First Long Island Tournament of Its Kind to Use Electric Tools to Cut up the Vehicles
In support of local fire departments, Gershow Recycling donated the use of 30 cars for the Chuck Varese Vehicle Extrication Tournament, which was held at the Northport Fire Department’s Training Grounds at Steer’s Pit in Northport on May 14. Gershow also donated the use of its Huntington facility to enable teams to practice in the week leading up to the tournament.
Twenty teams from thirteen fire departments participated in the tournament, which involved groups of five firefighters working to extricate a “victim” from a “crash” using the Jaws of Life. This year marked the first time the firefighters used battery-powered tools during the extrication exercises; the Chuck Varese Vehicle Extrication Tournament was the first such tournament to bring in electric tools.
Each team was judged on the amount of time it took to perform the extrication, the handling of equipment and the safety procedures they followed. The top three teams were:
- 1st Place — Northport FD Team #1 (7 minutes, 52 seconds)
- 2nd Place — Ridge FD (8 minutes, 15 seconds)
- 3rd Place — North Bellmore FD (8 minutes, 25 seconds)
After the tournament, the vehicles were brought back to Gershow’s facility, where they were shredded and recycled.
Gershow has nine locations in Brooklyn, New Hyde Park, Valley Stream, Freeport, Lindenhurst, Huntington Station, Bay Shore, Medford and Riverhead. For more information, call (631) 289-6188 or visit www.gershow.com.
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About Gershow Recycling
Started in 1964 by Sam Gershowitz, Gershow Recycling began as a two-man operation with a tractor and trailer, a boom truck and the first portable car flattener. Now with the second generation carrying on the legacy, Gershow generates over 750 jobs, contributing millions of dollars to the local economy, while helping to preserve Long Island’s environment. Gershow Recycling takes aluminum, brass, copper, steel, cast iron, appliances, cars and vehicles. In keeping with its philosophy of “Conserving the Future by Recycling the Past,” Gershow Recycling purchases scrap metal that would have otherwise wound up in local landfills, and turns them into high-quality scrap products for recycling. The company produces both ferrous and non-ferrous products.
