Want to give back to your community and help make drivers safer on the road? Want to build your relationship with local fire departments? You can…with the NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) Program.
What Is NABC F.R.E.E.?
The NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) Program helps saves lives by providing firefighters and first responders with rare opportunities to practice and hone their skills specifically on late model vehicles with electric batteries; lighter-weight, high-strength steels, sophisticated electronics and multiple airbag systems. Advances in technology have made today’s vehicles much safer for passengers but first responders often face challenges preventing further injuries to accident victims or themselves due to the complexities of the new technology. Knowing specifically where and how to efficiently cut and extricate can make the difference in saving precious minutes and lives as well as the safety of the first responders.
The NABC F.R.E.E.™ program is a collaborative effort by collision repair facility, insurance companies that donate salvage vehicles and one of the NABC™ rescue partners which provides expert instructors and equipment to facilitate the event.
NABC F.R.E.E.® was developed by the National Auto Body Council in 2012 out of a community need. To date, our member locations have held more than 240 events, our insurance, OEM and rental car members have donated almost 1,000 vehicles and our tool partners have trained nearly 5,000 first responders across the country.
The typical NABC F.R.E.E.™ event consists of one-hour class instruction, followed by three hours of hands-on extricating practice using the latest equipment on late-model vehicles staged to simulate crash scenes. Local community first responders are invited to participate at no cost. Each event involves salvage cars sourced from insurance companies or salvage yards. Participation at each event is generally limited 40 first responders.
How Can You Get Involved?
You can donate late-model salvage vehicles for hands-on education programs or host an event at your facility! Participation in the NABC F.R.E.E.™ program is open to any repair facility with a minimum SSO level membership in the National Auto Body Council®. Companies interested in hosting an event simply need to fill out a NABC F.R.E.E.™ application. A three to six-month lead time is preferred from initial application to event date to allow time to coordinate all participants. Once membership is confirmed and event application is received, an instructor will be assigned by the NABC F.R.E.E.™ Program Manager. The instructor will contact the repair facility to set the event date. Companies new to the program are asked to attend an orientation conference call which provides all details needed to host an event.
Ready to sign up? Contact NABC F.R.E.E. program manager George Avery at g.avery@nationalautobodycouncil.org to secure your date.
National Auto Body Council was fortunate to have Pittsburgh Steelers legend Rocky Bleier join them for a NABC Recycled Rides gifting in Pittsburgh. Listen to his story about teamwork, hope and overcoming challenges.
