Taking Care of You Before, During and After the Accident

From State Farm Times, July 2006

State Farm ® agents work hard to make sure customers get the right auto policy to fit their needs in case of an accident.

Our claim representatives work on getting policyholders back on the road as quickly as possible after an accident.

But who takes care of customers in the minutes after a crash? Rescue workers.

The process of extricating crash victims from vehicles can be extremely dangerous, especially with new vehicle technologies. These technologies are designed to keep passengers safer in the event of an accident, but they can often make the job of removing victims more difficult.

To help rescue workers avoid potential hazards, State Farm used research from its Vehicle Research Facility (VRF) and teamed with outside experts to create the Auto Design and Extrication Forum IDL.

Thousands of rescue workers, firefighters and volunteers were invited to attend a June 23rd IDL which was broadcasted nationwide. Experts such as Ron Moore of the McKinney. Texas Fire Department, Duane Bales of the University of Illinois ® Fire Service Institute, and State Farm’s own Bob Medved, Earl Hyser and Tom Hollenstain highlighted some of the new technologies found in some of today’s vehicles that could pose potential problems emergency techs might face during an extrication.

Ron, a nationally renowned expert on extrication who has conducted advanced automobile rescue seminars and bus rescue training programs nationwide since 1979, worked with State Farm’s Learning & Development Department and the VRF to explain the hazards and complications that include air bag deployment, seatbelt pre-tensioners, reinforced steel and hybrid cars.

The IDL encouraged emergency rescue workers to be proactive with both primary and secondary rescue plans.

“If something isn’t working on these new vehicles due to a new construction technique or new exotic metals being encountered, quickly go to your Plan B,” said Ron, “Sometimes rescue workers don’t have the means to use the most powerful or the latest rescue equipment available, so they have to think quickly and creatively to solve the problem with tools and techniques that are within their scope of practice.”

“The State Farm Vehicle Research Facility has the resources to study the new and ever-changing technologies in the automotive world,” said Ron. “Tom Hollenstain, Earl Hyser, Bob Medved, and other in-house staff are truly automotive experts who are able to use information they know about these modern-day vehicles and provide it to the emergency responder community through the distance learning system.

“Distance learning delivery allows for spontaneous interactivity with responders watching the program throughout North America,” Ron added.  “Delivery by streaming video allows firefighters, ambulance attendants and police to sit down at their stations or even while off-duty at home and learn about these critical topics.” The 2005 streamed version of the IDL broadcast is available on statefarm.com and received more than 20,000 hits. DVDs of the 2006 IDL will be available this fall.

But streaming video doesn’t help trainers in the classroom. Instructors need to start and stop the flow of the information to fit their classroom presentation needs. That’s where the DVD version comes in.  Last year State Farm gave out at least 10,000 DVDs in the U.S. and as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia.

The success and popularity of the Auto Design & Extrication Forum has led to the creation of its own Web site, (www.autodesignextrication.com.) It will include streamed video from both 2005 and 2006 IDLs, frequently asked questions, a DVD order form and an e-mail section that can field questions from first responders.

“Not only is this a great program filled with cutting-edge information presented by industry experts, but it’s free,” said Ron.

The Auto Design and Extraction Forum is another way State Farm is demonstrating its commitment to auto safety.