Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 17/98) - For the first time in five showings the Yellowknife fire department has finally ripped and torn its way to the winning circle.

The team claimed first place in the Western Canadian Auto Extrication Competition, held here last Friday and Saturday.

"When you're hosting a competition, to win -- it was quite a feat," said deputy fire chief Mike Lowing.

For the event, the Yellowknife Community Arena was converted into a junk yard, with everything from aircraft, motorcycles, snowmobiles and cars to street lights, power poles, concrete abutments and transformers used to create auto wrecks.

A total of 35 cars and trucks were destroyed in the competition.

Judges were impressed with the Yellowknife firefighters' calm and steady approach to the extrications.

"Judges said basically when the crew went out they weren't flashy. They were sharp, made steady progress and did everything safely and did everything correctly and didn't focus on the glitz and the glamor. They weren't showy but they were very good," said Lowing.

More than 100 competitors from the NWT, Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta took part in the event. Each team was given two 20-minute scenarios to remove dummies trapped inside the crushed vehicles.

One scenario allowed teams to use only hand tools to remove the car from the victim. In the second scenario, teams used advanced heavy hydraulic rescue equipment such as the Jaws of Life and specialized cutting tools, both air-powered and hydraulic.

Judges allotted points to each team for use of time and extrication approach.

Fox Creek, Alta., won the limited category. The unlimited pit was won by the Yellowknife fire department.

The Yellowknife crew, consisting of Capt. Jeff Steinwand, medic; Darrell Portz, toolmen; Ron Scherman; Mike Dunsmore; Cyril Fyfe; and alternate Darwin Rudkevitch also won the overall top team. They will go on to Rockford, Illinois for international competition in September.

Though the scenarios were not real life-or-death situations, the competition allowed teams exposure to different techniques used by other departments.

"There was some really tough scenarios. Teams get to practice for them and get to watch them. It's exposure," said Lowing.

"The guys can go back now and take the knowledge they learned in the competition and really apply it to real life."

The judges for the competition were appointed by the Canadian Automobile Rescue Society (CARS), the sanctioning agency of the event. The head judge, David Coldbeck, hailed from Australia.