All Blog Posts Tagged 'engineering' (50)

While riding the Squad yesterday, I worked an extrication involving a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser that was struck from behind on I95. The trooper was investigating a MVC that we responded to and cleared about an hour prior. After thinking about the circumstances, I thought there's no better time to cover an important part of roadway…

It’s 4AM and your company is dispatched to an MVC with entrapment. You arrive and find one vehicle against a large tree with the passenger heavily trapped by the dash. Due to the damage, the vehicle cannot be moved from the tree and passenger side access is limited. In turn, we need a full side-to-side dash…

Don’t be an inbred? Are you kidding me? Well now that I have your attention, allow me explain. When…

First off, look at this method as just another tool in your extrication tool box. I have found that this method comes in handy in limited access situations. Think of the steering wheel displacements you have been shown in the past…come-a-long to the front bumper, spreaders on the hood, high lift jack on the hood, etc. What do…

What are you accomplishing during your extrication walk-around?

Many times a walk-around is incorrectly used as an officers mental check note like BSI/Scene safety…However,…

The age-old question…to cut or spread door hinges. This subject is brought up in almost all of my classes. As with any extrication skill, there is a time and place for both. I personally cut and spread door hinges depending on hinge design and hinge access. However, in my experience, the…

This week’s extrication quick tip will be covering a method that I refer to as the “Junkyard Cut”. It was discussed heavily during Tactical Extrication NJ this weekend. When training on dash displacements the statement was made, “I was taught you have to cut the front support to get a good dash lift.” This…

If you have attended my Tactical Extrication Course, you know that I strive for thinking operators. Not all entrapments will be the same. They will range from a quick job to downright…

The "Quick Tip" this week is part 2 of a 3 part series. We will be covering one of the most important and often unappreciated extrication scene positions-SQD Driver. More often than not, this position will make or break the scenes efficiency. From insuring the safe travel, to anticipating the needs, this position will be working until the situation is under…

During extrication courses, I commonly see students struggle with posts/pillars that are slightly larger than what can be severed with a single cut. This can be due to post thickness, width, or various trim pieces in the way. One often-overlooked method that works very well is a style of compression cut. As shown below, the post in the picture is just outside…

As we pulled out of the firehouse at 0300 hours, the dispatcher informed responding units that they were receiving numerous calls for a serious…

(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…

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

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…

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…

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…