IVFD looks for support to enhance jaws equipment

    A couple of two-vehicle accidents in recent memory have members of the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department reassessing their jaws of life equipment.
    The “what if?” that accompanies post-accident reviews led the IVFD to reach out to the community for support in adding to the jaws equipment used at accident scenes.
    A community fundraiser for the effort is this Saturday, when the IVFD hosts a pancake feed starting at 4:30 p.m. at the fire hall.
    Brad Wheeler and Daryl Sharp are co-captains of the jaws team, and coordinate the team’s quarterly practices and the equipment. There are 12 jaws team members.
    They are hoping to add a combo tool (a combined cutter and spreader) and a larger, faster cutter, both with battery packs that will allow them to be used without being hooked up to a power source.
    Cost of the two equipment pieces is $31,000, Wheeler said.
    “The advantage of having these pieces will help our accessibility. They’ll be grab and go,” he said.
    Looking back on the recent CCS bus accident, both men said if the semi driver had been pinned in his vehicle at least 100 yards away from the bus, he likely would’ve had to wait.
    “This new equipment will allow us to be at two different locations at the same time, even if far apart,” Sharp said.
    A two-vehicle accident west of Imperial in 2019 was another example, in which a semi and pickup were involved.
    In that accident, the two vehicles were about a quarter mile apart after the impact, Wheeler said. The pickup driver had to be freed with the jaws equipment. Had the semi driver also been pinned, one of them would have had to wait, they said.
    While they don’t know why, both Wheeler and Sharp said they are getting more calls in which the jaws equipment is needed.
    Twelve such incidents have happened so far this year.
    Currently, IVFD jaws equipment includes two rams, one spreader, one cutter and a smaller combo tool.
    The IVFD jaws team has been part of the department for more than 35 years.
    Wheeler noted all of the Holmatro jaws tools they have were purchased with donated funds from Helen Fanning. An auction fundraiser and donation from Chuck and Jean Adams helped purchase the original equipment.
    Saturday’s pancake feed will include sausage and drinks, and is part of the Imperial Chamber’s Christmas Festival events that day.
    Those who can’t attend and would like to make a donation to the effort can get a check to Wheeler, Sharp or any IVFD firefighter. They ask that a “for jaws equipment” notation on the check be made.