Members of the La Ronge Regional Fire Department are seen outside an overturned school bus. (submitted photo/Wayne Tchorzewski)

By Derek Cornet

emergency services

Firefighters tear apart school bus during training exercise

Sep 10, 2019 | 5:08 PM

Rescuing children from a school bus isn’t an idea residents want to think about, but they should be rest assured local firefighters are trained in proper extrication techniques just in case.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time this has ever happened,” La Ronge Regional Fire Department Chief Wayne Tchorzewski said. “We cut portions out of the bus to make access for us to rescue people inside the bus. There’s different techniques and places on the bus that we have to focus on to gain entry.”

The training mostly occurred behind MacGivers Pine Auto Care on Sept. 7 and 8, and included 17 members of the local fire department. Everitt Consulting and Safety based in Prince Albert was hired to facilitate the training and Tchorzewski stated it involved using a number of tools such as reciprocating saws, chisels, the Jaws of Life and more. Since school buses are built to be very solid, he noted extricating people out of a one is much more difficult than a regular vehicle.

At one point, a loader was used to lift the bus upside down in the air before it was dropped to the ground. Tchorzewski mentioned the roof was only minimally crushed as it’s specially designed with safety in mind.

“If you don’t know the proper techniques, there’s going to be difficulty extricating on a school bus,” he said.

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NorthWinds Bus Lines donated the 72-passenger school bus to the fire department. Owner Anne Calladine stated when she was approached about donating a bus for the purpose, she thought it was a “no-brainer” to support the cause. Being in the school bus industry, she said she has an interest in assisting the department just in case an incident were to happen with a NorthWinds bus or with another local transportation provider.

Fire Chief Wayne Tchorzewski, Anne Calladine and Gary Veteri. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

“What’s interesting about it for me is how different the material would have been to cut,” Calladine said. “It’s so much of the reason there’s discussions about school buses and why they might have seatbelts. The buses are made to be safer for students without seatbelts in them. That’s the frame of the bus, how the roofs are rounded and the foamed seats inside that are secured with flexible aluminum in the framing.”

MacGivers Pine Auto Care Owner Gary Veteri also didn’t hesitate when he was asked to support the fire department. He ensured the oil and anti-freeze was drained, helped position the bus in place and disconnected electrical components.

“Years ago I was involved with the volunteer fire department in another town and I always thought the fire department to be one of the most important things in our town,” Veteri said. “So, anytime I can help out the fire department, I like to.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno