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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on September 29, 2011 at 3:55pm

We have unlimited SCBA bottles available to us. Even though our engines have air chucks, we really never use them for rescue air bags deployment or anything for that matter. You don't need that much air to do the job... A single SCBA bottle has always been more than enough air to deploy the air bags. This observation includes the impact gun and air hammer.

We use Hurst Tools for the cutting and spreading needs. Dealing with hose reels is not problematic if built-in but what limits you is distance. With long response times between stations, setting up our engines to be all hazards response vehicles was our only option which means that space is limited. 

 

We do not have a "Rescue" but instead, a truck company that is outfitted for a myriad of rescue situations and is known as our giant tool box. The truck company has a reel mounted inside one of the compartments but again, access and distance from the truck to the incident is often times too far. This is why we prefer using portable bottles in conjunction with our air bags verses using a truck driven air compressor.

 

Stay safe!

CBz

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on September 30, 2011 at 10:21am

I would agree with Mike here. There should be enough SCBA bottles on scene to handle an extrication emergency. You can accomplish more, and quicker, with a set of hydraulic tools than working with pneumatics. SCBA bottles are easy enough to refill and reuse than to worry about having an air compressor.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Willman on October 1, 2011 at 9:31pm

We do have hydralic tools on our rescue trucks and use them, but we are looking into an air compressor to add to that aresonal. I have always learned to have a back up plan at all times and be ready to use it if the first plan fails. I also understand about the portablilty of scba bottles, but we are seeing how much an air compressor would be. Because if you use a bottle for an air hammer or that stuff, it will use that bottle really fast. I have seen an scba bottle used with a regulator in an extrication class, and they could not even cut a full panel on the side of the small car off without changing bottles. We sometimes only have about 5 bottles on an accident scene that are available unless using mutual aid's scba bottles.

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