Anderson - ep.yimg.comep.yimg.com/ty/cdn/pennwell/AndersonSample.pdf · Supervising Editor: Jared d’orr Wicklund Production Editor: ... Anderson, Brian G. Vehicle extrication :

Copyright ©2005 byPennWell Corporation1421 South Sheridan RoadTulsa, Oklahoma 74112-6600 USA800.752.9764+1.918.831.9421sales@pennwell.comwww.pennwellbooks.comwww.fireengineeringbooks.comwww.pennwell.com

Supervising Editor: Jared d’orr WicklundProduction Editor: Sue Rhodes DoddCover Design: Ken WoodBook Design: Wes Rowell

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Anderson, Brian G.Vehicle extrication : a practical guide / by Brian G. Anderson.-- 1st American ed.

p. cm.ISBN 1-59370-021-0 (0)

1. Traffic accidents. 2. Crash injuries. 3. Transport of sick and wounded. 4. Rescue work. I. Title.

RC88.9.T7A535 2004617.1'028--dc22

2004014882

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, withoutthe prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America1 2 3 4 5 09 08 07 06 05

DISCLAIMER

The recommendations, advice, descriptions, and methods in this book are presentedsolely for educational purposes. The author and publisher assume no liability

whatsoever for any loss or damage that results from the use of any of the material in this book. Use of the material in this book is solely at the risk of the user.

For Georgia

Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvii

Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxiii

1—Getting Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Sharp Firefighters, Powerful Tools, and Strong Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Gaining Knowledge and Skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Role and Responsibility of the Company Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Making tough decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Size-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Size-up upon arrival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Presence of hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Determining adequacy of resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Developing the tactical plan and assigning tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8The basic tactical options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Risk/benefit analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Plan A, B, and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Extrication time estimates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Things the company officer shouldn’t be doing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Role and Responsibility of the Driver Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Role and Responsibility of the Firefighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Appendix: Resource Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Case Study: Overturned Tractor Trailer at the Edge of the Everglades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

2—Tools, Equipment, and Apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Personal Protective Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Coats, pants, and boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Head, face, and eye protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23The issue of compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Tools & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Cribbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Chain construction and grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Other components of a chain set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Typical chain configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Come-alongs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Come-along components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Contents

vii

Basic come-along actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Air (pneumatic) tool systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42The air tool system overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Air sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Regulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Air hoses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Hose couplings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Important points for departments converting to 4500-psi SCBAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Setting up the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Air Chisels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Impact wrenches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Whizzer/die grinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Air bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Electric Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Manual Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Bottle jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Basic jack operation—to raise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Basic jack operation—to lower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Floor jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Basic floor jack operations—to raise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Basic floor jack operations—to lower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Manually operated spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Automotive repair-style spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Modern manually operated spreader tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Basic spreader operations—to spread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Basic spreader operations—to close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Manually operated cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Basic operation—to cut/close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Basic operation—to open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Engine-Driven Hydraulic Tools—a Historical Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Modern spreaders, cutters, and rams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Power plants—a closer look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85Appendix: Apparatus Features and Tool Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

3—Stabilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95Stabilizing the Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Protecting the scene with effective apparatus placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99Identifying utility hazards at the scene core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Vehicles in contact with live wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Vehicle Extrication: A Practical Guide

viii

Stabilization of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Shutting down the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103The hybrids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105Fire control and extinguishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107Vehicle stabilization—stopping large movements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Vehicle stabilization—stopping small movements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Stabilization of the Victim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Procedure 1—Engine Compartment Access Using a Halligan Adz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114Procedure 2—Engine Compartment Access Using a Halligan Pike to Pry a Corner . . . . .115Procedure 3—Engine Compartment Access Using a Halligan Pike to Punch a Hole . . . .116Procedure 4—Engine Compartment Access Using a Saw (Front Latch Cuts) . . . . . . . . . .118Procedure 5—Engine Compartment Access Using a Saw (Center Cuts) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119Procedure 6—Engine Compartment Access Using a Saw (Straight Cuts) . . . . . . . . . . . . .120Procedure 7—Engine Compartment Access Using a Saw (Corner Cuts) . . . . . . . . . . . . .121Procedure 8—Using Cribbing to Stabilize a Vehicle on Its Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122Procedure 9—Stabilizing a Vehicle to Prevent Further Forward Movement . . . . . . . . . . .124Procedure 10—Stabilizing a Vehicle on Its Side with a Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127Procedure 11—Using a Long 4x4 to Stabilize a Vehicle on Its Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129Procedure 12—Stabilizing a Vehicle from Both Sides

Using a Capabear Stabilization Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130Procedure 13—Stabilizing a Vehicle from Both Sides Using Capabears . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131Procedure 14—Stabilizing a Vehicle from One Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132Procedure 15—Stabilizing a Vehicle on Its Roof with Step Chocks,

Capabears, and Box Cribbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136Procedure 16—Stabilization on the Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137Procedure 17—Stabilizing an Overturned Vehicle with Stump Screw Jacks . . . . . . . . . .138Procedure 18—Stabilizing a Vehicle on a Jersey Barrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

4—Door and Side Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141Terminology of Components and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141The Size-up and Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142Selecting the Best Procedures and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144The Procedure Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

Procedure 1—Removing Tempered Glass with a Centered Punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148Procedure 2—Removing Tempered Glass with a Halligan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150Procedure 3—Creating a Purchase Point with a Halligan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151Procedure 4—The Pinch and Curl Purchase Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

Contents

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Procedure 5—Popping a Door Open with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153Procedure 6—Popping a Door Open with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155Procedure 7—Vertical Spread to Pop a Door Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157Procedure 8—Popping a Rear Door with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160Procedure 9—Manually Widening a Door Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162Procedure 10—Widening a Door Opening with a Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163Procedure 11—Removing a Door with an Impact Wrench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166Procedure 12—Removing a Door at the Hinges with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167Procedure 13—Removing a Door with Spreaders—Exterior Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171Procedure 14—Removing a Door with Spreaders from the Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175Procedure 15—Removing a Door from the Interior with Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177Procedure 16—Removing a Door from the Exterior with Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179Procedure 17—Popping and Removing a Van Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181Procedure 18—Creating a Third Door with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183Procedure 19—Creating a Third Door with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188Procedure 20—Creating a Fourth Door with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192Procedure 21—Side-Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196Procedure 22—Creating a Fourth Door with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203Procedure 23—Opening a Trunk with Hand Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206Procedure 24—Opening a Trunk with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208

5—Roof Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209The Roof Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210A Practical Approach for Sizing Up the Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210Universal Precautions for Crew Safety When Performing Roof Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . .211Existence and Non-Existence of Air Bag Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213Technology Advancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213Gas Lifters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214Selecting the Best Tools for the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215Selecting the Best Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217

Procedure 1—Quickly Establishing the Presence or Absence of Inflatable Curtainsto Determine the Likelihood of the Presence of Compressed Gas Cylinders . . . . . . . . .218

Procedure 2—Checking “A” and “B” Posts for Compressed Gas Cylinders in Vehicles Equipped with Inflatable Curtains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219

Procedure 3—Checking the “C” Posts for Compressed Gas Cylindersin Vehicles Equipped with Inflatable Curtains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220

Procedure 4—Checking the Roof Edge for Compressed Gas Cylindersin Vehicles Equipped with Inflatable Curtains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221


x

Procedure 5—Lifting a Crushed Roof with a Hi-Lift Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222Procedure 6—Lifting a Crushed Roof with a Hydraulic Spreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223Procedure 7—Lifting a Crushed Roof with a Hydraulic Ram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224Procedure 8—Removing Laminated Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226Procedure 9—Basic Roof Flapping Procedure—Why Striking the Roof

is often Necessary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230Procedure 10—Flapping a Roof with Hand Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231Procedure 11—Flapping or Removing a Roof with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234Procedure 12—Flapping a Roof with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241Procedure 13—Flapping a Roof with a Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244Procedure 14—Removing a Roof with an Electric Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248Procedure 15—Removing a Roof with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251Procedure 16—Making a Three-sided Roof Cut with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256Procedure 17—Making a Three-sided Roof Cut with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . .262Procedure 18—Removing the Center of the Roof with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . .267Procedure 19—Roof Flap with Hydraulic Cutters, Vehicle on Its Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269

6—Interior Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273Relocating a steering column with a hydraulic spreader or come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274Performing a dash roll-up with hydraulic tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274Removing pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275Relocating a pedal with a length of rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276Using a Hi-Lift jack to create interior space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276Relocating a seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279

Procedure 1—Interior Spread with a Come-Along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280Procedure 2—Relocation of a Front Seat with a Come-Along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282Procedure 3—Interior Spread with a Winch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286Procedure 4—Moving a Seat Reward with Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288Procedure 5—Removing a Front Seat with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289Procedure 6—Removing a Seat Back with Hydraulic Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292Procedure 7—Removing a Front Seat with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293Procedure 8—Relocating a Steering Ring with Bolt Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294Procedure 9—Relocating a Steering Column with a Come-Along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295Procedure 10—Relocating a Steering Column with a Hydraulic Spreader . . . . . . . . . . . .299Procedure 11—Removing a Steering Wheel with Hydraulic Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305Procedure 12—Relocating a Pedal with a Length of Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306Procedure 13—Relocating a Pedal Across the Hood with a Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . .307Procedure 14—Relocating a Pedal through the Passenger’s Door with a Come-along . . .309

Contents

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Procedure 15—Relocating a Pedal through the Rear Windshield with a Come-along . . .311Procedure 16—Relocating a Pedal over the Roof with a Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313Procedure 17—Removing a Pedal with a Whizzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315Procedure 18—Removing a Pedal with a Manually-operated Hydraulic Cutter . . . . . . . .316Procedure 19—Removing a Pedal with Hydraulic Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318Procedure 20—Using a Hi-Lift Jack to Create Interior Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319Procedure 21—Interior Spread with a Hydraulic Ram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .321Procedure 22—Special Interior Problems in Police Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323Procedure 23—Performing a Dash Roll with a Hi-Lift Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325Procedure 24—Dash Roll-up with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326Procedure 25—Dash Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332

7—Crash Related Impalement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345

Procedure 1—Cutting Rebar with Hydraulic Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .346Procedure 2—Heat-Fence—A Welder’s Product that Reduces Heat Transfer . . . . . . . . . .347Procedure 3—Cutting Rebar with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348Procedure 4—Cutting Large Pipes with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349Procedure 5—Cutting Large Pipes with a Whizzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350Procedure 6—Cutting Large Pipes with a Hydraulic Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351Procedure 7—Cutting Square Stock with a Hydraulic Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352Procedure 8—Cutting Wood with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353

8—Entrapment beneath and between Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355General Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357

Hand tools and wedges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360Pry bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360Hi-Lift jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361Manually operated spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361High-pressure air bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .362Heavy hydraulic spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363

Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365Procedure 1—Lifting a Vehicle with Wedges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366Procedure 2—Lifting with a Pry Bar and Cribbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367Procedure 3—Lifting a Vehicle with Manual Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368Procedure 4—Lifting with High-pressure Air Bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369Procedure 5—Lifting with High-pressure Air Bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370Procedure 6—Lifting with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .371Procedure 7—Lifting with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372Procedure 8—Lifting on a Hard Surface with Hi-Lift Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .373

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Procedure 9—Lifting on a Soft Surface with a Hi-Lift Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375Procedure 10—Lifting with a Come-along in Soft Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377Procedure 11—Lifting an Overturned Vehicle with a Hi-Lift Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380Procedure 12—Spreading Two Vehicles with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382

9—Trucks and Tractor Trailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .385Common Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .385Popping a Door with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388Performing a Dash Roll-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .390Trailer Underride by an Automobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .395

Procedure 1—Opening and Removing Conventional Hoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .396Procedure 2—Truck Stabilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .398Procedure 3—Removing a Windshield with Hand Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .401Procedure 4—Popping a Door Open with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .403Procedure 5—Popping a Door Open with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405Procedure 6—Removing a Door at the Hinges with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .409Procedure 7—Removing a Door with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410Procedure 8—Pedal Removal with Pneumatic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .414Procedure 9—Pedal Removal with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415Procedure 10—Cutting Away a Steering Ring with Hydraulic Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . .416Procedure 11—Cab-over Dash Roll with Pneumatic and Hand Tools Only . . . . . . . . . . .417Procedure 12—Tenting a Roof with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420Procedure 13—Roof Entry with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .421Procedure 14—Roof Entry with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424Procedure 15—Dash Roll-up with a Reciprocating Saw and Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . .429Procedure 16—Dash Roll-up with Hydraulic Tools on a Cab-forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .435Procedure 17—Dash Roll-up with Hydraulic Tools on a Cab-over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437Procedure 18—Dash Roll-up with Hydraulic Tools on a Conventional . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439Procedure 19—Dash Lift with Hydraulic Tools on a Cab-over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446Procedure 20—Cab-over Dash Removal with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449Procedure 21—Sleeper Side Entry with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .452Procedure 22—Sleeper Side Entry with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .454Procedure 23—Rear Entry into a Conventional Steel Cab with a Reciprocating Saw . . . .457Procedure 24—Rear Sleeper Entry with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .459Procedure 25—Sleeper Rear Entry with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .461Procedure 26—Sleeper Rear Entry with Hydraulic Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .464Procedure 27—Trailer Underride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .467

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Contents

10—Extrication Procedures for School and Transit Buses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .477Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .483

Procedure 1—School Bus Emergency Exit—Side Door Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .484Procedure 2—School Bus Emergency Exit—Roof Hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .485Procedure 3—Transit Bus Emergency Exit—Roof Hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486Procedure 4—Transit Bus Emergency Exit—Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487Procedure 5—Removing Windshield Glass with Hand Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .488Procedure 6—Removing Side Window Glass with Hand Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .489Procedure 7—Front Door Entry with Hand Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .490Procedure 8—Front Door Entry with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .492Procedure 9—Front Door Entry with a Hydraulic Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .494Procedure 10—Emergency Exit Door Removal with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .498Procedure 11—Popping an Emergency Door Open with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . .501Procedure 12—Removing the Rear Window Posts with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . .502Procedure 13—Removing the Rear Window Posts with a Hydraulic Cutter . . . . . . . . . .504Procedure 14—Rear Wall Removal with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .505Procedure 15—Roof Entry with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .508Procedure 16—Roof Entry with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510Procedure 17—Side Wall Removal with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .512Procedure 18—Side Entry with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517Procedure 19—Removing a Steering Ring with Hydraulic Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .520Procedure 20—Relocating a Steering Column with a Come-along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521Procedure 21—Driver’s Seat Back Removal with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .525Procedure 22—Seat Post Removal with a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .528Procedure 23—Seat Removal with an Air Chisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .529Procedure 24—Seat Removal with Hydraulic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .532Procedure 25—Lifting a Bus with Air Bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .534Procedure 26—Lifting a Bus with Hydraulic Spreaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .537

11—Sport and Race Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .539Construction Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .540

Roll bars and cages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .540Fuel and fuel tanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .540Steering wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .541Seats and belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .541Doors and other means of access to the interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .541Shutting down the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .542

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .542Appendix: Things to Think About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .545

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .557


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All photos were taken by the author, with the exception of the following:Fig. 1–2 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Public Information OfficeFig. 2–16 Photo #2 Miami-Dade Fire RescueFig. 2–19 Rick Michalo, American Rescue TechnologyFig. 2–20 Rick Michalo, American Rescue TechnologyFig. 2–30 Photo #4 Rick Michalo, American Rescue TechnologyFig. 3–20 Frank Gentilquore, Zuccala’s Wrecker ServiceFig. 3–21 Frank Gentilquore, Zuccala’s Wrecker ServiceFig. 3–27 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Public Information OfficeFig. 3–28 Manny Santiestaban, Miami-Dade Fire RescueFig. 5–3 William Lehman Injury Research CenterFig. 7–1 Tyrone Wilson, Miami-Dade Fire RescueFig. 7–2 Tyrone Wilson, Miami-Dade Fire RescueFig. 7–3 Brian Gordon, Riviera Beach Fire DepartmentFig. 10–4 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Public Information OfficeFig. 10–5 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Public Information Office

Photo Credits

xv

As I attempt to create an all-inclusive list of everyone who has helped with this project, I find itdifficult to clearly identify when the groundwork that culminated in production of this book was firstlaid. Some of the best formal training I received on the subject occurred at the Florida State FireCollege, where I had the good fortune to attend an extrication class taught by Bill Nesmith and DaveSherratt. The class was based on a course developed by the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office, and itprovided me with a solid foundation based on proper tool usage and practical procedures. Since thattime, a continuous exchange of procedures and philosophy with students, instructors, and othermembers of the fire service has resulted in a deeper knowledge in the field of vehicle extrication andthe production of this book.

Like any large fire department operation, this book was made possible only by the cooperative effortof many individuals and organizations, all willing to do their parts to bring the project to a successfulconclusion. As the last words are typed and the last photos are taken, I find myself reflecting on theamazing and enormous contributions of others, for without their help, this book would have remaineda concept instead of a reality.

The greatest contributions undoubtedly were made by those who helped set up and demonstrate eachstep of each procedure displayed in the following pages. Their good nature and willingness to standperfectly still for thousands of photographs made that part of my job easy.

For chapter 9, “Trucks and Tractor Trailers,” I received a tremendous amount of assistance fromJ. D. Vasbinder and Tom Wilcox, two gentlemen whose depth of knowledge on the subject is onlysurpassed by the depth of their humility.

Other members of the fire service who helped in a variety of ways include Gary (HB) Klaus, BillGustin, Louis Fernandez, Chris Seiler, Doug Lavalley, and Wes Roberts.

The vehicles and props used in the photographs were provided by the same individuals who havealways been there for us when it has been time to perform extrication training. This group of fineindividuals includes Paul Smith, Bob Kaplin, Marvin Ward, and Bob Reece of Reliable Truck Parts,Columbus, Ohio; Bruce White of Sadisco, West Palm Beach, Florida; Phil Everett, John Everett, andJohn Mick of Recycling Center, West Palm Beach, Florida; Greg Ledet, Jeff Horowitz, and RuffoEscorcia of Trademark Metals Recycling, Opa Locka and West Palm Beach, Florida.

In West Palm Beach, where much of the photography was done, Val Williams, Bob Brown, and TimMonaghan of the Palm Beach Community College Fire Academy provided assistance with facilities andtools that was very beneficial and greatly appreciated. While working on chapter 9 in Ohio, FrankConway of the Ohio Fire Academy provided logistical support with their state-of-the-art trainingvehicle. I am thankful for the support from the leadership of both of these fire academies.

xxi

Acknowledgments

Help with the special problems associated with police vehicles and the application of new hybridvehicle technology was provided by Sheriff Robert Crowder, Jenell Atlas, and Carl Amerson of the MartinCounty (FL) Sheriff’s Office, and Mike Stewart of Pro-Gard Police Products, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Specialized information about vehicle design and operation was provided by Eric Bowman of SageTechnical Services; Howard Veit of Heavy Truck Collision Center in Riviera Beach, Florida; Rick Capriof Community Transit in West Palm Beach, Florida; John Hauser and Keith Sorrell of Elite Paint andBody Shop, Riviera Beach, Florida; and Kris Foraker of Wayne Akers Ford, Lake Worth, Florida.

Tools were generously provided by Don Harrison of Rescue Systems Inc., Panama City, Florida; RickMichalo of American Rescue Technology, Dayton, Ohio; Todd Howell of Howell Rescue, Dayton,Ohio; James Riddle of High Tech Rescue, Shelbyville, Kentucky; Bernhard Obermayr of Weber-Hydraulic GMBH, Losenstein, Austria; Boyd Miller and Gary Parker of Milwaukee Electric Tools,Brookfield, Wisconsin; Kim Silcox of Grainger Industrial Supply, West Palm Beach, Florida; SteveDowden of Hi-Lift Jack Company, Bloomfield, Indiana; Dave Taylor of Taylor Pneumatics, BoyntonBeach, Florida; Rick Kozub of Lug-all Corporation, Morgantown, Pennsylvania; and Baldor ElectricCompany, Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Ideas for storage and deployment of equipment came courtesy of Fire Chief Ray Carter and ChrisCouden of West Palm Beach (FL) Fire Rescue and Fire Chief Bobby Cowherd of Shelby County (KY)Suburban Fire District.

The capability of large wreckers was explained by Drew Zuccala and Frank Gentilquore of Zuccala’sWrecker Service, Boynton Beach, Florida.

Information regarding race cars was provided by Clayton Murphy, George Magale, and DannyFournier of Chassis Engineering, Riviera Beach, Florida; Jimmy Adams of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue;Robert Chandler of Bigfoot 4X4 Inc., St. Louis, Missouri; and Paul Brennan and his Xtreme FunnyCar, based in Palm Beach County, Florida.

This book took more than twice as long to write as I originally thought, making me appreciative ofthe support of Jared Wicklund, Supervising Editor at PennWell, who patiently kept the whole bookproject under control and moving forward.

Above all, I am thankful for the support provided by my wife Georgia while I worked on this book.She’s been there from the beginning, providing advice about the organization and layout of the bookand then proofreading every word of text. Her greatest contribution may have come at the verybeginning when she said, “If you’re going to write a book about extrication, why don’t you do it forFire Engineering?” What a great idea.


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ALS – advanced life support

BLS – basic life support

BPM – blows per minute

cfm – cubic feet per minute

CGA – Compressed Gas Association

EMT – emergency medical technician

ETA – estimated time of arrival

HAZMAT – hazardous materials

kPa – kilopascals

LZ – landing zone

ma – mechanical assistance

MCI – mass casualty incident

NFPA – National Fire Protection Association

PPE – personal protective equipment

PTO – power take off

psi – pounds per square inch

SCBA – self-contained breathing apparatus

SI – international system

SIPS – side-impact protection system

SRS – supplemental restraint system

TPI – teeth per inch

Acronyms

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SharpFirefighters,

Powerful Tools,and StrongLeadership

Engine 30, respond with Engine 32 to I–95 and

Northwest 135th Street for a report of traffic accident

with persons trapped…standby…Engine 30, FHP

now confirms persons trapped and the vehicle is on

fire…FHP requesting an ETA.

This type of dispatch occurs on a regular basisacross the United States in small towns, in thesuburbs, and in big cities. Extricating trappedvictims is the most common type of rescueperformed by firefighters. It is also a time when

the skill of the firefighters has a significantimpact on the survival of the victims.

Many of the extrications performed by fire-fighters are simple, intuitive operations, requir-ing nothing more than popping the door torelease the occupant. Others, though, can bemore challenging, and occasionally a crash willtest a firefighter’s limits. These are the crashesthat are so bad and the entrapment so compli-cated that even experienced firefighters have tostop and take a few seconds to try to understandwhat they’re seeing. These crashes evokecomments like, “Does this car have two doors orfour?” “How many victims can you see from yourside of the car?” “Where’s the front half of thecar?” and “This is really bad.” These seriouscrashes require the highest level of skill from thefirefighters, great power from the tools, andstrong, confident leadership from the officers.

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When the company possesses these traits, alongwith solid teamwork and just a little good luck,you’ve got a crew that can make even the mostdifficult extrications look easy.

Bad crashes are challenging because severalprocedures are usually needed to free the victims.Firefighters must use combinations and variationsof procedures to remove the odd configurations ofmetal that wrap around the unfortunateoccupants. However, before a crew can modify orcombine procedures, they must have a broadknowledge base and skill level of the standardprocedures. This is when training comes into play.Just like hose and ladder work, practice makesperfect—or at least pretty close. Crews can attainmaximum effectiveness at the crash scene throughpreparation: studying procedures, training withtools, and practicing crash scene scenarios.

However, things don’t always work as they doon the drill ground—even when the crew is welltrained. In the real world, hose lines burst, powerplants don’t start, and sometimes tools just lackthe power they had when they were new—or theyfail. For reasons like these, it’s important to havemultiple solutions available to the crew.Understanding that there may be multiplesolutions for a single problem can help a crewovercome any little snag that occurs during anoperation. It is important that crews develop theknowledge and skill needed to adapt to the chal-lenges and surprises of crash scenes.

GainingKnowledge

and Skill

Some procedures are so simple that commonsense alone can guide even the most inexperi-enced firefighter to a successful conclusion.However, as the procedures become more com-plex, intuition may fail us due to the number ofvariables. How can the metal be cut away from the

victim’s feet when the feet can’t be seen? Why are the

vehicle safety structures that are supposed to help protect

the occupant hurting the occupant when the door is

forced open? When metal starts to tear, is it a bad

thing—or a good thing?

There are basically two approaches for dealingwith the learning curve of vehicle extrication:reinventing crash scene procedures, or learningfrom experienced firefighters. Most everyonewould agree that learning from those who camebefore us is preferable. This provides more timeto create new procedures and to fine-tune oldones.

This book attempts to illustrate multiple solu-tions to each type of problem that may beencountered by crews in the street. There is asolution for just about everybody—regardless ofthe type of tools they carry on their rigs: handtools, pneumatics, hydraulics, or electric tools.Once a company learns the procedures and isready to respond, they should focus on organizingthemselves in a way that they can operate effec-tively while applying their skills. This involvesunderstanding everyone’s role, why they havethose roles, and how they contribute to the teameffort needed for top-notch operations.


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Role andResponsibility

of the Company Officer

Understanding, assigning, and carrying out theroles and responsibilities are critical steps foreffectively managing a crash scene—especiallythose involving the extrication of victims. Theearly decisions and actions of the company officerand firefighters have a direct impact on theeffectiveness of the rescue operation and victimsurvival. Strong leadership, coupled with sounddecision-making and teamwork can result in ascene that proceeds in a coordinated, calm manner.Job responsibilities are assigned based on thestructure of the organization, personnel, equip-ment, and experience. While the number ofpersonnel and their titles vary, the needs, decision-making process, and actions remain the same. Atsmall incidents, the company officer may bedirecting a crew and managing the overall scene.At large, complicated, or exceptionally longextrications, the company officer should transfercommand of the incident to a higher rankingofficer, allowing the company officer to concen-trate on the extrication without the additionalresponsibilities of managing the entire scene.

Making tough decisionsIn life, for every action there is an equal and

opposite reaction. This is not just a difficultphysics theory but a simple fact of life that can beobserved on a daily basis. Stay in bed all day, andyou may avoid being hit by a bus. By the sametoken, staying in bed all day may lead to

bedsores, heart disease, and early death. Life isfull of decisions, and life on the crash scene is nodifferent.

Every action on the crash scene impacts someoneor something connected to the crash. The multiplefactors at a crash scene (including inadequate infor-mation) can mentally overload personnel, causingdecision-making to be difficult. This is the natureof the fire service. In these situations, officers andfirefighters alike have to make decisions based onavailable information, experience, and training.Decision-making under these circumstances can bestressful, especially for individuals who are newlypromoted or lack experience, and this is normal.Nonetheless, at crash scenes, decisions must bemade—no matter how difficult. In the words ofCaptain Joe Price (ret.), “If this was easy, every-body would be doing it.”

Size-upThe company officer is responsible for develop-

ing a plan to bring incidents to a successfulconclusion. As with all incidents, the plan startswith the initial dispatch information. This is theofficer’s first chance to make decisions thatimpact the management of the crash scene.When dispatched to an incident, the smart com-pany officer does more than answer the radio, donbunker gear, and climb on the apparatus. Theofficer should also listen carefully to the dispatchinformation and determine if the appropriateresources have been dispatched to the incident.Initial dispatch assignments are simply that—initial. After the dispatch, the company officermay find it necessary to make changes in theinitial assignment. Company officers who relysolely on dispatchers to make all the decisionsabout all assignments will eventually come up

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short on a response. Dispatchers should not beheld responsible for all of the company officer’santicipated needs, especially when the dispatchcenter is busy. In most cases, it is best to considerthe dispatcher’s actions as part of the overall teameffort required for successful operations.

The following are examples of situations thatmay require upgrading or modifying an initialdispatch assignment:

• Limited access highway (freeways, inter-states, etc.) crashes

– Additional unit to help block scenethe from on-coming traffic

– Faster response by other units basedon access or direction of travel

– Additional units for tank water whena vehicle fire is reported

• Victim information received while enroute to the scene

– Confirmed multiple victims

– Confirmed critically injured victims

– Confirmed entrapment

– Ejected victims

• Terrain and geography

– Submerged vehicles

– Suspended off bridges, overpasses

– Off-road in mountainous areas

– Distant locations, which result inextended response times

Size-up upon arrivalAfter arriving at the crash scene and working

with other company members, the officer shouldperform an initial size-up to determine if ade-quate resources have been assigned to the inci-dent. The adequacy of the resources is based onthe following:

• Scene hazards

• Number of victims

• Severity of the victims’ injuries

• Number of entrapments

• Complexity of entrapment

The process of gathering information about thescene and victims is handled best if the officerassigns portions of the scene to the crew memberson the unit. One of the most widely acceptedmethods of scene size-up involves dividing thescene into two areas: the inner circle and theouter circle. By dividing the scene into two areas,the company officer can make size-up assign-ments to as few as two crew members and stillcover the area in a brief amount of time.

The inner circle can be difficult to describe,and the description may be vague because of thedifferences in crash scenes. The inner circle cangenerally be thought of as the area under andaround the vehicle, within a radius of about 10 ft,or that portion of the scene that would come intothe field of vision of a crew member who iswithin 5 ft of the vehicle. The inner circle canalso be described as the area that can only beevaluated by the crew member who is standingnext to the vehicle.

The outer circle is considered as all that isn’t

the inner circle. The outer circle extends from theedge of the inner circle to the outer edge of the


4

crash scene. Determining the outer edge of thecrash scene can be difficult at times, especiallywhen the vehicles were traveling at a high rate ofspeed, when the crash occurred in poor weather,or at night when visibility is limited. Whenestablishing the boundary of the outer circle, thecrew is making a judgment call that all vehicles,victims, and hazards will be found within theinner and outer circles.

Presence of hazardsHazard recognition can be difficult, especially

at night, during bad weather, and at large inci-dents. The company officer must focus on gettingthe big picture—a solid understanding of what isgoing on at the scene. As the officer pulls up tothe scene, the next phase of hazard recognitionbegins, picking up where the original dispatchinformation ended. The officer should address thehazards created by the following:

• Traffic.

• Damaged utility service.

• Vehicles involved in the crash.

A plan should be developed and implementedto mitigate or stabilize the existing hazards. Theprocess of hazard mitigation and stabilization iscovered in chapter 3.

Determining adequacy of resources

Medical units. One of the difficult deci-sions the first arriving officer must make on thescene is the number of medical units required for

treatment and transportation of victims.Following are factors that impact this decision.

• Are the responding medical units advancedlife support (ALS) or basic life support(BLS)?

• How many personnel are on the medicalunits?

• What is the medic crew’s degree of involve-ment in performing the extrication?

• Is the area served by a trauma centerand/or trauma helicopter?

• What is the severity of injuries?

• Most importantly, how many victims arethere?

As the number of victims and severity ofinjuries increase, so does the likelihood ofdiscovering too late that inadequate resourceshave been assigned to the incident. Dependingon the type and number of resources available,the officer should decide whether the incidentshould be handled as a mass casualty incident(MCI) or as an ordinary crash incident.

MCI is the term used to identify incidentswhen the sheer number of victims overwhelmsthe initial units, requiring the assignment ofadditional units and the application of proce-dures that promote the rapid assessment, treat-ment, and transportation of the injured. If only afew victims are injured, and the incident is to behandled in a routine manner, the officer mustdetermine the number of units required to treatand transport the victims.

One easy way to handle the math in this typeof situation is to consider how many personneland units would normally be required to

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adequately and properly handle one criticallyinjured crash victim. For example, if it wouldnormally take one medical unit per criticalvictim, and there are three critical victims on thescene, three medical units are needed. If thisprocedure for determining the number of unitsneeded seems high, consider that with inade-quate medical resources on the scene, somebodyis not going to be treated in a timely fashion. Ifthe situation requires the dispatch of mutual aid,so be it. On scenes with multiple victims, we canhope to get the victims off the scene quickly, butthe reality is that, without adequate resources,treatment gets bogged down along withtransportation to the receiving hospital. Thisapplies to both MCIs and ordinary crash scenes.

In many cases, crew members assigned to amedic unit are committed to the assessment andtreatment of the trapped victim from both insideand outside the vehicle. These crew membersshould wear bunker gear, which provides goodpersonal protection. If additional resources areavailable, a replacement medic unit should be usedfor transportation from the scene, relieving theoriginal crew (whose bunker gear is cumbersometo work and drive in) from that responsibility.

Hospital or trauma center assistance.Occasionally even the best-trained and mostexperienced extrication crews are confronted withan entrapment for which there is no good, timelysolution. These extrication scenes may drag on forhours, grinding down the personnel charged withthe task of disentangling the victims. In somecases, the occupant may not have any significantinjury and may remain medically stablethroughout the incident. On the other hand,there are situations when the crash victim iscritically injured and may require advanced treat-

ment from hospital or trauma center personnelduring the extrication process. Victims with thefollowing needs may benefit from the involve-ment of hospital or trauma center personnel:

• On-scene administration of blood

• Amputation due to entrapment

• Completion of near-amputations

• Procedures to relieve tensionpneumothorax (collapsed lung)

To successfully utilize hospital or trauma cen-ter personnel on a crash scene, policies, proce-dures, and agreements should be formalizedbefore an incident occurs that requires these typesof resources. Once the policies are in place, allpersonnel who are affected by the policy shouldknow their role and responsibilities at a crashscene (see Fig. 1–1).

Suppression units. The role of suppressionunits at crash scenes varies widely across thecountry. In some areas, engine companies areresponsible for extrication; in other areas, truckcompanies handle the task. It is becoming com-mon for suppression units to be staffed with per-sonnel that are not only firefighters, butemergency medical technicians (EMTs) or para-medics as well. Suppression units, whatever theirform, generally have several responsibilities on acrash scene, which include the following:

• Scene safety and management

• Fire suppression

• Extrication of trapped victims

• Assistance in medical treatment

• Helicopter landing zone (LZ) set-up


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Specialty units. During the crash scenesize-up, the company officer should determine ifthe units assigned to the incident can handle thecrash and the extrication. This decision should bebased on the ability of the personnel, the com-plexity of the extrication, and on the equipmentneeded to perform the required procedures. Assoon as it becomes apparent that the on-sceneresources can’t perform the tasks required, spe-cialty units should be requested. Specialty unitsmay be in the form of squads, technical rescueunits, or heavy rescues—based on regional needsand tradition. These units should be equippedwith the tools and personnel needed to performspecialized or complicated extrications.

Wreckers. When wreckers are needed toassist with rescue operations, they should berequested early in the incident. Routine towingrequests are typically handled by lawenforcement personnel and may be handled dif-ferently than requests for assistance to perform arescue. When requesting a wrecker, the officershould clearly indicate that the request is neededfor a rescue, and that it is not a routine towingrequest. By making the request clear to thedispatcher, there is less chance of the requestbeing handled as a routine towing request (seeFig. 1–2).

Developing the tacticalplan and assigning tasks

When developing a tactical plan and assigningtasks, a company officer can be overwhelmed bythe multiple problems that need to be resolvedbefore the situation can be brought to a success-ful conclusion. Tactical priorities must beassigned, but the question is where to begin? While

every scene is different, the following approachesmay be helpful when selecting a course of action:

1. Actions that stop the incident fromgetting worse—if a vehicle has struck atree and a small fire has started in theengine compartment, the fire usually needsto be extinguished before any victimtreatment begins. The fire is a factor thatcan cause the incident to deteriorate if leftunchecked.

2. Actions that will do the most good for themost victims—if all the victims are in asimilar medical condition, actions that freethe greatest number of victims are mostappropriate.

3. Actions to extricate the most severelyinjured first—if given a choice betweenextricating an unconscious victim and aconscious victim with a cut arm, extricatethe unconscious victim first.

These guides are helpful for basic decision-making, but local capabilities and resources ulti-mately dictate the type of approach, especially atMCIs or disasters.

When there are overlapping needs, Chief DarylNewport of Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue,suggests that usually 90% of the problems on acrash scene can be resolved by one or two actions.Consider the example of a car that has rolled overseveral times and has come to rest on its side withfive teenagers trapped in the vehicle. The roof sideof the vehicle is exposed to the crew, and theframe side of the vehicle is against a tree. As thevictims move around inside the vehicle, thevehicle rocks, nearly rolling over onto theflattened roof. Assessment is difficult because theflattened roof makes it almost impossible to see


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Fig. 1–2 Overview of a Heavy Duty Recovery Vehicle

the occupants, let alone treat them. It becomesapparent the roof must be removed to release thevictims, but cutting the posts will certainly causethe vehicle to roll over onto the roof. Which one or

two actions can be taken to make the situation better?

If the officer orders the vehicle to be tied backto the tree, potential problems are prevented.The odds of the vehicle rolling over are greatlyreduced once the vehicle is tied to the tree witha rope, strap, or chain. With the addition of a

little cribbing between the ground and the bodyof the vehicle, there’s a good chance the roof canbe removed safely, providing access for victim

treatment and removal. In this case, stabilizingthe vehicle and removing the roof solve the vastmajority of the problems on the scene.


10

Fig. 1–2 (cont.) Overview of a Heavy Duty Recovery Vehicle

The basic tactical optionsMeaningful tactical solutions and decisions can

be made only after first identifying the problem.Before the officer and crew can make decisions

about the tools and procedures needed to extricatea victim, they should first answer the simplest, yetmost critical question: What is trapping the person

inside the car? The officer and crew must aggres-sively examine the deformity of the vehicle and

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Fig. 1–2 (cont.) Overview of a Heavy Duty Recovery Vehicle

then identify the components that are preventingthe victims from getting out of the vehicle. As theseverity of the crash increases, the ability to evenidentify the components of the vehicle decreases,making it difficult for the officer to develop aplan. If a vehicle is involved in a severe crash, itmay be difficult to determine where the dashboardends, where the door begins, or how many doorsare on the vehicle. After quick and carefulexamination of the vehicle and the trapped victim,the officer and crew can select a course of action tofree the victim.

When selecting the best tactical option for anextrication, how does the officer know if all theoptions have been considered? In other words,how do you know if you didn’t think of some-thing? This uncertainty can be reduced byremembering that almost all extrication proce-dures are based on one of following four tacticaloptions.

1. Spreading—the process of spreading orpushing apart is the most common actionused on the crash scene. The adz (flatportion) of a Halligan is used to create apurchase point for the spreaders by spread-ing the door metal away from the body ofthe vehicle until the door is forced open.Rams are used to spread or push the dash-board out of the occupant compartment.

2. Pulling—components are pulled apartwhen the space between two objects is toolarge or too flimsy to be spread or pushedapart. A come-along can be used to pull adoor open when the space created by thespreaders is inadequate to gain access to theoccupants. A front seat may be pulled rear-ward to gain access to an occupant who istrapped on the floor under the dashboard.

3. Removing—when pushing or pulling anobject won’t provide the space needed toaccess or remove victims, severing andremoving the object may be the only otherchoice. If a victim is trapped in the rearseat of a two-door vehicle, spreading orpulling isn’t the best approach to creatinga big space. In this situation, performing athird-door evolution with an air chisel isthe preferred procedure.

4. Securing—preventing vehicle movementmay be required in some situations to pre-vent fatal injuries. For example, if a pas-senger has been partially ejected from thecar, and the vehicle has pinned the occu-pant between the ground and the vehicle,any additional movement could cause fatalinjuries. In this case, it’s necessary tosecure the vehicle and prevent even theslightest movement.

To bring this concept of four tactical optionsinto focus, consider the procedure of dealing witha badly damaged door. To gain access to the occu-pant in the front seat, the officer has a choice ofthree of the four standard tactical options:

1. Spreading—after sizing up the vehicle, theofficer can direct the crew to use thespreaders to spread the door off the latch.With the door popped off the latch, theoperation can be continued to push thedoor open, overcoming any resistancecaused by the damage to the hinges. Thespreading option can be used until thespreaders are opened completely.

2. Pulling—if the spreaders haven’t createdenough space, the pulling option can beused by attaching the come-along to thedoor and an anchor point.


12

3. Removing—if the latch or hinges areexposed, the shears may be used to cutthrough them, and the door can be removed

from the vehicle.

Before committing to and implementing aparticular procedure in complex extrications, theofficer should quickly visualize the procedurestep by step to determine if it leads to the rightoutcome. By performing the steps of the proce-dure mentally, the officer may be able to identifyproblems before they occur or may see that theplanned procedure simply won’t work. This men-tal process must be done quickly if it is to bevaluable. If the plan seems likely to work, theofficer can brief the crew on the tactics to be usedto perform the extrication. Briefing the crew willprovide them with a critical understanding of theobjectives and an opportunity for a crew memberto identify any possible problems.

To understand the value of running throughthe procedure mentally before committing to itphysically, consider the following scenario.

A compact car leaves the roadway and rolls overseveral times coming to rest on its roof. As thevehicle rolls, the unbelted driver is partiallyejected through the windshield. The roof ispushed down and the driver is lightly trappedbetween the roof and the dashboard. The rightfront seat passenger is belted and remains uncon-scious in his seat, with his head pressed against theroof. After sizing up the entrapment, the officerdecides to quickly cut the roof off the car to takethe pressure off of both occupants. Only when theofficer runs through the plan mentally does itbecome apparent that cutting the roof posts willremove the very components that are holding thevehicle off of the victims. If the roof posts are cut

and can’t support the car, the car would fall flatcreating a bad situation for the occupants.

When performing simple procedures such aspopping a door, the mental process of runningthrough the procedure can be completed in amatter of seconds. Experience and training allowthe officer to predict the limited number of out-comes associated with the procedure, making theprocess almost unnecessary. The process becomesmuch more important, however, when the extri-cation is complicated or when a vehicle comes torest on its side or roof. These are the situationsthat can result in tactical errors, validating theuse of the mental process before applying thephysical process.

Risk/benefit analysisThere are times when the officer has a choice of

several procedures to use in a particular situation.There may be drawbacks to all of the choices,each possessing a certain element of risk. Thequestion then becomes, how does one choose the right

procedure?

Risk/benefit analysis is an important processwhen making decisions at emergency scenes.Risk/benefit analysis means weighing the risksassociated with performing a procedure againstthe benefits that can be gained from the proce-dure. In simple operations, risk/benefit analysis isoften performed without much thought becausethe risks and benefits have already been analyzedduring training or other similar situations. Assituations become complex or unfamiliar, it isacceptable and appropriate to quickly andmethodically analyze the options available alongwith the associated risk and potential benefits.

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Officers with the ability to make an accuraterisk/benefit analysis perform much more effec-tively than those who believe that there is onlyone approved procedure for every situation. Overthe past 25 years, the quality of both tools andprocedures has improved dramatically. Alongwith these improvements has come the idea thatin every situation there are necessary proceduresthat must be performed, or the extrication crewcould be considered negligent. This, of course, isnot true since circumstances dictate actions, andthe officer must choose the best, real-worldsolutions for the problem at hand.

To clarify the relationship between risk andbenefit, consider the following question: Is it

appropriate to use a ventilation-type saw fitted with a

metal cutting blade to perform an extrication? In areasof the country that have hydraulic rescue tools,most would say that it is never appropriate to usethe saw. Saws can be difficult to control for theinexperienced operator; they produce sparks thatcan start fires, and they throw metal slivers.Considering the significant downside of usingthe saw when hydraulic tools are available, itseems that the risk of using the saw far outweighsthe benefit. The balance of risk/benefit maychange however, if an officer is in charge of anextrication with a person trapped and the nearesthydraulic tool is 80 miles away. If the success ofthe entire rescue and survival of the victim isbased on cutting one hinge to free the victim, theofficer may decide that the benefit of using thesaw far outweighs the risk. If the decision is madeto use the saw, the officer is accepting the riskinherent with the operation.

When making these kinds of decisions, arisk/benefit analysis can provide the officer withthe mental and psychological advantage needed

when faced with a particularly difficult chal-lenge. When a risk/benefit analysis is combinedwith strong leadership skills, tactical paralysiscan be avoided in even the most complexincidents.

Plan A, B, and COnce the decision has been made about how to

proceed and the crew has started working, theofficer should develop a back-up plan in case theprimary plan fails. The back-up plan is often oneof the tactical options that was previously con-sidered during the initial phase of the operation.To formulate Plan B, it’s necessary to determinewhere and how problems in Plan A can occur.Problems can arise for several reasons.

• The tool fails to complete the operation.Examples include hydraulic tools that areworn out, poorly maintained, under-powered, or pneumatic tools that run outof air.

• The vehicle structure reacts in a mannerthat prevents completion of the procedure.Examples include components that areheavily reinforced (strong), or rusted away(weak), or metal that bends or tears inplaces that weren’t anticipated.

• The procedure results in a negative impacton the victim trapped in the vehicle.Consider a severe side impact resulting ina deep V in a door. Attempts to pop thedoor open using the hydraulic spreadersmay push the door in on the victim,causing additional injury.


14

When developing Plan B, the officer has threeoptions.

1. Modifying and improving Plan A

2. Selecting a different procedure using thesame tool system

3. Selecting a different tool or combination oftool systems for the procedure

Consider a crash in which the officer hasdecided to remove the roof from a vehicle that hasa large “C” post. The hydraulic cutters are used tocut the “A” and “B” posts, but when the fire-fighter attempts to cut through the large “C”post, the depth of the cutter only permits a cut 6in. deep into a “C” post that is 18 in. wide. Whatshould the officer do? If the department has theluxury of having different types of hydrauliccutters on the unit, switching to a cutter that hasa long cutting blade may solve the problem. Thefirefighter would cut from one direction, thenfrom the other direction to complete the cut.Without the luxury of having two types ofcutters, the officer may decide to use a recipro-cating saw instead of the hydraulic cutters. Theseare two solutions to one problem; one solutionused the same hydraulic tool system, the othersolution used a different electric tool system.

As the officer observes the progress of the extri-cation, he or she must decide to either stick withthe original plan or go to Plan B. If the officerelects to change tactics, it’s important that allpersonnel are aware of the change in plans. If some-one doesn’t get the word, unnecessary proceduresmay be performed that could waste critical time.

A tool staging area should be set up with allthe appropriate tools needed for the change intactics. At this point, the firefighter can go to thetool staging area and swap out tools as necessary

with little loss of time. If Plan B is put in action,the officer should start considering Plan C. Thismay seem a little excessive, but it is necessary tohave a back-up plan in place in case Plan Bdoesn’t work out. If Plans A or B don’t work andit’s clear to the firefighters on the scene that theofficer doesn’t have a new plan prepared, a free-for-all could erupt on the scene, especially if thecrew is getting fatigued and frustrated. At thistime it’s critical that the officer provides strongleadership and command presence to keep thecrew on track and focused.

Extrication time estimatesAfter the firefighters have closely observed the

victim entrapment, the officer should ask aboutthe degree of entrapment and anticipated diffi-culty in relieving any entanglement. This infor-mation helps the officer when coordinating andplanning for the operations of several units.

Accurate time estimates aren’t usually a bigfactor when the victim is to be transported byground units to the hospital or trauma center,but the accuracy of these estimates can make orbreak an air transport operation.

The following examples are useful in illustrat-ing the importance of accurate time estimateswhen the victim is to be transported to thetrauma center by air:

1. After one of two trapped victims is extri-cated from a vehicle, a ground transportunit transmits that they are en route to theLZ. Knowing that there are two victimsthat are to be transported to the traumacenter, the officer on the trauma helicopterasks the officer at the scene for an

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estimated time of arrival (ETA) for thesecond victim.

2. As the helicopter is lifting off the pad atthe trauma center after clearing anothercall, they are requested at an extricationscene 30 miles away. The helicopter crewstarts flying in the direction of the crash,but asks the company officer at the scenefor an ETA to the LZ by the ground trans-port unit.

3. After sitting in the LZ with the enginesrunning for 20 minutes, a helicopter crewmember asks for an ETA to the LZ.

The important factor in all of these cases is thequantity of fuel on the helicopter. While groundfire apparatus can operate for hours withoutrefueling, helicopters typically don’t have thatluxury. Accurate time estimates are important tothe aircraft commander because there is a fixedamount of time that the aircraft can be safelyoperated, depending on the amount of fuel onboard the aircraft. So the questions about the ETAto the LZ are not the product of curiosity butinstead a factor in determining if the aircraft willhave enough fuel to complete the mission. If thehelicopter is being dispatched from one call to thenext on a busy day, accurate time estimates canhelp the aircraft commander decide if it’s best tostop and get fuel, or proceed directly to the LZ.

After arriving at the scene, the pilot maydecide to conserve fuel by shutting down theengines on the aircraft or, if provided with a shortETA, may decide to keep them running. In all ofthese situations, the company officer andfirefighters have a significant responsibility tothe aircraft crew and victims when providingtime estimates for completion of the extricationand estimated time of arrival at the LZ.

Things the companyofficer shouldn’t be doing

When a firefighter is promoted to companyofficer, there is a distinct change in the indivi-dual’s job description. The job description forcompany officer usually includes phrases likeevaluate situations, formulate plans, supervise, anddirect personnel. Typically there is no mention ofprying doors open, breaking glass, or striking with a

sledgehammer. There is a good reason for this:someone needs to be in charge at emergencyscenes. Put in the simplest way, most of the time,the company officer should be thinking anddirecting—not handling tools. This isn’t a newconcept; it’s been around a long time.

The traditional fire service insignias used toindicate rank support this idea. A firefighter’sinsignia usually includes a hook and a ladderrepresentative of handling tools and equipment.The driver’s insignia often includes a vintage fireengine. The company officer’s insignia consists ofa speaking trumpet. As the rank advances fromlieutenant, to captain, to chief, the trumpets onthe insignia increase in number. These insigniasindicate that the company officer’s role is to thinkand speak, not to handle tools. That’s not to saythat an officer can’t ever handle tools, becausethat’s not the case. There is a problem, however,when three firefighters are standing aroundwatching an officer operate a set of hydraulicspreaders on a jammed door, or when a scenespins out of control for lack of leadership.

The implications of the officer performing afirefighter’s role on the scene can have other nega-tive effects beyond poor scene management.Firefighters may think the officer is “cherrypicking,” or choosing tasks and responsibilities


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based on personal satisfaction and not for thebenefit of the victims or members of the com-pany. In most cases, the company officer is mosteffective when concentrating on guiding crewmembers as they perform the tasks required atthe crash scene.

Role andResponsibilityof the Driver

Operator

The driver of a suppression unit has three orfour jobs at a crash scene.

• Spotting the apparatus at the scene toprovide both good scene protection andeasy deployment of extrication tools andfire suppression equipment

• Operating the pump when the companyofficer orders hose lines to be pulled andcharged

• Setting up and staging equipment for theother crew members performing theextrication

• Operating the tools when directed by thecompany officer

The driver operator has a tremendous amountof work to do during the first 10 minutes on thescene. Training and experience help the driveranticipate the order in which tools will beneeded, and this determines the sequence inwhich they should be set up. A tool staging areashould be established in an area that is easy to

identify, reasonably close to where the work isbeing performed, yet far enough away not tocause tripping hazards.

The concept of tool staging has been around fora while, but is often dismissed as “Hollywood” orexcessive in layout. This is probably becausedepictions of tool staging areas in trainingmaterials seem to spend a little too much timeand effort laying out the area. In reality, a toolstaging area can be set up quickly by anorganized driver, allowing other crew membersto work faster. By utilizing a tool staging area,crew members won’t have to struggle withgetting equipment out of overstuffed compart-ments when they need a tool. Additionally, whena crew member is finished with a tool, there is aconvenient, reasonably secure place to put it.This reduces the likelihood of a crew having to goto a towing company’s holding yard to retrieve atool that was laid in a vehicle during anextrication or turning around to grab a tool onlyto find that a bystander has walked away with it.

To help identify the location of the tool stagingarea, a tarp can be laid out and the tools placed onit. While there is no standard or correct size oftarp, a good size to start with is about 10 x 10 ft.The tarp should be a manageable size—easy to layout, pick up, and able to hold all the tools that thecrew normally uses at an extrication scene. This isa good use of old salvage covers that have beenremoved from the apparatus because of tears orburns. A good section of the old salvage cover cansimply be cut to the desired dimensions of the toolstaging area. Whether the tarp is made from an oldsalvage cover, or purchased specifically for toolstaging, it should be made of heavyweight materialso it will lay flat and resist being blown away.Ideally, the tarp is stored in the compartment with

Getting Organized

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the other extrication tools to not only speed up theoperation but also to remind the driver to establishthe tool staging area.

Once the initial tasks have been completed, thedriver can begin other non-critical but extremelyhelpful support functions, such as setting upscene lights, or spreading oil absorbent (if thereare oil leaks) in the work area. By spreadingabsorbent, crew members working around thevehicle are less likely to slip and fall, and toolscan be kept oil-free, making them easier and saferto use. During extended operations, the drivershould monitor tool systems and maintain fueland air supplies as needed.

Role andResponsibility ofthe Firefighter

If viewed superficially, many would think thatthe firefighter’s role is limited to operating thetools that facilitate the rescue of the trappedoccupant. While operating tools is important,the firefighter’s evaluation and decision-makingskills can have a great impact on the overalloutcome of the incident. The firefighter’s respon-sibilities can include the following:

• Identifying hazards around the scene,particularly under the vehicle

• Identifying the number of victimsinvolved in the crash

• Contacting victims and determininginjuries

• Determining degree of entrapment

• Identifying the best tool for the job

• Recognizing when a selected tactic is notworking as anticipated

• Estimating the time required to performthe extrication

Most of the tasks a firefighter performs areindividual tasks, such as operating the spreaders,cutting with an air chisel, etc., but firefightersare also part of a team with a common goal. Thismeans that there are going to be situations whenthe company officer directs one firefighter toback out of the primary operating position anddirects another into the area with a different tool.This action is often based on the company offi-cer’s observation of progress and the apparentneed for a change in the approach being used.

The smart firefighter will back out and letanother crew member take over, recognizing thatthe change is not because of any type of personalfailure, but more a case of the bent metal notcooperating with the team. After backing out ofthe operating position, the firefighter can rest fora moment, reevaluate the task at hand, and beready to return to work when directed by thecompany officer.

SummarySuccessful operations at the crash scene are the

product of strong leadership, capable toolhandling, and teamwork. Aggressiveness must betempered by planning, and individual victoriesmust be considered secondary to the success ofthe overall operation. Clarity of thought andpurposeful action, especially in the most chal-lenging situations, will lead to the rightsolutions and the best results.


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Getting Organized

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Appendix:Resource

Utilization

Case Study:Overturned TractorTrailer at the Edge of the Everglades

This incident provides an example of the widevariety of resources the company officer may haveto consider utilizing at a serious crash scene.Starting with the scene size-up, the officer shouldpredict the type and quantity of resources neededto perform the extrication. In this crash, thetractor trailer rolled over in a remote section ofthe East Everglades. When time and distance arefactors, the company officer needs to requestresources as soon as it becomes apparent that theyare needed. Should the extrication be completedprior to the arrival of additional units, they canbe returned to service.

Scene 1: The crash scene was blocked by treesthat were cut by a unit that carried a chainsaw. Creating good access to the vehicle andthe victim at the beginning of an incidentmay save time later.

Scene 2: The patient met the Trauma TransportCriteria for transportation to the RyderTrauma Center, a Level 1 center. The remotelocation of the crash required the dispatch ofa helicopter for transportation. During thesize-up, it was determined that the extricationof the victim was going to be complicated andthat surgical intervention may be needed. The

department’s Assistant Medical Director, asurgeon at the trauma center, was transportedto the scene by a second helicopter.

Scene 3: When a surgeon comes to the scene, a“Doc box” containing surgical instrumentsand supplies is brought to the scene byhelicopter or another specialized unit.

Scene 4: Ultimately the victim was extricatedwithout surgical intervention.

Scene 5: A Stokes basket was selected as the bestchoice for victim packaging.

Scene 6: The terrain was rough, making it diffi-cult to carry the Stokes. Instead of a few indi-viduals carrying the basket and running therisk of falling, a line of firefighters passed thebasket toward the street and the waitinghelicopter.


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