![]() ![]() As part of that planning, those departments have purchased risk critical equipment that allows personnel to work safely, effectively, and efficiently in or near water, but rarely, if ever, has that planning included a role for hydraulic rescue tools. Many fire departments serving areas with an elevated risk for working in flood conditions have established a flood rescue capability and have trained their personnel accordingly. With more square miles of the area under concrete and asphalt than ever before, flash flooding can occur just about anywhere. For this reason, proactive fire departments must resist complacency and not simply limit themselves to their knowledge of the existing bodies of water in their response. Two feet of rain fell in the first 24 hours).Īnd we’re witnessing with greater frequency rain weather events once described as “freak” (e.g., urban flooding from hurricanes and river flooding from other slow-moving weather fronts) now becoming far more common around the globe. At its peak on September 1, 2017, one-third of Houston was underwater. With that said, it’s worthy to note that the community’s risk profile can rapidly change due to weather conditions (e.g., Houston in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey made landfall three times in six days. On the other hand, both countries have many regions-and not just coastal areas-where roads and those bodies of water coexist. ![]() and Canada certainly have areas where the interfaces between road networks and bodies of water are very limited, so the probability of a vehicle ending up in a river, stream or lake is practically nil. The primary factor that should help guide your department’s decision to consider underwater cutting tools should hinge upon your department’s geographical response area’s risk profile. The following video shows a rescue team demonstrating how they remove the entire side of a car.An unexpected addition: Enter the underwater cutting tool Prior to the invention of the Jaws of Life rescue workers used circular saws to cut victims out of a vehicle crash! The name Jaws of Life came from Brick who overheard someone describe the device as “snatching people from the jaws of death.” The term is commonly used for any brand of rescue tools, but it is actually a trademark of the Hurst Jaws of Life company. Today, similar devices are available from a number of companies. ![]() He had a falling out with Hurst due to a lack of funding and left the company and created the Phoenix Rescue Tool line. ![]() Brick continued to work on the design and eventually designed a single tool to perform all of the required functions. Hurst hired engineer Mike Brick to develop the tool and he, along with Tim Smith, developed the spreader bar. The original idea came from George Hurst as a way to rescue drivers involved in high speed motor sports crashes. The Jaws of Life was invented in the early 1970′s at Hurst Performance, Inc. Let’s find out who invented this important safety device. The Jaws of Life operates with hydraulic fluid pressure and the power for this may come from a petroleum engine, electric pump or rechargeable battery. A separate tool is sometimes used for each task, although the combination tool is a popular choice for emergency workers. These tools perform very important rescue functions such as pushing, pulling, cutting and spreading. These tools are responsible for saving many people each year because they allow the emergency workers to reach the victims faster than other methods. The Jaws of Life is a powerful rescue tool, or set of rescue tools, used by emergency workers to extract people from vehicle crashes and other small spaces. ![]()
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