CFA members from Werribee joined Ambulance Victoria (AV) and Victoria Police for a large-scale road crash rescue training exercise on Friday (25 July).
Now in its eighth year, the annual high-intensity simulation is designed to strengthen the collaboration and capabilities of all agencies in serious road incidents.
CFA crews responded to two simulated two-vehicle collisions involving patients mechanically trapped with critical injuries.
Werribee Fire Brigade Captain Michael Wells said the exercise is vital to ensuring agencies can operate seamlessly at real incidents.
"These training events allow our crews to practise advanced extrication techniques in realistic conditions," Michael said.
"In times of crisis, training like this makes the response run much smoother. It also gives all agencies a greater understanding of what each service can bring to the scene.
"It's more than just cutting up cars. There's a lot involved in how we support AV and ultimately benefit the patient."
Michael said the focus is on ensuring crews understand the full scope of road crash rescue operations.
"This exercise shows the complete picture of what our crews can do, what our equipment is capable of, and the timeframes involved at every stage," he said.
"Road crash rescue is a vital part of the trauma care continuum. While paramedics provide pre-hospital medical care, CFA's role is to create access so patients can be reached, treated, and transported as quickly and safely as possible."
He said the collaboration also helps paramedics plan their interventions more effectively.
"If someone's going to be trapped for 10 minutes versus an hour, that makes a huge difference in how AV manages the patient," he said.
"These exercises also strengthen our relationships with hospitals. Last year, our brigade worked with The Alfred Hospital's trauma fellows in similar training, showing the full continuum of care from the time of impact to hospital treatment."
