25
Vehicle Rescue
and Extrication
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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25
Alternative-Powered Vehicles
(2 of 2)
• After crash, cylinders or fuel lines could be
damaged.
– CNG could escape.
– Threat of BLEVE
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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
8
Electric-Powered Vehicles
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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.
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Hybrid Vehicles
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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.
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25
Vehicle Anatomy (2 of 2)
• The left side of the car
– On your left as you sit in the vehicle
– 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.
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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.
14
Vehicle Posts
“A” Post
“B” Post
“C” Post
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Traffic Hazards
• Traffic must be slowed or stopped as
motorists approach the scene of an
emergency.
• Traffic hazards are best handled by the
police.
• Work with the police to control traffic in a
safe manner.
• If law enforcement is not on the scene,
verify that they have been dispatched.
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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.
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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.
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25
Electrical Hazards
• Disconnecting the vehicle’s power source
should be done following your local SOP.
• Downed power lines should be handled by
BC Hydro.
• Do not approach a vehicle and do not let a
victim leave the vehicle until the electricity
has been controlled.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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25
Box Crib
• Standard cribbing can
be used to form a box
crib.
• Place cribbing at right
angles to the
preceding layer of
cribbing.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Force the Door (1 of 4)
• Door displacement
– May be difficult and
somewhat unpredictable
• Choose door that will not
endanger the safety of
the victim.
• Use hand tools to bend
the sheet metal away
from the edge of the door
where the hydraulic tool
is to be inserted.
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25
Force the Door (2 of 4)
• Place the spreader in a position so that it
is not in the pathway of the door.
• Do not stand in a position that might put
you in danger.
• Activate the hydraulic tool to push apart
the outer sheet metal skin of the vehicle to
expose the hinges or door latch.
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Force the Door (3 of 4)
• Once the outer sheet metal has been
exposed, close the tips of the spreader
and remove them.
• Insert the closed tips onto the inner skin of
the door and the doorjamb just above the
latch or above the hinges.
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Force the Door (4 of 4)
• Activate the spreader.
– Separating a door at the latch side
• Place a 4" x 4" cribbing under the bottom of the
door first.
• Some hydraulic tools can cut door hinges.
• Separating a door from hinge side
– Place the spreader on top of the bottom hinge
and separate door from hinge.
– Place 4" x 4" cribbing underneath the door to
hold it in place.
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Provide Initial Medical Care
• As soon as you have secured access, begin to
provide emergency medical care.
– A qualified emergency medical provider should do
this.
• Provide emotional as well as physical care.
• Care can be provided while extrication is taking
place.
• Work toward the goal of getting the victim
stabilized and removed from the vehicle as
quickly and safely as possible.
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Disentangle the Victim (1 of 3)
• Purpose is to remove the parts of the
vehicle that are trapping the victim
• Remove the sheet metal and plastic from
around the victim.
• It is not “cutting the victim out of the
vehicle.”
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Disentangle the Victim (2 of 3)
• Before beginning disentanglement, study
the situation.
– What is trapping the victim in the vehicle?
– Perform only necessary procedures.
– The order in which procedures are performed
is dictated by scene conditions.
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Disentangle the Victim (3 of 3)
• Protect the victim at all times.
• Use backboards and blankets to shield
victim.
• Explain procedures to victims to reassure
them.
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Displace the Seat (1 of 5)
• In frontal and rear end crashes, the driver
may be trapped between the steering
wheel and the back of the front seat.
• Displacing the seat can:
– Relieve pressure on the driver
– Give rescuers more space for removal
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Displace the Seat (2 of 5)
• Attempt simplest steps first.
– Attempt to move seat back on its track either
manually or engaging power seats.
– Attempt to lower adjustable seat.
– Perform a dash displacement if moving the
seat back does not work.
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Displace the Seat (3 of 5)
• As a last resort, use a manual hydraulic
spreader or a powered hydraulic tool to
move the seat back.
– Place one tip of the tool on the bottom of the
seat.
– Avoid pushing on the seat channel that is
attached to the floor of the vehicle.
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Displace the Seat (4 of 5)
• Place the other tip of the spreader at the
bottom of the “A” post doorjamb.
• Support the victim.
• Engage the seat adjustment lever on
manual seats and open the spreader in a
careful fashion.
• Seat should move backward in a
controlled fashion.
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Displace the Seat (5 of 5)
• Remove seatback in some cases.
– Cut the upholstery away from the bottom of
the seatback.
– A reciprocating saw or a hydraulic cutter can
be used to cut the supports for the seatback.
– Be certain that the victim is supported and
protected during this procedure.
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Remove the Windshield (1 of 5)
• Removing windows provides better
communication between personnel inside
and outside the vehicle.
• Try and roll down windows first.
• Side and rear windows are tempered glass
that can be removed by striking in a lower
corner.
– Protect victims from glass by covering them.
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Remove the Windshield (2 of 5)
• Windshield made of laminated glass
• Cannot be broken by spring-loaded center
punches
• Consists of plastic laminated glass and
designed like a sandwich
• When struck by sharp stone or springloaded center punch, a small mark is
formed, but remains intact.
• Remove the windshield in one large piece.
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Remove the Windshield (3 of 5)
• Most common
technique is removing
the windshield by
using an axe.
– Protect victim.
– Begin cutting at the
top of windshield at
the middle using short
strokes of the axe.
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Remove the Windshield (4 of 5)
– Cut down the side next
to the “A” post.
– Finish by cutting the
bottom of the
windshield.
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Remove the Windshield (5 of 5)
• Second rescuer starts at the top of the
windshield and cuts second half of the
windshield.
• When the second rescuer is finished, lift
window out of the frame.
– Place it in a safe area.
• A saw can be used to accomplish this
technique as well.
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Remove the Steering Wheel (1 of 3)
• During a crash, the steering wheel may be
pushed back into the victim’s abdomen or
chest.
• Removing the steering wheel can help in
disentangling a victim from the vehicle.
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Remove the Steering Wheel (2 of 3)
• Removal of the entire steering wheel is
possible using hand or power tools.
– Hand tools include hacksaws or bolt cutters.
– Power tools include hydraulic cutters and
reciprocating saws.
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Remove the Steering Wheel (3 of 3)
• One method of removal is to cut the
spokes as close to the hub as possible.
• Second method is to cut the hoop or ring.
• Can be removed completely or one
section can be cut or removed.
• Cutting the hoop or spokes leaves sharp
edges.
– Sharp edges need to be covered.
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Displace the Dash (1 of 5)
• During frontal crashes, the dash will get
pushed down or backward.
• If victim is trapped by dash it must be
removed.
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Displace the Dash (2 of 5)
• Technique is called
dash displacement or
a dash roll-up.
– Objective is to lift the
dash up and move it
forward.
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Displace the Dash (3 of 5)
• Requires a cutting tool such as hacksaw,
reciprocating saw, an air chisel, or
hydraulic cutter to cut “A” post.
– A mechanical high lift jack or hydraulic ram is
needed to push the dash forward.
– Cribbing is needed to protect the opening
made from displacing dash.
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Displace the Dash (4 of 5)
• Sequence for displacing dash.
– Open or remove both front doors.
– Place backboard between victim and bottom
part of the “A” post.
– Cut the bottom of the “A” post perpendicular
to where it meets the sill or the floor of
vehicle.
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Displace the Dash (5 of 5)
• Place the base of the tool at the base of
the “B” post.
• Place the tip of the tool at the bend in the
“A” post.
• Extend the tool in a controlled fashion to
push the dash up and off the victim.
• Build a crib to hold the sill in position.
• Carefully monitor victim during the dash
displacement.
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Displace the Roof (1 of 4)
• Removing the roof has several
advantages.
– Allows equipment to be passed to the
emergency medical provider
– Increases the amount of space available to
perform emergency medical care
– Visibility and fresh air supply are improved.
– Helps reduce feeling of panic caused by the
confined space
– Provides a large exit route for the victim
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Displace the Roof (2 of 4)
• One method is to cut the “A” posts and fold the
roof back toward the rear of the vehicle.
– Provides limited space
– Takes same time as removing the entire roof
• Roof displacement can be accomplished with
hand tools and power tools.
– Hand tools include hacksaws, air chisels, or manual
hydraulic cutters.
– Power tools include reciprocating saws and powered
hydraulic cutters.
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Displace the Roof (3 of 4)
• Steps for roof
displacement
– Assure safety.
– As roof is cut, rescuers
have to support roof.
– Remove all glass.
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Displace the Roof (4 of 4)
• Cut the posts farthest away from the victim.
• Cut the posts to ensure that the least amount of
post will remain after roof removal.
• When cutting the wider rear posts, cut them at
the narrowest point in the post.
• As each post is cut, a rescuer needs to support
that post.
• Cut the post closest to the victim last.
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Remove and Transport the
Victim (1 of 3)
• Victim needs to be stabilized and
packaged in preparation for removal.
• Definitive treatment of trauma victims
needs to be done at a hospital.
• Amount of stabilization on the victim while
in the vehicle should be limited to steps
needed to prevent further injury.
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Remove and Transport the
Victim (2 of 3)
• Develop a plan for victim removal.
• Be sure that a clear exit pathway is available.
• Removal needs to be directed by a designated
person.
• Use clear commands.
• Assure adequate number of rescuers.
• Make sure that everyone involved understands
the commands that will be given.
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Remove and Transport the
Victim (3 of 3)
• Try to make removal process as seamless as
possible.
– Locate the ambulance cot close by.
• Follow directions of EMS personnel in charge of
victim care.
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Secure the Scene and Prepare
for the Next Call (1 of 2)
• Final step is to secure the scene and
prepare for the next call.
• Gather all of the equipment used, inspect
it, clean it, sharpen it, refuel it, and place it
back in the proper location.
• Sometimes this can be done at the scene.
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Secure the Scene and Prepare
for the Next Call (2 of 2)
• After major incidents, may be necessary to
return to the station to clean and restock
the apparatus.
• Personnel need to prepare for the next
call.
– Rehabilitation may be necessary.
– Personnel may need to shower, change, and
eat before another call.
• Maintain safe practices.
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Summary (1 of 4)
• Most fire departments are involved in
extricating victims from vehicles.
• Extrication should follow logical steps.
• It is important to prepare equipment and
personnel for extrication emergencies.
• Respond safely and efficiently to an
extrication incident.
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Summary (2 of 4)
• Size-up needs to evaluate all of the
hazards that are present.
• Stabilizing the hazards is essential to
assuring safety for all people at an
emergency scene.
• Tools used for gaining access and
disentanglement work by stabilizing,
bending, cutting, or disassembling.
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Summary (3 of 4)
• You gain access to victims by opening
doors, breaking tempered glass, or forcing
doors.
• Techniques for disentangling victims
include displacing a seat, removing the
windshield, removing the steering wheel,
displacing the dash, or displacing the roof.
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Summary (4 of 4)
• Victims need to be properly packaged and
carefully removed to prevent further pain
and injuries.
• Equipment needs to be cleaned and
returned to apparatus to be ready for the
next call.
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