Time is of the essence but the rescuers have to be concerned by the deep, dripping head lacerations and possible neck injuries. Steady, practiced hands work at treating and freeing, balancing speed and care.

It's a confronting scene but the giveaway is that the crash survivors are also wearing firefighter uniforms.

Their 'injuries' are the work of make-up artists, whose convincing job helps create a sense of realism for the ACT Fire and Rescue staff involved in this rescue training session.

The Volvo crash simulation on Thursday was the last chance for the ACT team to sharpen their skills before they attend the Australasian Road Rescue Championships.

Chief Officer Paul Swain said the competition would help ACT firefighters work more efficiently and effectively in real-life cases.

"Effectively, us sending people away to these championships increases the safety of people in Canberra," Officer Swain said. "Whatever skills they take away from these championships, we put into practice every day."

They competition will draw teams from Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia to compete in three road crash rescue events, judged on time, team work, technique and medical care.

"Our ACT firefighters stand up fantastically against everybody else without exception," Officer Swain said. "We’ve been successful in the past, but that’s not the priority for us."

Station Officer Des Falconer said the team would be put in situations meant to resemble actual accident scenes.

"[The Australasian Road Rescue Organisation] simulate accidents that have actually occurred in Australia and New Zealand, so they’ll manipulate cars, they’ll put live casualties and manikins in the car, then you have to rescue them," Officer Falconer said.

The team will compete in three car crash events against 20 teams in Victoria at the end of next week.