Vehicle Rescue & Extrication: Emergency Responding Hazards

1. Vehicle Rescue and Extrication

2. 25 Objectives (1 of 2) • Describe the vehicle anatomy. • List the hazards involved in responding to an emergency scene. • List the hazards to look for when arriving on the scene of a vehicle extrication situation. • Describe cribbing.

3. 25 Objectives (2 of 2) • Describe the extrication tools that are used for stabilizing, bending, cutting, and disassembling. • Describe how to gain access to the victim.

4. 25 Introduction • Beginning fire fighters must understand the process of extrication. • Should have some proficiency in extrication skills • Most fire departments are involved in some part of the extrication process. • Members of special rescue teams should complete a course in rescue techniques.

5. 25 Conventional Vehicles • Majority of vehicles on the road • Use internal combustion engines • Burn gasoline or diesel fuel • Hazards • Fuel leaks • Short circuits • Battery acid leaks

6. 25 Alternative-Powered Vehicles (1 of 2) • Powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) • Cylinders usually in truck, but can be in any convenient location • City buses and other fleet vehicles • Identified by CNG sticker mounted on front and back of vehicle

7. 25 Alternative-Powered Vehicles (2 of 2) • After crash, cylinders or fuel lines could be damaged. • CNG could escape. • Threat of BLEVE

8. 25 Electric-Powered Vehicles • Propelled by electric motor powered by batteries • Contains a large number of batteries • Hazards • Large amount of energy stored in batteries • Potential electrical shorts • Leakage from damaged batteries • Voltage higher then 12-volt car battery

9. 25 Hybrid Vehicles • Use battery-powered electric motors and a gasoline-powered engine • Electric power used at low speed, gas power at high speed • When stopped at a traffic light, both sources of power turn off. • Car said to be hibernating • Hazards posed are same as gas- and electric-powered vehicles.

10. 25 Vehicle Anatomy (1 of 2) • The front of the vehicle is where the hood is and travels down the road first. • The rear of the car is where the trunk sits and goes down the road last.

11. 25 Vehicle Anatomy (2 of 2) • The left side of the car • On your left as you sit in the vehicle • In the United States and Canada, the driver’s seat is on the left side of the vehicle. • The right side of the vehicle is where the passenger’s seat is located. • Always refer to left and right as they relate to the vehicle.

12. 25 Vehicle Posts • Connect the body of the car to the roof of the car and are structural supports • “A” post is located nearest the front of the vehicle. • “B” post is located between the front and rear doors. • “C” post is located behind the rear doors.

13. 25 Bulkhead • Divides the engine compartment from the passenger compartment • The passenger compartment includes the front and back seats. • Sometimes called the occupant cage or occupant compartment

14. 25 Platform Frame • Platform frame uses beams to fabricate the load-bearing frame. • The engine, transmission, and body components connect to the frame. • Provides a sound place for stabilizing the vehicle and an anchor point for attaching cables or extrication tools

15. 25 Unibody Frame • Unibody seen in most modern cars • Combines the vehicle frame and body into a single component • Allows manufacturers to develop lighter weight vehicles • Remember that unibody vehicles do not have the frame rails in platform frame vehicles.

16. 25 Respond to the Scene • Safe response includes: • Picking the best route of travel for the time of day • Driving in a safe manner • Knowing limits of your vehicle • Keeping seatbelts fastened • Evaluating the dispatch information • Listening carefully for any direction

17. 25 Arrival and Size-Up: Traffic Hazards (1 of 3) • Determine where to locate your emergency vehicle. • Take into account the safety of emergency workers, the victims, and the motorists. • Do not hesitate to request the road to be closed.

18. 25 Arrival and Size-Up: Traffic Hazards (2 of 3) • Use large emergency vehicles to provide a barrier for motorists who fail to heed emergency warning lights. • Place apparatus at an angle to the crash. • Traffic cones or flares can be placed to direct motorists away from the crash.

19. 25 Arrival and Size-Up: Traffic Hazards (3 of 3) • Fire fighters need to be visible at a crash scene. • PPE should be bright. • PPE used at night needs to be equipped with reflective material. • Be alert for any vehicles that might cause you injury. • Do not assume that motorists will always heed your warning lights. • IC should perform a size-up.

20. 25 Arrival and Size-Up: Fire Hazards • Look for spilled fuels and other flammable hazards. • Look for the presence of fire. • Fire may trap the vehicle occupants and require suppression.

21. 25 Arrival and Size-Up: Electrical and Other Hazards • Electrical hazards • Look for downed or damaged power lines. • Other hazards • Environmental • Rain, sleet, ice or snow can pose a hazard to rescue workers. • Crashes that occur on hills are harder to stabilize. • Be aware of the possibility of hazardous materials.

22. 25 Arrival and Size-Up: Other Hazards • Look for the presence of infectious bodily fluids. • Sharp edges and objects should be identified and when possible covered or removed. • Watch out for violent behavior by vehicle occupants. • Family pets may react protectively when rescuers attempt to gain access to their owner.

23. 25 Stabilize the Scene • Consists of reducing, removing, or mitigating the hazards at the scene. • The order in which hazards are stabilized depends on the specific scene conditions and the amount of risk each hazard poses.

24. 25 Traffic Hazards • Traffic must be slowed or stopped as motorists approach the scene of an emergency. • Traffic hazards are best handled by the appropriate law enforcement agency. • Work with law enforcement officials to control traffic in a safe manner. • If law enforcement is not on the scene, verify that they have been dispatched.

25. 25 Fire Hazards (1 of 2) • It should be SOP to advance a charged hose line close to a damaged vehicle. • At least a 1.5" hose should be staffed by a fire fighter in PPE. • Hose line can provide protection for rescuers and victims of the crash.

26. 25 Fire Hazards (2 of 2) • Crashes that pose large fire hazards or actual fires may require additional fire suppression resources. • Small fuel spills can be handled by using an absorbent material to remove the fuel from the area around the damaged vehicle.

27. 25 Electrical Hazards • Disconnecting the vehicle’s power source should be done following your local SOP. • Downed power lines should be handled by the power company. • Do not approach a vehicle and do not let a victim leave the vehicle until the electricity has been controlled.

28. 25 Other Hazards • Heat and cold should be dealt with. • Ensure adequate lighting at night. • Prevent slips and falls on wet and icy surfaces. • Wear proper PPE to reduce the risk of injury from sharp objects and infectious bodily fluids. • Remove animals from the scene.

29. 25 Cribbing • Used to stabilize a vehicle • Lengths of wood used to prevent a vehicle from moving backward and forward • After cribbing has been placed, a vehicle can still move.

30. 25 Step Blocks • Shaped like stair steps and are placed under the side of the vehicle • Place one step block toward the front of the vehicle and a second step block toward the rear of the vehicle.

31. 25 Box Crib • Standard cribbing can be used to form a box crib. • Place cribbing at right angles to the preceding layer of cribbing.

32. 25 Vehicle Stabilization • A vehicle on its side or roof is very unstable. • Can be stabilized using box cribs or step blocks on each end of the vehicle

33. 25 Wedges • Used to snug up loose cribbing or when using lift airbags • Should be the same size width as the cribbing with the taper end no less than 0.25" thick

34. 25 Rescue Lift Airbags (1 of 3) • Pneumatic-filled bladders made of rubber or synthetic material • Used to lift or spread • NEVER use alone to shore or stabilize • Always use cribbing when using rescue lift airbags.

35. 25 Rescue Lift Airbags (2 of 3) • Often used to lift a vehicle or object off a victim • Use extreme caution when using rescue lift airbags. • Adhere to all the safety precautions in the owner’s manual. • Cribbing must be used in conjunction with rescue lift airbags. • Top layer of cribbing should be solid underneath the rescue lift airbag.

36. 25 Rescue Lift Airbags (3 of 3) • Should not be used without properly blocking the wheels • This is a safety precaution in case of a catastrophic failure of a rescue lift airbag. • Rescue lift airbags can fail as they age. • They should be tested according to manufacturer’s recommendations. • After ten years, they have generally reached their useful life.

37. 25 Three Types of Rescue Lift Airbags (1 of 3) • Low-pressure airbags • Often used in recovery operations and sometimes used by departments for vehicle rescue operations • Come in many shapes and sizes; but square airbags offer greater stability. • Can be less stable until fully inflated as compared to high-pressure airbags

38. 25 Three Types of Rescue Lift Airbags (2 of 3) • Medium-pressure airbags • Have either two or three cells inside their design • Best when used in aircraft or truck rescue

39. 25 Three Types of Rescue Lift Airbags (3 of 3) • High-pressure airbags • Most common airbags used by the fire service for rescue work • Heavily constructed • Generally made of vulcanized rubber mats that are reinforced by steel or other material woven into a fiber mat and covered with rubber

40. 25 Principles of Gaining Access and Disentangling the Victim (1 of 2) • Use four techniques • Stabilize • Stabilize by using cribbing • Bend, distort, or displace • Bending a vehicle door back to get it out of the way

41. 25 Principles of Gaining Access and Disentangling the Victim (2 of 2) • Cut or sever • Cutting a roof • Disassemble • Removing a vehicle door by unbolting the door hinges

42. 25 Tools Used in Extrication (1 of 5) • Stabilizing tools • Cribbing • Rescue lift airbags • Step blocks • Be certain that they are placed firmly under the vehicle and that vehicle is stable before attempting to enter it.

43. 25 Tools Used in Extrication (2 of 5) • Bending tools • Hand tools such as pry axe, short pry bars, long pry bars, and Halligan tools • Can be used to bend sheet metal • Power tools such as hydraulic rams and hydraulic spreaders

44. 25 Tools Used in Extrication (3 of 5) • Cutting tools • Hand tools used for cutting are axes, bolt cutters, cable cutters, hacksaws, and manual hydraulic cutters. • Use the power tool to cut the proper material. • Power tools for cutting can be powered by air, electricity, or hydraulics. • Some examples are air chisels, rotary or reciprocating saws, hydraulic cutters.

45. 25 Tools Used in Extrication (4 of 5) • Air chisels can cut metal posts. • Hydraulic cutter can cut through the roof posts of a vehicle.

46. 25 Tools Used in Extrication (5 of 5) • Tools for disassembling • Mechanic’s tools such as wrenches and screwdrivers • Specialized equipment includes the come along.

47. 25 Gain Access to the Victim • Open the door. • Easiest and simplest way to gain access • Try all doors even if they appear badly damaged. • Make sure door is unlocked and try the door with the least damage first. • Try the outside and inside handles at the same time if possible.

48. 25 Break Tempered Glass (1 of 3) • Consider breaking a window if victim’s condition is serious and doors will not open. • Do not try to break and enter through the windshield. • Made of laminated windshield glass • Difficult to break

49. 25 Break Tempered Glass (2 of 3) • Side and rear windows are made of tempered glass. • Will easily break into small pieces • Can be your primary access route • If possible break a window away from the victim to avoid further injury. • After breaking glass, use a gloved hand to remove as much of the broken glass as possible to avoid injuring rescuers.

50. 25 Break Tempered Glass (3 of 3) • Aim for a low corner if using something other than a spring-loaded punch. • When the window is broken and glass removed, try to unlock door. • Breaking the rear window will sometimes provide an opening large enough to enable a rescuer to gain access to the victim.