Lifeline Tactical Rescue Tool – Vehicle Rescue

On Thursday, March 16th, 2017 at 16:51 I was driving southbound on Route 208. In front of me, I witnessed a passenger vehicle veer right into the shoulder and made contact with a snowbank and guardrail just past the entrance ramp from exit 59 (via 287 Northbound) and flip to stop on its hood and roof. I slowed my vehicle, parked a safe distance away and activated my emergency lights on my vehicle. I dismounted my vehicle with a high visibility jacket and my Lifeline Extrication Tool in hand. I made contact with the victim; I found no airbag deployment and the victim was conscious and answering commands, as well as suspended upsidedown via the driver’s’ seat belt. I advised the victim not to move her head and to attempt to unlock her vehicle’s’ doors. Upon further size up of the vehicle, I was to find that the fuel tank was leaking. After accessing the victim from the backseat, performing a rapid physical assessment and victim denying all pain, I braced the victim with my shoulder, removed the Lifeline Extrication Tool from its sheath, found a safe area away from the victim’s’ body and with a few passes of the tools’ teeth, I freed the victim from the seat belt with ease and resheathed the Lifeline Extrication Tool. I assisted the victim down to a stable position and helped the victim out of the vehicle, still denying pain. Franklin Lakes Police to arrive on scene and control traffic. Franklin Lakes Fire Department to arrive on scene shortly after and secure vehicle.

Regards,

Nicholas Addesso
NJ EMS ID: 614283
Hawthorne Volunteer Ambulance Corp. 167
North Haledon Fire Department: Department Engineer/Firefighter 304