Queenstown firefighters yesterday competed against crews from 16 other brigades from throughout New Zealand in the three-day 2012 National Road Crash Rescue Challenge.
The six-person home team was confronted with a scenario in which a car had hit a cyclist and a flat-bed lorry had driven over the cyclist, who ended up under the car's wheels. Another car had crashed into the rear of the truck.
Firefighters had 30 minutes to extricate the injured motorist and cyclist.
Lampposts and stone building foundation blocks are among the props for the simulations firefighters will tackle during competitions which continue until tomorrow. Spectators are welcome.
Otago teams from Balclutha, Milton and Ranfurly are also competing, along with volunteer and full-time fire service teams from Whitianga to Rolleston.
Teams are scored on their ability to efficiently extricate and treat patients, and are given feedback.
After the first scenario, forklift trucks speared what was left of the cars and replaced them with new wrecks for the next rounds on the three timed sections at the dry rink in the Queenstown Ice Arena.
The challenge, hosted by the Queenstown brigade, is a valuable training opportunity for firefighters who are increasingly responding to road crash incidents.
Ministry of Transport figures from the organisers showed there were 284 road fatalities and 12,978 injury crashes nationally last year.
