A broken-down car could provide life-saving training for Ōamaru firefighters.

The Ōamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade is looking for donations of scrap cars, with glass, so they can practice motor vehicle rescues, senior firefighter Taylor Banks says.

“We just need scrap cars with the glass intact, preferably all of it, because we train how to break that all safely. And that's mainly what we do, get someone out of the car, get the glass out of the way safely.”

The cars would be used to train both new recruits and experienced firefighters, he says.

“It's just for everyone to practice with every now and again, when we can, and just to keep updated and keep fresh with everything.”

A new recruit will usually be used as the pretend patient, Taylor says.

"So we work around cutting them out. It's a lot easier when you can visualise you have someone in the car.”

Taylor has cut apart a car before and says it's good to be able to practice so you don't "stress out and you can act under pressure”.

“The longer they're trapped in there, stuck in there, the worse they can get, so if we all know how to do it quickly and safely we can work a lot faster to get them out in a quick and safe manner.”

Some of the tools the Ōamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade has for rescue calls. Photo: Arrow Koehler

In 2023 the Ōamaru brigade attended 327 calls, 50 of which were car crashes.

Taylor estimates about 90% of those required some sort of tool to get them out.

“Even if it's just to break a window or something to get into the car."

People wanting to donate a car to the brigade can contact the Ōamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade on Facebook or leave a message on the station phone (03 434 8408) and the car can be picked up.

The brigade has two cars so far, but is hoping for more, so members can practice with the jaws of life, spreaders and other rescue tools.