In support of local fire departments, Gershow Recycling donated the use of 30 cars for the Ninth Annual Chuck Varese Vehicle Extrication Tournament, which was held at the Northport Fire Department’s Training Grounds at Steer’s Pit in Northport on May 14. Gershow also donated the use of its Huntington facility to enable teams to practice in the week leading up to the tournament.
The tournament involved 21 teams of four to six firefighters working to extricate a “victim” from a “crash” using the Jaws of Life. Each team was judged on the amount of time it took to perform the extrication, the handling of equipment and the safety procedures they followed. After the tournament, the vehicles were brought back to Gershow’s facility, where they were shredded and recycled.
“This is a wonderful event,” said Henry Tobin, Deputy Mayor, Village of Northport. “It’s prestigious for Northport, but it’s also great training for our guys and other fire departments. Most importantly, it helps them determine where they need to improve to continue saving lives. We’re very lucky in Northport and we deeply admire and value the men and women who devote their lives to this important line of work.”
