Busy Thursday for Farmington Hills Fire Includes Extrication with 'Jaws of Life'

yesterday handled 31 emergency calls for service, including a rescue on M-5 using the "jaws of life".  

Lt. Denny Hughes said several crews were dispatched to a two-car accident on west M-5 near Farmington Rd. around mid-afternoon. A passenger vehicle appeared to have been stopped or was moving very slowly in a lane of traffic and was hit by a sport utility vehicle (SUV) travelling at near posted speeds, he said. A single passenger in the car, which was forced off of the road, had to be extricated in an operation that Hughes said took 20-30 minutes.

The woman was transported to with serious injuries, while the occupants of the SUV sustained minor injuries from the accident, he said. 

That accident was among 24 calls to which the day shift (7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.) firefighter/paramedics responded. At times, Hughes said, every response unit was busy on an emergency. The incidents included fire alarms, medical emergencies, chemical spills, calls for assistance and vehicle accidents.

As of Friday morning, things had slowed down, Hughes added. 

"I thought with the snow, we'd be a little busier," he said. "You can never tell."