Malaysian firemen trained on rescue procedures for BMW vehicles
We all know that BMW, as a car maker, is immensely proud of the way its cars drive. Central to ability of all BMW cars to handle like a dream is an immensely strong chassis, and in keeping with customer and legislation concerns of safety, BMW cars are all packed to the brim with various advanced safety and restraint equipment to protect the passengers in the event that things actually do go wrong.
Ah yes, when things actually do go wrong. It is all well and good to have your chassis made out of the highest tensile steel, but when your BMW flips and the doors are jammed, that high strength steel would also prove very difficult to dislodge and untangle. BMW’s sophisticated safety and restraint systems, are in all probably not the most straight forward to handle even if they were designed with the best of intentions.
To ensure that our local emergency personnel are able to conduct effective rescue operations on BMW vehicles when needed, BMW Group Malaysia recently hosted 19 representatives from the Malaysian Fire & Rescue Department at its Regional Training Centre for a special rescue training programme titled ‘BMW Emergency Services Guideline’.
The special one day training program was organized to equip the said personnel with the relevant technical skills and knowledge to effectively conduct rescue conducted on BMW vehicles. During the session, participants received in-depth and specific information and knowledge on how to negotiate their way through the BMW restraint and safety systems as well as tips on how to use rescue equipments on high strength steel used in the construction of all BMW cars.
Other topics covered in the program included BMW Safety Concept which touches on areas such as the BMW Active Safety and Passive Safety Systems including the Active-Braking-System, Active Steering, Airbags as well as the BMW Roll Over Protection System.
Participants of the training programme were also taught essential details regarding the bodywork of BMW cars as well as the necessary metals and materials which went into the construction of the car. Participants were given a detailed guide on the best ways to cut through the chassis of a BMW when saving a trapped vicim by BMW’s team of professional trainers. To illustrate the point, BMW went through the trouble to source an actual chassis each of the 5 Series and X5 to serve as the basis for practical exercises.
Explaining the training program, Andreas Steding, Training Director, Regional BMW Group Training Centre said, “Safety and responsibility are important qualities to the BMW brand and the safety of our BMW customers is of utmost importance to us. As we continue to find ways to enhance all safety systems and elements inside the car, it is also important that we are able to educate and share with rescue teams on how to best handle the car in case of an emergency. Training programs such as the BMW Emergency Services Guideline program by BMW help save lives by minimising the time needed to extract victims from dangerous situations. ”
Steding added that similar programs undertaken by the Regional BMW Group Training Centre also further demonstrated the values of the BMW brand, “Being premium also means being responsible and we at BMW go to great lengths to make sure that every touch point and every element of owning a BMW is a premium experience”.
In sharing his knowledge and experienced gained from the training session, Mr. Amirudin bin Haji Kamarudin, Director of Training at the Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Selangor said, “The training program included various modules on the safety standards that are put in place in a BMW vehicle, which are quite extensive. Knowing exactly how to dissect a vehicle is critical when attempting to rescue accident victims, and can mean all the difference in saving a life. We are grateful and applaud BMW for organizing this programme for us, here in Malaysia.”
Pictures: Official BMW Group Malaysia release.
