Vehicle Rescue: Common Passenger and Heavy Vehicles

David Sweet has been in the Fire Rescue service since 1984. He retired in 2008 as the Division Chief of Operations for the city of North Lauderdale (FL) Fire Rescue Department, where he served 24 years and rose through the ranks of Firefighter to Division Chief; Dave Sweet currently works for the Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Marshals Bureau (FL). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Administration; he is a FL-USAR coordinator for the Vehicle and Machinery Rescue (VMR) program at the Broward Fire Academy, and is owner/president of Pro-TEC Inc. (Professional Training and Extrication Consultants Inc.) where he offers programs on basic to advanced skills in vehicle extrication. He has coordinated several extrication competitions from local events to the 2005 International where 30 teams from all across the world competed in a week long event; in addition he has published several training articles in Fire Engineering Magazine, Carolina Fire Rescue Journal, and he has taught H.O.T. (hands on training) in vehicle extrication as the lead instructor at the Firehouse Expo in Las Vegas. He remains active in training through various teaching engagements, seminars, writing commitments, and vehicle extrication competitions.