For the second straight year, the HVFD took runner-up in the Prince George's County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association Extrication contest behind perennial winner Berwyn Heights.

With seven heavy rescue squads from four counties competing, the HVFD and Berwyn Heights team finished within 27 seconds of each other in the first segment of the competition. Teams had to perform a "routine" extrication of an upright car, including removing the front doors, roof and rolling the dash. The HVFD team recorded a time of 6 minutes and 3 seconds, while the Berwyn Heights team's time was 5 minutes and 36 seconds. The times included any penalties for missed steps or safety issues.

The remaining times ranged from about 7.5 minutes to nearly 12 minutes.

The top two squads in the competition moved on to a second round that pitted both head-to-head at the same time removing the roof of a car on its side. The Berwyn Heights team finished in just over three minutes, while the HVFD completed the task two minutes later.

The teams finished in the same order last year, also out of seven squads competing, including a second team from Berwyn Heights.

The HVFD has been in the 'squad business' since 1994. Our squad also operates as a "Metro Support Unit" for mass casualty and transportation accidents as well as responding on multi-alarm fires.

The Berwyn Heights team is always among the leaders in the annual competition and operates two heavy rescue squads. They are expected to place a new Seagrave/Saulsbury heavy duty squad in service later this year.

Among the other departments participating this year: Earleigh Heights (Anne Arundel County), Arbutus (Baltimore County), Arundel (Anne Arundel County), and Laytonsville (Montgomery County).

The HVFD's 1999 team was comprised of Lt. Dave Hang, Lt. Tommy Falcone, Sgt. Chris Hebert, and Firefighters Scott Hudson and Brian Gray.

Congratulations to all the teams that competed in the event, it was a very good competition for all. And kudos to the Branchville Volunteer Fire Company, which hosted the Association's convention for the second straight year!