1 1

Essentials of Firefighting

Chapter 7

Rescue and Extrication

Part 2 - Rescue & Extrication Tools & Equipment

Deputy Chief Bobby Pitman

Bartow Fire Department

2

Tools and Equipment

• The Skills and Techniques required for rescue and

extrication work can be learned only through

complete training

• It is impossible to anticipate every extrication

situation

• To be prepared, you must be proficient with this

equipment

• The following sections highlights some of the

common tools you will need to operate

• KNOW ALL THE NUMBERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3

Emergency Power &

Lighting Equipment

• Operations would be easier if they were all in the

daylight hours

• Poor lighting is a way of life in our occupation

• These situations require artificial lighting

• This lighting makes the scene safer and a more

efficient place to work

• As a firefighter, you must have a basic

knowledge of when and how to properly and

safely operate the emergency power and lighting

equipment

4

Power Plants Page 186

– An Inverter is a step-up transformer that converts a

vehicles 12 or 24 volt DC system into 110 - 220 volt AC

current

– This allows us to run small power tools or other AC

equipment off of the truck’s electrical system

– A Generator is the most common power source used for

emergency vehicles.

– They can be portable or vehicle mounted and can be

gasoline, diesel, or hydraulically powered

– Vehicle mounted generators usually have more

generating capacity than portables.

– Usually have 110-220 volt output with capacity up to 50

kilowatts

5

Lighting Equipment

Page 187

– Lighting Equipment can be divided into two categories

• Portable and Fixed

– Portable lights are used where fixed can not reach

– Portable lights generally range from 300 - 1,000

watts

– Fixed lights are mounted to a vehicle and are primarily

for lighting of the overall scene

– These usually have a capacity of 500 - 1,500 watts

per light

– The type and number of lights need to be match with

the power plant so as not to overwhelm it

6

Auxiliary Electrical Equipment Page 187 - 188

– A variety of other equipment may be used in conjunction

with power plants and lighting equipment

– Electrical cables or extension cords are necessary to

conduct power to portable equipment

– Cords may be stored in coils on cord reels, or on fixed

automatic rewind reels

– Twist lock receptacles provide secure connections

– Electrical cable should be water proof, explosion proof,

and have adequate insulation without exposed wires

– All outlets should have ground fault circuit interrupters

and conform to NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical

Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces

7

Maintaining Power Plants

and Lighting Equipment Page 188

– Servicing and maintaining portable power plants and

lighting equipment is essential for reliable operation

– Guidelines for servicing and maintenance: {use owner’s manual}

• Run all power plants at least once a week and test the electrical

appliances for operating status

• Check gas & oil levels weekly and after each use

• Wear gloves when changing quartz bulbs {normal hand oil can

cause the bulb to explode when energized}

• Inspect electrical cords weekly for damage

• Inspect the spark plug, spark plug wire, & carburetor weekly.

Keep a spare spark plug readily accessible

• Change or run dry the gasoline every 3 weeks to ensure freshness

8

Hydraulic Tools Page 188

– Rescue tools can be operated manually or by powered

hydraulics

– These tools have a wide range of uses, speed, and power

– Manual hydraulic tools operate on the same principles as

powered hydraulic tools except that the pump is

manually powered

• Powered Hydraulic Tools

– Receive their power form hydraulic fluid pumped

through special high pressure hoses

– Some systems use compressed air

– Most are powered by electric or gasoline motors

– May be portable or may be vehicle mounted

9

Hydraulic Tools Page 188 - 189

• Manually operated pumps are available to overcome

the occasional engine failure of power tools

– There are four basic types of powered hydraulic tools:

• Spreaders

• Shears

• Combination Tools

• Extension Rams

• Spreaders • These were the first tools to come available

– Capable of pushing or pulling

– Generate up to 22,000 psi at the tip with up to 32” spread

10

Hydraulic Tools Page 189

– Shears

• Capable of cutting almost any metal object they can grab

• Some models can not cut case hardened steel

• Produce up to 30,000 psi of force with an appx. 7” bite

– Combination Spreader / Shears

• Do both jobs

• Tips do the pushing / pulling, arms do the cutting

• Usually less powerful than the individual tools

– Extension Rams

• Usually used for pushing, can be used for pulling

• Can extend from 36” closed to 63” open

• Open with a pushing force of up to 15,000 psi

• Closing force is about one-half the opening force

11

Left to Right

Combi-Tool

Light Spreaders

Heavy Spreaders

Same tools in

their open

position

12

Left to Right

Combi-Tool

Small Shears

Large Shears

Same Tools In

Open Postion

13

Small, Medium, and

Long Rams - Closed

Small, Medium, and

Long Rams - Open

14

Manual Hydraulic Tools Page 190

– Two manual hydraulic tools are used frequently in

extrication work:

• Porta-power tool systems and hydraulic jacks

• The primary disadvantage to manually operated hydraulic

tools is that they operate slower than powered hydraulic

tools, and they are labor intensive.

– Porta-power tool system

• Basically a commercial shop tool that has been adopted by the

fire service

• Transmits pressure from a hydraulic pump through a hose, then

to the attachment at the end of the hose

• The primary advantage or this over a hydraulic jack it that it has

numerous accessories that allow it to be used in tough spots

15

Porta - Power with “jaws”

16

Manual Hydraulic Tools

Page 190

– Hydraulic Jacks

• Designed for heavy lifting applications

• Excellent compression device for shoring or stabilizing

ops

• Most hydraulic jacks have lifting capacities up to 20 tons

– Units with higher capacities are available

• All jacks {hydraulic or other} should have flat, level

footing, and should be used in conjunction with cribbing

– Non-Hydraulic Jacks

• These tools are effective for their designed purpose, but

they do not possess the same power as hydraulic jacks

17

Non-Hydraulic Jacks

Page 190 - 191

– These can be considered hand tools because they do not

operate with hydraulic power

– These tools are effective for their designed purposes, but

they do not have the same amount of power as hydraulic

jacks

• Screw Jacks

– Operation is by turn the shaft of the jack

– Check for wear after each use

– Keep them clean and lightly lubricated

– foot plates should be checked for wear and damage

18

Non-Hydraulic Jacks Page 191

• Two Basic types of Screw Jacks:

– Bar Screw Jack

• Excellent for supporting collapsed structural members

• Normally not used for lifting

• Primary use is to hold an object in place, NOT to move it

– Trench Screw Jack

• Often used to replace wooden cross braces due to their

application, durability, and relatively low cost.

• Consists of a swivel foot plate and a threaded stem

• An adjusting nut on the threaded stem is turned to vary the

length of the jack and to tighten it between opposing members

in a shoring or stabilizing system

19

Non-Hydraulic Jacks Page 191

• Ratchet - Lever Jacks

– Also known as high-lift jacks, used as medium duty

– Consists of a rigid I beam with perforations in the web

and a jacking carriage with two ratchets on the geared

side that fits around the I beam

– Ratchet jacks are dangerous because they are the least

stable of all the various types of jacks

– If the load shifts, the jack can fall.

– They may also fail under heavy loads

– WARNING: Rescuers should never work under a load

supported only by a jack. If the jack fails or the load

shifts, severe injury or death may result. USE cribbing

20

Cribbing

Page 192

– Rescue vehicles should carry an adequate amount of

appropriately sized cribbing

– Cribbing is essential in many rescue operations

– When selecting your wood, it should be solid,

straight, and free of such major flaws as knots or

splits

– Most popular dimensions are 2x4’s and 4x4’s

– The length of the pieces may vary, but 16” to 18” is

the standard length

– Can be stored staked in a compartment or placed on

end inside a storage crate

21

Pneumatic {Air Powered} Tools Page 192 - 193

– These tools used compressed air for power

– Air can come from vehicle mounted compressors,

apparatus brake systems, SCBA cylinders, or cascade

system cylinders

– WARNING - Never use compressed oxygen supplies to

power pneumatic tools. Mixing pure oxygen with grease

and oils found on the tools will result in fire or explosion

– Air Chisels - Also called pneumatic hammers or impact

hammers; are very useful in extrication work

– Most operate at pressures between 100-150 psi

– They come with a variety of interchangeable bits

22

Pneumatic {Air Powered} Tools

Page 193

– CAUTION - The sparks produced while

cutting metal with pneumatic chisels may

provide an ignition source for flammable

vapors

– Pneumatic Nailers - These are very useful for

nailing wedges and other components of a

shoring system

23

Pneumatic {Air Powered} Tools Air Tool Being Checked for Readiness

24

Lifting / Pulling Tools Page 193 - 194

– Lifting / Pulling Tools - These tools include Tripods,

winches, come-alongs, chains, air bags, and block &

tackle systems

– Tripods - Used to create an anchor point above a utility

cover or other opening allowing rescuers to be safely

lowered into and raised out of confined spaces.

– Winches - Excellent pulling tools, can usually be

deployed faster than other lifting/pulling devices and are

much stronger as a rule.

– CAUTION - Whenever possible, a winch operator should

stay farther away from the winch that the length of the

cable from the winch to the load. {Figure 7.56}

25

Lifting / Pulling Tools - Continued Page 194 - 195

– Come-Alongs - This is a portable cable winch operated

by a manual ratchet.

– In use, the come along is attached to a secure anchor

point and the cable is run our to the object to be moved

– the most common sizes or ratings are 1 to 10 tons

– Chains - Can be used as part of a lifting / pulling system

– Only alloy steel chains of the correct size should be

used in rescue work

– These are highly resistant to abrasion making them ideal

for this kind of work

– Proof coil chain {common or hardware chain} is not

suitable for emergency situations

26

Air Bags Page 195

– There are three basic types of lifting bags

• High-Pressure

• Medium Pressure

• Low Pressure

– High-Pressure - These are a tough, neoprene rubber

exterior reinforced with steel wire or Kevlar®

– Deflated, the bags lie completely flat and are about 1 inch

thick. They range in size from approximately 6” x 6”

to 36” x 36”

– All bags attain their rated capacity @ 1” of lift, after that,

they lose 50% of capacity per extra 1” of lift

27

Air Bags - Continued Page 195 - 196

– Low and Medium Pressure Bags

– These are considerably larger than high pressure bags

and are most commonly used to lift or stabilize large

vehicles or objects, often in a recovery situation

• Air Bag Safety Rules

– Lifting operations should be planned before starting

– Operators should be thoroughly familiar with the

equipment, its operating principles and methods, and all

of its limitations

– Operators should follow the manufacturer’s

recommendations for the specific system used

28

Air Bags - Continued Page 196

• Air Bag Safety Rules - Continued

– All components should be kept in good operating

condition with all safety seals in place

– Operators should have available an adequate air supply

and sufficient cribbing before beginning operations

– The bags should be positioned on or against a solid

surface

– The bags should never be inflated against sharp objects

– The bags should be inflated slowly and monitored

continually for any shifting

– Rescuers should never work under a load that is

supported by air bags only

29

Air Bags - Continued Page 196

• Air Bag Safety Rules - Continued • The load should be continuously shored up with enough

cribbing to adequately support the load in case of bag failure

• When box cribbing is used to support an air bag, the top layer

should be solid; leaving a hole in the center may cause shifting

and collapse

• Bags should not be allowed to contact materials hotter than

220°F

• Bags should never be stacked more than two high. With the

smaller bag on top, the bottom bag should be inflated first

• CAUTION - Air bags should be inspected regularly and should

be removed from service if any evidence of damage or

deterioration is found

30

Air Bags - In Storage

31

Block and Tackle Systems Page 196 - 197

• Because of their mechanical advantage in converting

a given amount of pull to a working force greater

that the pull, a block and tackle is useful for lifting

or pulling heavy loads

– A Block is a wooden or metal frame containing one or

more pulleys called sheaves

– Tackle is the assembly of ropes and blocks through

which the line passes to multiply the pulling force.

Figure 7.64

32

The

End