The Western Springs, Clarendon Hills and Hinsdale Fire Departments trained together over the weekend on how to successfully manage and overcome the challenges of complex vehicle crashes.
The training took place at the Hinsdale Public Works facility, which is located behind the Youth Center and Humane Society on Symonds Drive. The scene looked like a Hollywood action movie set, with vehicles piled on top of each in simulated challenges that were based on actual emergency events.
Despite the constant rain and humidity, the training, which started at 8 a.m. on Saturday and ended around 4 p.m. later that afternoon, was a huge success.
Nearly 30 firefighters from the three departments participated in the training, most of whom did so on their own time to gain valuable experience in handling extremely complex situations. On average, the Hinsdale Fire Department responds to nearly 300 road accidents throughout the year. This includes incidents on a three mile stretch of Interstate 294, Illinois Route 34 (Ogden Avenue), Illinois Route 83 and 55th Street in Hinsdale.