Ep 3. All Around Us

In Heavy Rescue: 401 season 1 episode 3, titled "All Around Us," viewers are taken on a journey through the tumultuous world of heavy rescue. This episode features the stories of several different teams on the 401 highway in Ontario, Canada, as they respond to a variety of challenging incidents.

The episode begins with a callout to the Bruce County Heavy Rescue team, as they respond to a multi-vehicle collision on the 401. With numerous cars and trucks involved, and victims trapped inside, the team must work quickly and efficiently to extricate those who are injured and clear the wreckage from the highway. The challenges are numerous, from navigating the narrow space between the vehicles to safely removing victims from their crumpled cars. And with traffic backing up for miles behind the accident, the pressure is on to get the job done quickly and get the highway reopened.

Next, we see the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Highway Safety Division in action, as they respond to a collision involving a semi-truck and a car. The trailer of the semi has jackknifed across the highway, blocking all lanes of traffic and sending the car spinning off the road. The OPP team must work with the truck driver to safely remove the damaged trailer, while also checking on the driver of the car and clearing the debris from the road. It's a delicate operation, with multiple moving parts and potential hazards all around.

The episode then takes us to Oshawa, where the Durham Region Heavy Rescue team is called out to a semi-truck rollover on the 401. The truck has spilled its load of steel beams across the highway, and the team must use chains and winches to carefully right the truck and clear the beams from the roadway. It's a slow and methodical process, requiring patience and precision to avoid further damage to the vehicle or injury to the driver.

The episode wraps up with a look at the toll that working in heavy rescue can take on the first responders themselves. We see the toll that the job can take on one team member's personal life, and the importance of having a support system in place to help manage the stress and strain of the work.

Overall, "All Around Us" is a gripping look into the intense and often unpredictable world of heavy rescue on the 401. The teams featured in this episode showcase the skill and bravery required to respond to these challenging incidents, and the toll that this work can take on those who choose to do it. Viewers will come away with a newfound respect for the men and women who keep our highways safe, and a deeper understanding of the challenges they face on a daily basis.