Gershow Recycling Donates Use of 25 Cars for 2013 North American Vehicle Rescue Challenge

Gershow Recycling has announced that, in support of local fire, rescue and emergency service technicians, the company will donate the use of 25 cars for an extrication competition during the 2013 North American Vehicle Rescue Challenge, which will take place on September 12-14 at the Hagerman Fire Department training grounds, located at 510 Ralph T. Perry Drive in East Patchogue.

Fifteen teams are scheduled to take part in the three-day competition, which will take place each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. These include teams from Long Island, Canada, Sweden and other nations from around the globe.

Each team will participate in three challenge pits: Limited Pit (where only hand and pneumatic tools are used), Unlimited Pit and Rapid Pit (in both pits, all rescue tools are available, including heavy hydraulic rescue equipment). Those who compete in the Limited and Unlimited Pit will have 20 minutes to extricate a “victim” from a “crash,” while Rapid Pit participants will only have 10 minutes to safely perform the extrication. All teams will be judged based on the command structure, hazard and scene control, patient and rescuer safety and techniques used to disentangle the patient.

“Gershow Recycling is proud to donate the use of these vehicles to this international competition,” says Matt Sweeney, Safety Coordinator, Gershow Recycling. “It is important that these firefighters get as much training as possible so, that way, they are prepared when they have to respond to an incident. Gershow is a longtime supporter of local fire departments and has provided vehicles for use whenever they need extrication training.”

Gershow has nine locations in Brooklyn, New Hyde Park, Valley Stream, Freeport, Lindenhurst, Huntington Station, Bay Shore, Medford and Riverhead. For more information, call (631) 289-6188 or visit www.gershow.com.