Fire department reenacts dramatic rescue
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 4, 2026
A life-saving performance put on by firefighters and paramedics in Oak Harbor last week would be a hard act to follow.
Cameras rolled at the Oak Harbor Fire Department on Friday as firefighters reenacted a vehicle extrication for a promotional video produced by the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. A more than $23,000 grant from the foundation paid for some of the equipment used in the rescue.
Donations fund the grant program, which has awarded $109 million to more than 7,000 organizations across the country, according to its website. These grants help public safety agencies purchase things like thermal imaging cameras and bunker gear.
Fire Chief Travis Anderson explained that the department received the grant last year and used it to replace expired vehicle stabilization equipment.
Firefighters used the equipment in April, when a driver ran a red light, hit another car and flipped it on its side in Oak Harbor, according to Anderson. With the doors inaccessible, the vehicle’s roof had to be cut off in order to rescue a woman and her dog trapped inside.
To keep the vehicle from moving during extrication, firefighters stabilized the vehicle with struts, Anderson explained. Mechanical jacks like these can withstand anywhere from 20,000 to 80,000 pounds.
“They’re just used basically (to) pinch a vehicle and provide a very solid base,” he said. “So you can actually sit there and cut a car, pull on it, roll down and stuff, and not get anybody hurt.”
That gear played a critical role in rescuing the woman, who was later transported to the hospital, Anderson said.
Creating a promotional video based on the incident is a win-win for the department and the foundation.
Anderson said the department issued a press release to the foundation expressing gratitude for the grant and explaining how the gear was used; the foundation reached out about filming a video in response. Articles and videos are posted on the foundation’s website detail similar instances in which gear purchased through its grants have been used to better equip and protect first responders in order to save lives.
“We need to help their foundation be successful,” the fire chief said. “Their foundation is to support public safety, right? If the community doesn’t know about it, they don’t see it impacting communities, why would people go and support their foundation?”
Participating in a video like this also helps promote a department which normally does not have access to professional film crews or a large in-house media team.
“The whole world lives on social media now, so having those little social media clips,” Anderson said. “Young kids seeing this video, you can imagine the impact that it may have on them.”
Christian’s Towing provided a vehicle to ‘crash,’ and the Whidbey Playhouse provided an actor to ‘rescue.’
Kim Dolan and her dog, Nina, acted in the promotional video. For the last three years, she has played small or ensemble parts, assisted with directing and worked on costumes for the playhouse. Participating was an easy decision.
“It’s community service,” Dolan said ahead of her performance. “I really appreciate the fire department and everything, and so I’m just happy to help out. Hope I can do a decent job.”
Anderson reserved judgment of his firefighters’ acting abilities.
“We’ll see. They don’t have to do a whole lot of acting. … But, they’re really just going out there and just doing what they do every day,” he said, smiling. “So that’s pretty easy for them.”
The finished video will be released in a few weeks, according to the city.
