After a holiday season of giving, Team PRP announced several charitable activities its network members participated in – in particular, donating vehicles for the purpose of training
first responders and firefighters.
While there are many new technologies being incorporated into vehicles
by automakers, many of which provide greater safety to drivers, new and extremely serious dangers to first responders,
firefighters and others have emerged at the scene of an accident.
Emergency
personnel must be knowledgeable and alert to new
high-voltage batteries found in hybrid cars; various new restraint
systems; multiple airbags; high-pressure gas cylinders and more. For
the safety of all involved, Team PRP believes it’s imperative that emergency
professionals are thoroughly trained and up-to-date concerning safe
handling procedures for extrication.
In addition to such
hands-on emergency training, there is often a need to train in the many
intricacies of accident investigation.
Economy Auto Center, a Team PRP member in Tulsa, Okla., assisted
the Oklahoma Highway Patrol by donating two vehicles to be utilized in a
carefully engineered live crash test during a national law enforcement
convention, the National Traffic Safety Summit, held in Tulsa in October
2013.
Economy
Auto Center provided two vehicles that were drivable and new enough to have airbags
and necessary sensors for data collection. The purpose of this
particular staged inline rear-end collision, including the use of a
crash dummy, was to recreate a situation that would enable the group to
collect true forensic data. It also provided hands-on training for law
enforcement officials in evaluation of similar crashes, and also in
furthering investigation techniques.
Another
Team PRP member, Knox Auto Parts in Knoxville, Tenn., similarly donates
vehicles that are utilized by the Karns Fire Department in Knoxville for
first responder training. Tom Denton, co-owner at Knox, explained that his business provides a number of salvaged vehicles and the space to
train three to four times each year.
“And we’ll continue to help
them as long as they need us,” Denton said.
In Kalamazoo, Mich., Team PRP member Morris Rose Auto Parts regularly
donates late-model vehicles for area-wide extrication training in
conjunction with Automotive Concepts CARSTAR of Portage, Mich., and
the National Auto Body Council’s free program. Groups of firefighters
receive highly specialized training and invaluable experience, learning
the latest techniques in cutting high strength steels and better
understanding issues found in new vehicle design.
Stacy Bartnik,
Team PRP’s executive director, noted that Team PRP partners take great
pride in their participation with many charitable community outreach
efforts nationwide.
“The donation of salvaged vehicles to assist our
heroic first responders is perhaps one of the most important ways this
industry, and our generous partners, have made a very positive
difference,” Bartnik said.
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