Upland, CA, February 5, 2009 - Champion Rescue Tools, the leader in next-generation, hydraulic rescue tools able to access the passenger compartments of the safest, 5-star crash rated vehicles, announced the creation of the 5-Star Extrication Training Academy. This single-day program will be offered free to qualifying first responder training officers and includes both class room and hands-on training (HOT) for the toughest extrication problems posed by improved automobile construction. The first two academy training days will be on February 13 & 14, 2009 at Champion's new corporate headquarters and training facility in Upland, California.
The academy is being sponsored by Champion and safety leaders in the automotive and first responder industry. Volvo is the inaugural automotive sponsor and will provide late model vehicles for the HOT program exercises and technical information on passenger compartment construction, including a full size cut-away XC-90 model vehicle. This cut-away model shows all the details of new car passenger compartment construction, something first responders rarely see. Additionally, Total Fire Group, Turtle Plastics, Fire Hooks Unlimited, Fire Axe Inc. and All Hands Fire will provide all the equipment first responders would use at the scene of a motor vehicle accident.
"When Tom Patton started Champion, our goal was to provide tools and training that save lives. The 5-Star Extrication Training Academy furthers this singular focus by giving first responders the information and experience necessary to minimize the time to safely extricate victims of serious vehicle accidents," said Alan Discount, Champion Rescue Tools' CEO. "Our two credentialed national fire service training directors have put together a highly impactful training program that provides information not previously available in the marketplace."
"No other training program exists for first responders in the United States that brings together the safest automobile constructions with the best extrication tool technology, free or otherwise" said Carl Haddon, co-director, national vehicle extrication training at Champion Rescue Tools. Aaron Heller, Carl's co-director said: "Our academy has created great interest amongst first responders and is being greatly supported by the leaders in the fire service equipment and automotive industries who share our focus on firefighter and passenger safety."
"Volvo has a reputation for building strong safe car bodies, to help protect human bodies. We believe Champion's Academy will significantly help first responders and ultimately accident victims during post crash situations." states Bruno DiGennaro, Senior Safety Engineer, Volvo Cars of North America. "With the kinds of metals and structures we employ today, extraction techniques and tools are different than 10 or even 5 years ago. Champion's Academy is an excellent forum for updating first responder techniques. Volvo is proud to be working with them."
"New car constructions have created greater challenges for firefighters. We have been searching for quite some time to get our hands on the information contained in Champion's new training academy so we can more effectively and safely get patients out of accident situations", stated Chief Mike Arnhart, High Ridge, MO Fire Department. "The inclusion of the latest new cars to practice on is an unexpected bonus in this revolutionary training program. As a result, we are confident that the information we take away from a single day at Champion's Academy will help hundreds of our firefighters do a better job when encountering newer vehicles in accidents."
To learn about Academy participation, training officers should contact Jacque Weaver at Champion Rescue Tools at 888-396-2426. Training personnel attending the February 2009 Firehouse World tradeshow in San Diego, CA can attend one of the February Training Academy sessions planned to coincide with the tradeshow.
Sponsorship inquiries by first responder or automotive industry leaders should contact Carl Haddon at 208-865-2060.
Champion Rescue Tools, www.championrescuetools.com, is the technology leader in next generation, hydraulic rescue tools for the first responder. The company's patented line of vehicle extrication tools is proving to be the most effective and efficient tools to remove victims of serious vehicle accidents, particularly in the safest cars being manufactured today. Founded as Patton Hydraulics in 1978, the company has built specialty hydraulic tools for a variety of industrial applications for customers including GM, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda, and Chrysler.
