Eerily Realistic Vehicle Emergency Drills Help Train Firefighters For The Real Thing In Golden's Bridge

GOLDEN'S BRIDGE, NY — The conditions look and feel especially realistic and challenging, and it's by design.

From Golden's Bridge Fire Department.

On a recent day when temperatures climbed into the mid-90s, things got even hotter for Golden’s Bridge firefighters as they battled a raging vehicle fire. But it wasn’t on a local roadway or the 684 Interstate.

On this sweltering summer day, they were participating in the second phase of a two-part training drill on the burn pad outside the firehouse. The first phase was extrication rescue.

The live burn had some local residents wondering why firefighters picked the hottest days of the summer to perform these grueling training exercises.

“Emergencies happen no matter the weather conditions. To be well-prepared for all types of emergencies under any circumstances, we train in the most realistic and challenging conditions,” said Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Albert Melillo. “We constantly sharpen our skills in the most current firefighting methods under the most challenging and demanding environments. It’s an opportunity for firefighters to work together as teams, and to gain valuable experience and knowledge.”

With a stretch of I684 part of their coverage area, Golden’s Bridge firefighters respond to dozens of motor vehicle accidents on the interstate, as well as on local and state roads in the entire Golden’s Bridget hamlet and swaths of Somers and North Salem – ranging from fires, crashes – often with injuries and necessitating extrication – and motorists experiencing medical episodes.

The Golden’s Bridge Fire Department responded to just short of 80 motor vehicle accidents in 2024, and more than 30 in the first half of this year.

Golden’s Bridge firefighters put their recent training into action at an early morning accident on July 12 on northbound I684 involving a passenger car and an 18-wheel tractor trailer. About 12 hours earlier on Friday evening, they responded to an accident at the entrance of the southbound I684 ramp, off Rt. 138, where a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle in the crosswalk. Firefighters stabilized the injured pedestrian until the Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps arrived and administered medical care before transporting the person to a local area hospital.

A few months ago, Golden’s Bridge firefighters responded to a passenger vehicle engulfed in flames on the I684 northbound 6A exit ramp. They found themselves in a multi-fire event, as the vehicle fire ignited surrounding vegetation. But firefighters were able to extinguish the brush fire before it spread across more acreage.

During the recent vehicle burn drill, Golden’s Bridge firefighters worked in teams, training in points and methods of attack. Most of the drill was action-driven, but fire officers also led dialogue on firefighting techniques, for example, staging, setting up water lines, and emergency rescue procedures when someone is trapped inside a vehicle.

Not all motor vehicle accidents result in fire, but many often involve extrication of trapped motorists, which is why phase one of the two-part drill had Golden’s Bridge firefighters participating in simulated rescues using specialized hydraulically-powered tools, including one commonly known as Jaws of Life.

During the training session, firefighters used spreading and shearing tools to pry apart and cut the doors from the frame of a vehicle. They also worked with other escape tools, such as seatbelt cutters and additional hydraulic equipment used to rip away the dashboard in instances when a passenger’s legs are wedged underneath.

“Training enhances our familiarity and skills in the use of these tools so firefighters can take swift action at an actual emergency – for example, using specialized cutting tools on laminated glass if a windshield has to be removed, and the specific tool – a pointed tip hammer – to quickly and efficiently shatter the tempered glass of side windows,” Melillo explained.

Like the burn phase of the drill, extrication training was hands-on, with teams of crews working together and also spending a portion of the time talking about methods and actions before operating the tools. “Our firefighters shared their experiences and knowledge, and discussed various situations and conditions that would call for using specific rescue equipment,” Melillo said.

“Training drills provide the opportunity for evaluation and discussion so that firefighters are prepared for actual emergencies. Training and readiness pay off when firefighters have only seconds to assess the scene and put into action a safe and successful extrication, or rapidly extinguish a fire,” Melillo added.

The Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief points to simple, common-sense advice for everyone who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle. “Whether driving on highways or local roads, operate within the speed limit and reduce your speed when it’s raining. The layer of tar, rubber, oil and grime is very slick when the road surface becomes wet,” he said.

According to transportation and tire experts, one of the best ways to avoid skidding on wet surfaces is to slow down, which allows more tire tread to make contact with the road, providing better traction. Experts also recommend maintaining proper tire inflation and keeping a safe distance from the car ahead of you.

Golden’s Bridge firefighters often work in tandem with their partners in emergency services, whether they are called on to provide mutual aid at vehicle fires, accidents and other emergencies, or they are assisted by other departments – such as Croton Falls, Somers, Katonah, Bedford Hills, South Salem, Vista and others – as well as the Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps, North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Katonah-Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

“It’s all about teamwork. We work well together with our emergency services partners toward the same goal of serving the community and helping people who find themselves in emergencies,” Melillo said.

This release was produced by the Golden's Bridge Fire Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.