Sun, 06/24/2018 - 12:45pm

KEVIN BURNHAM

Firefighters from Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport with the instructors from Maine-IAC Training during the Sunday morning session of the two-day extrication training. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Ryan Murphy of the Boothbay Fire Department and Caitlin Shepherd of the Southport Fire Department recently completed the state Firefighter I & 2 six-month course. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Troy Cailler, right, instructs the firefighters on using the extrication tools. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Boothbay Harbor Fire Chief Nick Upham uses the extrication tool. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Boothbay firefighter Ryan Murphy uses the extrication tool. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Ryan Murphy of the Boothbay Fire Department and Caitlin Shepherd of the Southport Fire Department recently completed the state Firefighter I & 2 six-month course. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Troy Cailler, right, instructs the firefighters on using the extrication tools. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Boothbay Harbor Fire Chief Nick Upham uses the extrication tool. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Boothbay firefighter Ryan Murphy uses the extrication tool. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Firefighters from Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport were taught the skills of extricating people from cars using special equipment and scenarios during two days of training Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24. The training, held at the Boothbay Fire Station, was conducted by Ryan Johnston, owner of Maine-IAC Training of Oakland, and two of his instructors, Troy Cailler and JP Adams, co-owners of Tri-County Training who are also members of the Lewiston Fire Department.

Sixteen area firefighters took part in the Sunday morning training. The firefighters stabilized the cars using wooden blocking and used hydraulic cutting tools to pry apart the car to gain access.

Boothbay Fire Chief Dick Spofford said Hawke Motors in Boothbay Harbor provided 10 of the 13 vehicles used for the training. The three other cars were provided by Blagden Towing in Wiscasset. “They did a great job of getting us the cars and bringing them to the station for the training,” said Spofford. Spofford also wished to thank the Boothbay Public Works crew for using their loaders and placing the cars in position. Some of the cars were piled on top of another car to simulate that type of accident.

Two of the firefighters participating, Ryan Murphy of the Boothbay department and Caitlin Shepherd of the Southport department, also recently completed state Firefighter 1 & 2 training, which includes hundreds of hours of training and six months of studying.