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13 | Thursday, October 30, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com The Oakville Fire Department's extrication team took first place at the North American Vehicle Rescue Challenge earlier this month in Hagerman, N.Y. Members of the team, from left, are: Chad Roberts, Robert Wiggins, Mark Acocella, Ryan Borg and Tiffany Smith. Missing from the photo is Stephen Sachietello. Firefighters rise to the challenge by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff | submitted photo The critical time after a person sustains a traumatic injury is referred to as the golden hour. That first hour can greatly improve a person's chances of surviving a serious car accident. That's not much time when a person's life is at stake, but for firefighters, it's more like 20 minutes. That's the window they operate in when you take away the time to get to the scene and give paramedics time to transport an injured person to the hospital. For a person trapped in a car, it can seem like an eternity. "It's scary being in that situation -- there's glass breaking, metal being cut. We want to make the patient feel as safe and comfortable as possible," said Mark Acocella, an 11-year veteran of the Oakville Fire Department. Last year, the department was called to 503 auto accidents where rescue efforts were required. This year, it is on pace for more than 600. Most often, firefighters won't see the person they've freed from a vehicle again once the ambulance leaves the scene. The result of their efforts remains unknown. But Acocella and his colleagues can take heart in knowing their work in these critical situations is exceptional after winning the North American Vehicle Rescue Challenge earlier this month in Hagerman, N.Y. "Achieving these marks in competition, it gives us a sense that we're doing it well," said Acocella. "It makes us feel, in the real world, we're doing it well and our hard work is paying off." In the annual competition, each team is presented with two unique scenarios. In one scenario, the team can use any piece of see Oakville on p.14 OCT 31 ST STARTING AT 10:00AM AMONG THE BUSINESSES MEET OAKVILLE FIRE, HALTON POLICE Trick or treat AND OTHER FUN CHARACTERS OAKVILLE APP FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A SPECIAL HALLOWEEN TREAT! *Android version coming soon! DOWNLOAD THE DOWNTOWN 905-844-2949 Peter Messenger, Owner A1 Air Conditioning & Heating The world's leading manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.