Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety joined with Kent Regional Fire Authority and the SeaTac Fire Department for a three day training involving simulated vehicle accidents and removing victims, which is known as extrication.

The training is the part of the new economic environment where agencies join together to save money and receive critical training. This was the first step in the plan for the Maple Valley and Kent fire agencies.

Maple Valley Deputy Fire Chief Matt Cowan said the training was organized by John Graziani, Maple Valley firefighter.

“This is a pretty advanced training,” Cowan said. “We are trying to think outside the box and takes things beyond the normal situation. John is very passionate about extrication.”

Friday the event involved a school bus on its side with a car underneath the front of the bus and one smashed into the back.

The firefighters worked using the Jaws of Life, saws and other tools to get into vehicles and remove injured victims.

Graziani said about 70 firefighter and emergency medical technicians participated in the three day seminar.

“We don’t get a lot of these incidents and we don’t get a lot of experience with them,” Graziani said. “So this is why these really help.”

Graziani said Skyway Towing donated cars and a rotator to move the vehicles on-site, the Tahoma School District donated a bus and L. N. Curtis & Sons, a firm that provides firefighting equipment with an office in Seattle provided tools and an instructor, Brian Livingston.

Graziani said the donated equipment and tools was the reason the training could be setup with the tight budgets all fire agencies are operating with in the current economy.