News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Overton EMS department will implement new vehicle extrication equipment to protect first responders.
AEMT Roy Gore said they will be receiving helmets, goggles, gloves, and other protective equipment to be used in vehicle extrication situations. Gore said the gear will be lighter and provide better protection.
“When you’re working wrecks, you know, you (are) looking at metal, glass, gas, diesel, oil, antifreeze, whatever,” Gore said. “This gear we’re getting now will protect us against most of that, you know. So it’s really more protecting the rescuer than anything.”
Gore said the department has never had the proper gear and currently uses heavy firefighter equipment that makes it difficult for them to work properly. Gore said the grant provides a set of gear for every employee in the department.
“You can’t even operate some of the equipment with some of the heavy gloves that we’ve had in the past,” Gore said. “So this is actually true extrication gear. It’s lightweight, very flexible, and it’s going to work out a whole lot better as far as protection, easy wear, and durability.”
Gore said the company providing the new gear will send a tailor to individually measure each member of the department so their protective items are custom-fitted to their body.
“So once that equipment comes back, whoever was measured for that particular outfit, they’re the ones that gets it,” Gore said. “So it follows that person everywhere they go.”
Gore said the new gear comes from a federal grant the county received for some $27,000.
“Right now we are using either no equipment or equipment that’s thirty years old, you know, so it’s really going to protect us more than anything,” Gore said.
