All Blog Posts Tagged 'rescue' (98)

It isn't uncommon for entrapments in my response area to involve guardrails. This common occurrence was covered in Extrication "Quick Tip'' #23. Cable barriers are not common to my part of the country. However, there are many misconceptions to the emergency response to entrapments involving them. Here is some great information from Minnesota DOT covering the emergency…

(Yellow symbolizes the backside of the A post, Red is showing the sever from the additional (deep) cut)

One of the most common complaints I hear about completing dash displacements is the lack of actual "lift" or the feeling of resistance during the lift. This can be caused by a…

This week’s “quick tip” seems basic; however, it is incredible how often this quick step is being overlooked. We must get into a habit of turning off the ignition and removing the key on motor vehicle crashes. It is a quick, easy, and often overlooked step. Typically, this will secure roughly 90% of the systems on any…

LEAP-FROGGIN'

In my opinion, success at an extrication scene is based off efficiency, tactics, and teamwork. One of my…

Do a quick internet search on vehicles vs. guardrails and your photo results will be…

Today’s quick tip is covering a challenging problem that may arise in extrications with very heavy…

This weeks "Quick Tip" is covering a quick method to mitigate fuel line issues. Some methods such as tunneling and  "through the…

In extrication you will find thousands of names for each individual method. Many times I think we get consumed with the "cool" names and start lose focus on the goal/purpose of the given method. I challenge you to research your choice methods…

Many years ago I got into a habit of using a stopwatch to time fire and extrication evolutions. At first many thought it was to show how "fast" we were compared to trucks or to test my crew. But after doing it for a while firefighters realized that it wasn't a test at all, but a method we could use to evaluate and speed up if…

On April 14^th 1912, a screeching sound awakened many on an “unsinkable” ship. This couldn’t be happening! They’d said it was impossible; that the ship was unsinkable. When I think of training, I consistently relate it in many ways to the events leading up to the Titanic’s tragic night.  The source…

If you follow Tactical Advantage Training, you have seen me post, “Wolves don't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.” For the modern fire service, I believe this motto is incredibly fitting.  So…

One of the best ways to incorporate fireground movements into your workouts is to perform what I call "10-minute interval overhauls."  These are 10 minutes of intervals that can vary in work and rest times that are performed after your strength training sessions.  You can read more about these "interval overhauls" by clicking here or see how to integrate them into an actual…

This weeks quick tip refers to what I call "Fast Shears". While working on extrication scenes we all know there is a long list of objects that will need to be cut (seatbelts, various plastic, wiring, wiring boots, weather stripping, patients clothing, etc). Many times they are small and "annoying" objects that don't warrant the psi and time taken using hydraulic cutters. Everyone claims to carry trauma shears or a cutting device, however more often…

While speed during extrication is often critical, it comes at a high price without efficiency.  We must first learn the tools, develop skills, learn the how’s and why’s, practice teamwork, train, become efficient, with the result being speed of the operation.  Speed is the rate of one’s activity, in this case extrication skills.  Whether at a fire, during an extrication, or on special operations, it takes efficiency and training to foster speed. In referencing the…

I am a firm believer in the phrase "Never say never, never say always". Just remember each technique you are currently using was more than likely created from firemen trying something new. Extrication Quick Tip #11 is showing a directional pull of a steering wheel using hydraulic speaders, chain, and an A post. This technique is quick and easy to set up with limited…

Today I want to give you a taste of the type of workouts that you will find in the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout and it comes with great timing and a lot of significance... The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation provides resources and funding (via grants and donations) towards remembering our fallen and protecting our current firefighters.  This "tribute" workout is…

This weeks tip covers the usage of heavy wreckers on the emergency scene. When teaching I make it a point to ask departments if they work closely/train with their local towing/recovery companies. Nationally the answer is often no. On incidents/extrication involving big rigs, this is one of the most under utilized pieces of equipment at our disposal. They can quickly stabilize or assist a lift to expedite the extrication process. But you must make it a point to train with the company often as…

When it comes to extrications involving "big rigs" our methods must change due to vehicle size, load, and weight. This leads into the X Method for stabilizing tractor trailers (rolling). Obviously if lifting is involved then struts, more cribbing, etc. will be used. I will often see crews attempting to control horizontal movement (rolling) by small wedges or chalks. After training one of the ways we found to increase stabilization on the horizontal plane is with (2)…