LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — After watching the horrifying footage of a single-vehicle crash in West Metro Fire, it's hard to believe the driver walked away unscathed.
Fire officials say this is all thanks to new technology, vehicle safety features and special training for the positive results.
“A lot of times, as the chief, I show up, get the big picture, and determine that it's a really bad situation,” West Metro Fire Deputy Chief Travis Hopwood said. “We get people out and walking, but they’re not in their cars anymore.”
Hopwood has seen a lot in his 24 years with the fire protection district.
“Thanks to new technology, serious injuries have been significantly reduced,” Hopwood said.
New technology helped change the outcome of a single-vehicle crash at Sheridan at 44th and Lakeside that occurred around 1 a.m. Friday.
The driver was extricated from the vehicle within 15 minutes and the incident was over. The damage to the car appears to be severe, but the man's injuries are not life-threatening.
“This is pretty amazing considering the speed and the force of the impact,” Hopewood said. “Thanks to the crumple zone and multiple airbags in the vehicle's cab, we achieved very good results.”
Special training, including escape, also has a lot to do with the results.
“It starts with just hands-on firefighting, training with donated vehicles at the training center. So you just cut out the vehicles and work,” Hopwood said.
A newly installed special computer program will also help you see where it is safe for your vehicle to drive.
“You're going to be tightening the seatbelt or airbag cylinder, and you don't want to cut it if it's not deployed because that could cause an explosion,” Hopwood said.
It is always important to know what to expect before arriving on the scene.
Hopwood said, “We look at the vehicle before we enter the scene and we know what we're looking at. All responders from our agency and other agencies in the metropolitan area , sends all responders in the metropolitan area to a special class for work on the new vehicle.
Newer cars tend to have very good interior soundproofing, so drivers often cannot hear emergency response vehicles until they are in front of them.
Therefore, new emergency vehicles will be equipped with a notification system to alert drivers that an emergency vehicle is nearby. West Metro Fire just ordered three new devices equipped with its notification technology.
