John Olshanski, fire and rescue extrication specialist in La Crosse, is Executive Director of Safeand Fast Extrication, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3 organization who’s mission is to "save lives and reduce suffering by bringing qualified, trained and certified extrication rescue personnel to the scene of an entrapment."

"In 1996, 66,048 people were injured in 43,773 reported injury accidents. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States," Olshanski reports. "It is unacceptable to approach a transportation emergency accident using techniques nearly 20 years old.  An unfortunate fact is that many people will die or suffer permanent disabling injuries simply because of the lack of proper training and education."

Greg Temp of the La Crosse Fire Department Extrication Team agrees: "It is our opinion that this program (Wisconsin Fire Service Training program) is severely lacking in the field of extrication. (An) FF11 course is not required by Wisconsin Administrative Code. This fact allows fire fighters to function without any extrication training. The FF11 course consists of two lessons and a total of six hours dedicated to the topic of vehicle extrication; it is apparent to us that six hours cannot create a proficient rescuer."

Olshanski is an LTE with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Highway Safety Division, responsible for research, development, instructing and training courses in extrication techniques for the fire and rescue personnel. He was selected by the International Association of Fire Chiefs Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee to host and coordinate the 1988 International Extrication Competition and Learning Symposium, and in 1996 was invited to London, England to speak and judge at the World Extrication and Learning Symposium.

All of that experience is reflected in the goals of S.A.F.E., which include:

S.A.F.E. is governed by 10 board members and has an office in LaCrosse; training is done on a statewide level.

John Dahms took advantage of Olshanski’s training while Interim Fire Chief for the City of Brookfield Fire Department. After completion, he wrote to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Safety, "This training has already benefited the community, as we have had a number of major accidents since the training sessions. Our commanders are now leading organized emergency scenes where all of the personnel know their roles and are working as a team.

"I strongly encourage the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to continually support this program and provide other Fire Departments with this uniform extrication training." Added Brian Peterson, BFD Deputy Fire Chief Training Officer, "Recent major accidents include a car trapped under a semi-trailer on I-94, a semi truck hitting a van carrying eight people on I-94, numerous rollovers with people trapped, and a substantial amount of high speed collisions on city streets. I can’t say enough about the training program John Olshanski (and Kurt Wiggert) provided our department."

First Assistant Chief Courtland Sheppard of the Arbor Vitae Volunteer Fire Department, also recalled several extrication success stories following the training. One involved a blue Ford Escort wagon; on impact, the driver was thrown into the back compartment of the automobile. "Once again, using the TNT rescue tool on one side and the Saw Zall on the other side of the vehicle, we extricated two patients in under 12 minutes," Sheppard reported. "Once again, this just goes to prove that the DOT and the money that the state of Wisconsin offers (subsidizing the class) saves lives and the money is well spent."

If you feel your department’s training could benefit from an exposure to S.A.F.E. methods of extrication, you can contact John Olshanski directly at (608) 784-3518 or (414) 482-3400.