unknown injuries. It's the kind of situation a team of rescue technicians might face on the job. The difference this time is that the crash scene is staged, and getting the "victim" out is part of a competition. Thirty rescue teams from around the world are competing in the World Extrication Challenge 2003 in Kanata this week. Participants are judged on how quickly and safely they can remove victims from car wrecks, with the most successful getting trophies at the end. But the real point is to become better prepared for the real thing.


Source: The Ottawa Citizen (http://www.firehall.com/refer.php?url=http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=096950f5-2a8d-4ae9-b7d8-7fa6c6988b72&linkid=199&parent=news(headlines)&)