WAYNE, Mich. (WXYZ) — If you noticed a car dangling from a parking structure in Wayne on Tuesday, don't be alarmed. It was a simulation to prepare firefighters if the scenario was real.
For firefighters, each emergency they're called out on can look a little bit different, which makes their training crucial.
"You train to the highest level you can because when something bad happens, you fall to your highest level of preparation," said Jason Reeves, a rescue team manager with Western Wayne County Urban Search and Rescue.
This may be especially true for Western Wayne County Urban Search and Rescue, a team of first responders from several fire departments in the area that respond to incidents that most engine companies cannot.
"Any kind of building collapse, trench rescues, high-angle rescues, confined space entry, as well as wide-area search," Reeves said.
On Tuesday, around 40 members of the search and rescue team took part in a specialized training at a parking structure in Wayne.
It simulated a car over an edge, like a real instance in Louisville, Kentucky, when a semitruck dangled off a bridge.
"Say something like the Ambassador Bridge, car goes off and is entangled by the wires or the rebar," Reeves said.
During the training, crews were tasked with rescuing two mannequins from the car, using resources like the Jaws of Life.
Livonia firefighter Adam Pryor, who participated, says it definitely came with some challenges.
"You don't have anything to plant on. So you're just kind of swinging in mid-air trying to get these heavy tools moved around," Pryor said.
But Pryor also added that the training opportunity was invaluable.
"It just gives us so many tools for our toolbox to go out there and effect a rescue," Pryor said.
Firefighters say metro Detroiters should have an extra layer of comfort knowing there are teams ready to help in all scenarios.
"Our people are very invested in honing their craft, so that way they can respond to these types of situations. They're few and far between but when they do happen, you want everyone locked in," said Jason Hendrie, a rescue team manager with Western Wayne County Urban Search and Rescue.
