Members of a local volunteer fire company are now better equipped to respond to emergencies that require extrication, such as serious motor vehicle accidents.
A grant recently helped the Citizens Hose Company Number 1 of Smyrna purchase a piece of equipment they hope they won't have to use very often.
The Hurst Edraulics mechanism is manufactured by the same company that makes the widely-known Jaws of Life. According to Smyrna firefighter Mark Blair, this device is battery-powered and can be handled by one firefighter.
"Instead of having to wait for hydraulic fluid to get through the hose to the tool, this tool is battery-operated and the power is right at the tool," Blair said. "It makes things a lot faster."
A cutter cuts through the metal of a wrecked vehicle, and a spreader is used to pry open a door - "like a vice in reverse," according to Blair.