Technical Rescue

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Description

Does your department have technical rescue capabilities? What kind of problems are you facing in regards to staffing, training and equipment? If you have any gadgets or special techniques, this is the place to share them.
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Using low pressure air bags in a trench rescue

by Matt Peksa

May 17, 2008

When using low or medium pressure air bags during a trench rescue (to fill in the voids behind the uprights), how much psi are you inflating them to? The max or just enough to take up the space? Also do you shoot the struts to half pressure then inflate the bags? Looking for how others do it.
  • up

    Steve Disick

    Matt,

    You should only inflate the bags to the point where they take up the space needed. If you over inflate you run the risk of deflecting the panels. The bag you are using may be larger than the space you are filling. Shooting the struts to half pressure is a good idea as well. Once the bags are inflated you can shoot the struts fully.

    For more grab a copy of Fire-Rescue Magazine 5/2008 and read "Out of Thin Air", starts on pg 56. I wrote this because many people have asked the same question and other articles and books only tell you that "you can use low pressure air bags for trench rescue", and leave out the how part.

    Hopefully that should help! Be Safe!

    Steve

    Jun 6, 2008

  • up

    Matt Peksa

    Thanks for the reply. Right after I posted the discussion, I did read the article. It seems like there is always some type of confusion using the bags. Thanks again.

    Jun 6, 2008