NEWTON Abbot’s firefighters recently undertook Road Traffic Collision (RTC) training at Gilpin Demolition Group’s yard near Kingsteignton.

The crew from Station 20 were faced with a three-vehicle, three-casualty RTC, set up by Gilpin employees.

It had been set up in such a way that a van was left balancing on top of two other vehicles below, one of which was on its side.

Newton Abbot’s finest were completely in the dark going into the exercise.

Upon arrival, the Incident Commander (IC) decided to appoint a second IC, to split the scenario in two.

Crews secured the vehicles using blocks, v-struts, ladders and a Tirfor winch; once secure and stable, the crews used a variety of cutting, spreading, and ramming equipment to gain access to the vehicles.

They also utilised the same equipment to cut away areas of the car where necessary.

A spokesperson for Newton Abbot Fire Station said: ‘The scenario which was set up for us by the employees of Gilpins certainly was a challenge that required some outside the box thinking to achieve the tasks.

‘Although it was a complex RTC with multiple hazards and considerations to take into account, all the crews worked effectively and efficiently together and managed to extricate all three casualties safely in just over 30 mins.

‘We would once again like to thank Gilpins demolition yard for allowing us to train at their site and for setting us up a challenging scenario.’