Roof Flapping

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Permalink Reply by Michael Bricault (ret) on May 2, 2010 at 4:15pm

-The short answer is flapping the roof is a useful option and the alternative you suggest may not always be possible due to many circumstances beyond our control.
-I have performed the roof flap maneuver as well as just simply cutting all the posts. The bottom line, all things being equal, to selecting techniques on scene, and there really is no getting around this, is that it is dependent in the proficiency of the crew.
-The last time I participated in an operation in which the roof was flapped, the professionalism of the crew, their proficiency and the the hours the spent preparing, showed in the outcome of the operation. I was incredibly impressed with the crew, a four man engine company and a two man rescue/ambulance, regarding the speed with which the operation was completed. From the time of arrival to completion was less than 5 minutes. And there was really no rushing around, just men moving with deliberation and confidence.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Dombroski on May 3, 2010 at 2:54am

Hope I'm not stating obvious, but we were originally taught to roof flap from the front, i.e. flaping the roof toward relief cuts made at the rear near the C pillars by holding a long bar across the roof at the point of the flap fold. It worked well. Then were were taught roof removals, and told that it was better to remove the roof all together for the sake of two extra cuts. This also worked well, and in some cases provided extra benefits in terms of the roof not being in the way for a patient removal on a back board straight through the back window area, over the boot (trunk I think you call it). Recently I've done the odd roof flap, but have flapped it forward, with relief cuts at the top of the A pillar and using the top of the windscreen as the crease point . This has stopped the need to cut the laminated glass, causing glass dust hazards, and still opens the rear for patient removal straight out the back. It also means you don't have to cut the A pillars, as they most often have air bags that could cause trouble near the victim, although all pillars can have those. So, the short story is, experiment during training and rule nothing out. Vehicle extrication is a dynamic and evolving process, and we need to be adapatble and change to suit the circumstances. All of these methods I have described have worked extremely well in some circumstances, and they all have disadvantages in others.

Happy training.
MD

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