Smithfield VFD and GEICO host live extraction training
Published 12:57 pm Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Open shelving in the engine bays hold firefighter helmets, uniforms and gear.
The Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department’s Heavy Rescue truck, which houses vehicle extraction equipment, returns from a service call.
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Smithfield VFD Lt. John Jackowski demonstrates a “rip-and-blitz” using the spreaders as firefighter Shane Davis waits with the cutters at the ready. (Photos by Stephen Faleski | The Smithfield Times)
Davis uses the cutters to complete the removal of the rear driver-side door from the car.
Jackowski repeats the spreaders on the passenger-side rear door.
Junior Firefighter Vaughan Walker uses the cutters on the passenger side of the car.
Every second counts when a collision traps an injured driver or passenger inside a car.
“The quicker we get them out, the quicker we get them to the hospital,” said Ryan Brown, a firefighter and life member of Smithfield’s Volunteer Fire Department.
In a crisis, there’s no time for unfamiliarity with the tools or proper procedures involved in safely cutting through crushed metal to free someone. It’s why the department hosts monthly vehicle extraction training for its members.
The most recent training session, held May 13, involved two totaled cars – a 2016 Nissan Rogue and 2017 Nissan Versa – both donated to the department courtesy of nationwide automotive insurer GEICO. For 20 years, Dave’s Service Center on West Main Street and Ryan’s Service Center, have supplied the department with donated vehicles, and is always looking for more. GEICO representatives recently saw the department’s call for donations and offered the two vehicles.
“These are great opportunities for GEICO to give back,” said Dorean Pugh, a GEICO spokeswoman.
The blue Versa was totaled in a recent wreck somewhere in the Tidewater area. Pugh said if the driver at fault has GEICO insurance, the company will buy the totaled vehicle and will partner with Copart Salvage Co. to sell it at auction, unless GEICO chooses to donate the vehicle, which takes it out of the auction process.
“We’re grateful to GEICO for their support,” Smithfield VFD Chief Chris Edwards said in a news release. “Their donation allows us to train with real-world scenarios that prepare our team for emergencies, while also showing the community the incredible dedication of our volunteer firefighters.”
An experienced team of firefighters can usually cut someone out of a vehicle in as little as three minutes.
“We want all our guys – and girls – ready to roll,” Brown told the Times.
For Vaughan Walker, who joined the VFD in March, the May 13 training date marked her second time practicing an extraction, which involves the use of battery-powered spreaders, cutters and a ram.
“If we have a patient who’s severely pinned in the car, my go-to is the ‘rip and blitz’ on the driver’s side because it takes the B-post and everything with it in one go,” said Smithfield VFD Lt. John Jackowski, a five-year member of the VFD and professional firefighter with the city of Hampton.
Firefighters refer to each beam that supports the roof of a car as a “post.” The A-posts are the ones between the windshield and front doors. The B-post divides the front and back doors and the C-post separates the back doors from the rear window. In a “rip-and-blitz, the ram is used to break the glass and the spreaders, which can open as wide as 40 inches, are expanded in the opened driver-side windows to pry the doors from the vehicle. Then the cutters are used to break through the B-post for full side access.
“Vehicle accidents are a lot of our calls,” Brown said.
It’s something Jackowski has had to do frequently, and not always due to a high-speed crash. Jackowski said he once had to cut someone out who was pinned beneath the dashboard after losing control, flipping and hitting a tree in early 2024.
The Hurst Jaws of Life M40 spreaders are the largest on the market and weigh nearly 55 pounds. It’s one of the reasons why there’s a weight room in almost every fire station.
The Smithfield VFD firefighters also practiced removing a car’s dashboard and cutting the roof off a car.
Brown said the department needs to be prepared to handle all types of vehicles and all situations.
“We’ve gone out and done farm equipment,” Brown said.
Brown said anyone willing to donate a car to the VFD for extraction training can call his towing service at 757-618-3388.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:23 p.m. on May 14 to correct the phone number for Ryan’s Service Center and details of the early 2024 crash.
