Charlotte County Fire & EMS hosts vehicle...

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. —

Charlotte County Fire & EMS, along with several other fire departments, participated in a vehicle extraction to prepare firefighters for the worst as thousands begin to hit the road for the holidays. On Friday, the simulation consisted of a multi-vehicle crash on I-75 at Trademark Metals Recycling in Charlotte County.

"With that, increased traffic becomes at increased risk for vehicle accidents, and these firefighters behind us are training proactively to respond to potential vehicle accidents," said Battalion Chief Shane Styza.

Using as many tools, agencies and equipment as possible, every second counts.

"When vehicles do collide, it's unpredictable. They're going at different rates of speed. They weigh different amounts, depending upon road conditions can change," Styza said.

The situation changes even more if the vehicle is rolled over, first responders have to be on high alert.

"It changes the dynamics of it. It puts the patient from a hanging position in a seatbelt in which we needed to secure them as well, and alters the tactics that we utilize to get that patient out because we now have to be concerned about the stability of the vehicle because vehicles weren't designed to be on their roofs," he said.

These crashes can be prevented by being aware of your surroundings and wearing your seatbelt.

"A lot of the accidents are caused by people that are trying to do multiple things; if you're driving, focus on your driving, let everybody else do the other stuff, just make sure that that's your primary thing when you're in the vehicle," said Lt. John Jenson.