Naperville Fire Dept. Looking for Clunker Vehicles

The Naperville Fire Department is currently seeking donations of used and “clunker” vehicles from residents and local businesses.

Firefighters will be able to practice critical auto extrication skills with the donated vehicles as well as use them for tool demonstrations, training and more, according to a city news release. The department is seeking as many vehicles as possible for use in the coming months into next year.

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To make a donation of a vehicle, please contact Ruthi Sommers at (630) 305-5900 or sommersr@naperville.il.us. All vehicles must have titles and keys available. If a vehicle cannot be driven to the Naperville Fire Department, but is located within City limits, Fire Department staff will make arrangements to have it picked up.

Donations may possibly qualify as a tax exemption at the end of the year. Please consult your personal accountant or a tax preparation professional for more information and eligibility.

Auto extrication is the practice of safely removing victims from vehicles that are involved in accidents so severe that traditional entry and exit means are unusable or inadvisable.

In these instances, firefighters and other rescue personnel may be required to use braces to stabilize vehicles and then the “Jaws of Life” or other hydraulic or pneumatic cutting tools to sever through sections of a vehicle to remove victims.

The more practice that rescue personnel receive in a simulated setting, the more prepared they will be when a true emergency occurs.