LINCOLNVILLE — As Camden First Aid Association closed shop at the end of June, the nonprofit began liquidating its assets. Besides ambulances and real estate, CFAA's extrication equipment — the tools used to rescue victims in crumpled vehicles and other tight spots — went on the market. Lincolnville Fire Department, Inc., the nonprofit that helps fund and maintain Lincolnville's municipal fire department, made an offer, and Monday evening, July 15, the town's selectmen accepted the equipment as a gift.

Lincolnville Fire Chief Ben Hazen said July 15 that the Lincolnville Volunteer Fire Department bought the extrication equipment, though he declined to say for how much; in turn, the nonprofit donated the equipment, more commonly known as the Jaws of Life, to the town's fire department.

The package includes a 1994 Chevrolet utility truck used to transport the equipment, which includes two hand shovels, a GPS system, four safety vests, a gas hydraulic power unit, two gas cans, a fire extinguisher, air chisel, rope, ratchet strap, tarp, fire hose, SCBA bottles and hoses (for breathing), air hoses, pressure gauges, pathogen kits and plywood boards.

The access team consists of firefighters and EMS personnel who live in the area, some in Lincolnville, others in surrounding towns. They have trained for years on the equipment, using demolished wrecks to practice with the tools, and in 2011, the Lincolnville Volunteer Fire Department donated funds to help upgrade the equipment.

"We will still respond to Camden, Hope and Rockport," said Hazen. "There are a lot of people who have put a lot of time into training."

Meanwhile, Camden's Fire Department purchased last spring the town's own $31,000 extrication equipment, funding for which derived primarily from the fire equipment replacement fund, as well from the town's contingency fund and donations.

Training of Camden firefighters is under way, said Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley. On Aug. 3, a representative from Holmatro, the company that manufactures the rescue equipment, will be in Camden for a full day of training. The morning will be devoted to classroom instruction, the afternoon to cutting vehicles. The extrication equipment is not just delegated to automobile crashes. Farley said he has used extrication tools to help a man whose hand was caught in an Orland blueberry sorting machine, and has seen it used to rescue another man whose arm was crushed in a New Hampshire paper-making roller.

But as firefighters learn how to use the specialized equipment, there is a gap of coverage; hence, Camden, Hope and Rockport are relying now on Rockland's access team to respond to accidents in the three towns. This is a mutual aid arrrangement that will continue until Camden's firefighters have been sufficiently trained. Rockland also responds with its access team to other towns, including other surrounding towns.

Farley said he and Hazen have discussed joint training, as well, to be scheduled for this coming autumn.

Rockport Fire Chief Jason Peasley cautioned that extrication equipment use is not a common occurance.

Since 2004, according to Camden First Aid Association figures, accidents in Hope have required extrications six times, with one call for a lift assist. In that same time period, Camden has used extrication equipment twice for accidents, and three times for lift assists; and in Lincolnville, one time.

Rockport, on the other hand, has used extrication tools to rescue people 16 times over the past nine years, and three times for lift assists. Rockport has three highways (the Maine Department of  Transportation calls them arterial corridors, or mobility corridors) bisecting it and numerous car accidents. Mobility corridors, according to DOT, carries an average annual daily traffic of at least 5,000 per day for at least 50 percent of its length.

Peasley said Rockport firefighters are also learning how to use the extrication tools and will be training with Lincolnville firefighters Aug. 6 at Camden Exxon.

"The guys need to learn how to use it," he said.

Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.