MassBay Automotive Technology Program and the Ashland Fire Department Held Mock Rescue and Training Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Liz Cooper ecooper@massbay.edu

PHOTOS: Mock rescue event held on Wednesday, October 18, 2021, at MassBay Community College’s Ashland Automotive Technology Center in Ashland, MA. Photos courtesy of MassBay Community College.

ASHLAND, Mass. (November 17, 2021) — MassBay Community College automotive technology program and the Ashland Fire Department held a mock rescue and training event for students studying in the automotive technology programs and Ashland firefighters. This event included a staged, car accident scene with the Ashland Fire Department demonstrating how the Jaws of Life tool are used to extract victims from vehicles in actual emergencies. 

Students saw how first-responders evaluate accident scenes to determine how to appropriately disassemble vehicles from around accident victims. The Ashland Fire Department spoke to automotive technology students in-depth about the Jaws of Life tool and how they operate in emergencies and allowed students to hold the tools and examine them. While the Ashland Fire Department trained on the tools, MassBay automotive instructor, Scott Fitzgerald, explained the safety features of  car design and their prescribed maintenance intended to keep passengers safe in auto accidents. This collaborative exercise gave students a behind-the-scenes look into the inner construction of vehicles and the step-by-step process required to dismantle a car after an accident to keep its occupants protected.

This event is part of MassBay’s automotive technology curriculum and expands students' knowledge of the safety aspects of car design and maintenance. In addition to providing MassBay automotive technology students with a deeper understanding of vehicle safety, the drill is an opportunity for the Ashland Fire Department to train its own staff on emergency equipment without responding to an actual emergency. The vehicle used in the demonstration is a Dodge Dart, which has been used previously as an educational tool for MassBay students studying in the Chrysler program and was provided to MassBay by the MOPAR CAP program. The car used in the demonstration will be returned to the MOPAR CAP program. MassBay health sciences mannequins served as the victims in this training.

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online. MassBay students receive an unmatched educational value by earning stackable credits that transfer to bachelor’s degree programs, and workforce-ready skills necessary to advance careers in high-demand fields such as health and life sciences, automotive technology, engineering, business, cybersecurity, and the humanities. MassBay’s Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs were both ranked as the #1 Nursing Program in Massachusetts in 2020-2021 by national nursing advocacy organizations RegisteredNursing.org, and PracticalNursing.org. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and remains firmly committed to its mission of meeting the needs of the diverse local communities it serves. We value the intrinsic worth of all individuals, collectively in pursuit of inclusiveness and prioritize our work towards achieving equity within our community and beyond.