Firefighters and emergency services personnel from four agencies spent Saturday and Sunday at Advanced Metal Recyclers (AMR), Houghton Lake, training to be better prepared to deal with traffic accidents. Firefighters from Roscommon and Lake Township and Clare County along with Houghton Lake Ambulance Authority staff received advanced stabilization training from Dan Zarodkiewicz of Ultimate Fire and Rescue. The use of "Rescu-Jacks" to lift and stabilize vehicles for patient extraction was the focus and cars donated by Dave Moore of AMR were used in the training. Roscommon Township Fire Department 1st Lt. Frank Thibert said his department used the jacks three times in the last year to extricate patients.

(Top) Roscommon Township Firefighters Kelly Winslow and Pat Heistand (foreground) use "Rescu-Jacks" to stabilize a car as Mike Oster directs movement. The car was lifted in the air and secured by jacks positioned on both sides of the car with straps securing them. (Left) Zarodkiewicz (third from left) goes over a scenario with firefighters (from left) Randy Wheeler, Heistand, Pat Parr and Dan Patch before the group stabilizes the vehicle Saturday afternoon. (Photos by Eric Hamp)