A metallic crunch bellowed and crescendoed with a loud pop followed by the clatter of broken glass.
That symphony — the sound of a Ford Focus being ripped apart during an extrication training exercise — was performed by Longboat Key Fire Rescue during its annual extrication training.
The instruments? Hydraulic rescue tools known colloquially as the Jaws of Life and pry bars. Struts kept the vehicle from tipping and cribbing kept it from rolling forward or backward. Firefighter Paramedic Tyler Brunton has been with Fire Rescue since September and said training exercises like these help him realize the capabilities, limitations and best ways to use the tools the department has at its disposal in case of emergencies…