Vehicle Extrication- Armored Car (Brinks, etc.).

The other day, some of us were spit-balling ideas and wondered how we'd handle an extrication scenario involving an armored car. I was unable to find any information on the subject. The only thing I can think of is to contact an armored car company & see if they feel like sharing.

Does anyone here have any experience with doing an armored car extrication? Thanks in advance!

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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on September 14, 2009 at 8:00pm

That's gotta be real nice for the injured people inside the humvee!

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Permalink Reply by DUST on September 14, 2009 at 10:32pm

Loyd,
You are way off...this is a Canadian armored vehicle...

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Permalink Reply by anna m mills on September 14, 2009 at 10:43pm

i love that we are always thinking here. me too just when i thought after 23yrs i have seen every type of veh there is to cut apart! we never stop learning!!

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Permalink Reply by K Cornett on September 15, 2009 at 1:55pm

Here is some more info on the Rat Claw... the photo is GREAT (though small).

Only caveat I'd see is if the door flies off like in the photo you really don't know where it will flail around to.

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&...

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Permalink Reply by shannon laborde on September 15, 2009 at 9:35pm

I got this from another site, maybe something to think about....
The idea behind extricating is that the vehicle's structure has been compromised due to the nature of the accident/crash in which the vehicle does not operate properly: IE, the crash has physically damaged the vehicle so that doors, etc, will not open as they were designed, thus requiring them to be opened with force (IE, extrication).

I think we can all agree that an armored vehicle has a certain number of impressive structural "improvements" to make them armored above and beyond a normal vehicle. IE, the plate-metal and all the underbody/frame to hold the weight and everything else associated with the vehicle being "armored."

That being said, there is a very good chance that all of this additional hardware would prevent the need for extrication through the fact that the vehicle can sustain for worse damage to its structure before its doors, etc, will need to be forced opened.

A frontal impact on a regular vehicle will most likely compress the vehicle to the point where the door becomes pinned in its own door frame and would require extrication to open. However, a similar impact with an armored vehicle may result in the doors will working fine because the stronger frame and re-enforced nature of the amour kept the doors and their frames in proper working order.

I would also hazard to guess that the protocol of each individual armored car company would dictate what happens next. Obviously the guards would stay in the vehicle after being involved in an MVA could be considered part of a hijacking attempt (IE, hit it on purpose, overwhelm the guards when they get out), but at what point could/would open the armored vehicle themselves.
When the police arrive?
When the police contact the company and the company contacts the guards?
When another armored vehicle arrives to secure their load?

I would assume that if the guards inside have not sustained any injuries then they would be able to simply open their doors from the inside once the "all clear" was received (however they receive it). If they are UNR (unresponsive) then that does pose a problem. Perhaps the armored car company has a supervisor that can respond to scene and open the doors via a key or the company can use a remote unlock command (assuming that the electrical devices are still operational inside).

If extrication was needed, it does look like the majority of the hardware is accessible from the outside of the vehicle. I had a look at one this morning but didn't have my camera (I would assume the guards would get a little jumpy if someone started taking close ups of armored vehicle!). But I did find a picture, all-be-it a blurry one, online which does show a lot of the door hardware outside the door/frame. IE, hinges, lock, handle, etc (circled in red)

I am going to see if I can send an e-mail directly to come armored car companies to see if they would be willing to come online to answer some of our questions. Maybe they can't give us tactical knowledge of an armored vehicle, but they might be able to tell us what to expect as far as protocols for what their guards can and can not due and how the company would proceed if one of their units was involved in an MVA, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey Zorn on October 27, 2009 at 10:28pm

found more info and good pictures of this tool and of it in action http://www.ibistek.com/pdfs/ratclaw.pdf

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 27, 2009 at 10:46pm

I'd think twice...or more than twice...about using a tool designed for military armored vehicles on a civilian armored car. For starters, up-armored Humvees are designed much differently than armored cars, and the people inside them want to be rescued.

An armored car isn't designed to be yanked apart like this. For starters, they don't have the same type of hinges. Add an armed guard who may be injured and not mentating normally, and the violence with which this device works, and I'm not sure it's a good idea in the non-military world.