Markham, Ontario — On September 14, Pfaff Autoworks in Markham, Ont. hosted a demonstration, teaching industry and community members alike how to safely extricate a vehicle in the event of a catastrophic accident.
The event took place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with guests able to enjoy a variety of activities from demonstrations led by Fire Chief Ryan Best and the crew at Station 97, to the opportunity to try out the specialized extrication equipment used to smash glass and rip open cars.
Fleet Coffee was also on scene to help keep guests refreshed with both coffee and other beverages, while the York Paramedics offered life saving information and giveaways.
The charity event—which helps raise funds for the firefighters to be able to compete in similar firefighter-related events—saw donations come in the form of raffle prizes.
Several race cars and exotic vehicles were also on display through local partners such as BMW Markham and Porsche Centre Markham, and Jeff Pabst’s state-of-the-art facility was open for tours throughout the day.
Jeff Pabst, General Manager at Pfaff Autoworks commented that “the Markham firefighter team travels all over the world to compete in extrication events. This year’s event helped raise money for their efforts while also offering the community a family fun event where kids and parents have the ability to see the inner workings of a Markham fire truck, spray one of the fire hoses and participate in cutting a car open with the jaws of life.”
For Pabst, alongside getting to support an important cause, having the opportunity to use the jaws of life was a notable highlight of the day, and he stressed to Collision Repair magazine that events like these are important because “it allows us to work within the community and offer a fun and exciting way to give back to those we serve.”
While totals are still being calculated, overall the event successfully raised somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 for the firefighters.
“The day was lots of fun and we hope that everyone can come out next year to help make 2025’s event even bigger and better!” Pabst concluded.
Check out exclusive photos from the event below.
