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Res-Q-Jack anyone?
My department just received a complete Res-Q-Jack kit. I am just curious if anyone else has them and can tell me some experience tips, things to watch out for, likes and dislikes. Anything will be helpful. The Rep from the company came down today and went over the equipment. I dont know if I am sold on it yet. I think I like Air Shores better.
Thanks, William
Thanks, William
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by KOJOFF on
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Ive used the ResQJacks at an extrication school. The rep that was there showed us a bunch of "tricks" that he has learned thru using them at his department. I was rather impressed with them as a whole, but just like everyone else says here.... train, train, train, train.... and not the "toot-toot" kind. Get out, use them, practice setting them up. Im trying to lobby the powers that be here and at my vollie dept to get them, but cost is making the bean counters pass out. But, thats a whole different discussion.
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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We have the RescueQJack system on the rescue. They are OK, I think they are a basic kit. Somewhere around 1600. We just went to the Paratech Strut Vehicle Stabilization Kit and trench rescue set-up 28 struts.
Not sure why it takes long to set up, the rescue jack is pins and clips. Last winter a guy dropped a pin in the snow at a job and the jack was useless. So the struts are in my opinion better. They all can be shot, locking collars and they have a bigger base plate to disperse the anchor/base plate. The Rescuejack is a much smaller plate and we had to use plywood or a ladder plate to stablize in the wet grass or mudd. We moved some equipment not used reguarly and leave them attached, remember strut and two extensions max...
Our RescueQJack kit has one crank expandable jack and two fixed pin in place struts. All paratech stuts are shootable....
80,000lb lateral impact force for the para-strut, I don't think the rescue jack has the same rating.
RescueQJack is cheaper but Para Struts get my vote. Just my two cents
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Why would you want to shoot struts on a vehicle accident? Pneumatic struts are designed to shoot (use air pressure) for trench and excavation shoring where you want to pressurize the sheeting/panels as tightly as possible. If you're shoring an unstable vehicle or collapsed structure, you should set the struts in place softly...in other words, set them by hand and not with air.
The chances of overpressurizing a strut against an unstable vehicle are pretty great, especially if the vehicle is a lightweight unibody on its side. Shooting a strut against something where both ends aren't equally heavy and secure (like trench walls) means that the weaker end will likely move. The point for most vehicle stabilization is to secure it so it doesn't move.
Telecribbing and Alpha Crutches have foot plates somewhere about halfway between the ResQJack and Paratech or Air Shore foot plates. Setting them on wet or slick surfaces isn't usually a problem...IF...you extend the strut to the proper length, set it at a proper angle, and tension it correctly.
Lateral forces on the strut aren't really pertinent most of the time. The ratchet strap, not the strut, is the weak point in any tensioned buttress system. Even if strut forces were the most important thing, how many overturned 80,000 pound passenger vehicles have any of us stabilized lately?
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They sell a vehicle stabilization kit which work faster than the RescueQJack (if you store them full length just like the anchor boat RescueQJack system) You don't shoot them when doing vehicle stabilization but extend the air strut by hand and then spin the hand size locking collar. Shooting is for technical rescue, trench or building collapse (shoring upheader, etc.) But the vehicle stabilization kit is shootable for technical useage.
The weak link to the entire operation is most likely to be the anchor point in which you chose. The lateral impact of sheer is important if you were to have a long strut and the load shift. The kits are not designed to lift under the stabilization mode, but can lift if you have the right tips and the chain (sling) for lets say a tractor tanker on a car, etc.
The base plate is valid, been there done that, larger plate is better for stabilization under soft terrain .
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Let's take these in reverse order...if the terrain is so soft that a regular strut base plate won't work, you're probably going to need to build some type of weight-distribution system from cribbing. The USAR double-funnel model for collecting, transferring, and distributing a load isn't any different for vehicle stabilization than it is for structural collapse.
Lateral/sheer forces are going to overstress a nylon ratchet strap a loooooong time before they're going to cause a steel strut - of any decently-designed brand or type - to fail. If all you need is a system that will stabilize a car on it's side, pneumatic USAR struts are expensive overkill.
The anchor point isn't going to be the weak point for the vast majority of MVCs with overturn that occur on pavement. That stretchy, easy-to-cut-when-tensioned nylon strap is generally going to be the weak point compared to the strut, regardless. Once again, a 80,ooo-lb strut is still expensive overkill for the vast majority of MVC overturns.
Note that I am not a ResQJack fan. I have used them in training only. They work OK, but there are better options out there. I am a fan of both the Alpha Crutch and the Rescue 42 Telecribbing, both of which are faster, safer, and easier to use than the ResQJack or any USAR strut adapted for auto extrication.
My department has some very good USAR technicians...all of whom use Paratech struts for structural collapse and Rescue 42 Telecribbing for MVCs. We formerly used Paratechs for MVCs, but moved them to USAR-only status as soon as we got our first set of Telecribbing.
A larger base plate might be marginally better than a small base plate, but really soft terrain is going to eat either one like quicksand. If the surface is that soft and associated with a big stabilization problem, it's probably better to unload the lumberyard and fill the void with cribbing instead of trying to bridge it with struts - any kind of struts.
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The pins and clips point is valid, but if you carry a few extra pins and clips, that problem goes away.
The pin is easy to find after the call most of the time - a simple sweep with a long-handled magnet works just fine, even in snow.
Long-handled magnets are easy and cheap to find at most hardware or industrial supply stores. We use them all of the time to recover used nails after USAR training. So much easier on the tires, yanno?
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Good idea with the magnet though. We didn;t have any extra pins until one was lost in the snow, and I know nobody who carries a magnet for auto accidents. Picking up nails makes sense. The pin/clip issue sucks when you lose it and people are waiting for you to finish stabilization. I know the para-struts have nothing to drop like a pin/clip. I have no experience with either of the other two systems you mention.
The ratchet straps do have only a 3000 lb pull rating. Yes they are the weakest of the KIT. If you live in New England though, the weakest can easily be the rusty or corroded frame rail or suspension component from the salt usage, if you errantly anchor to a subframe hole. Many of these rails are so weak during annual vehicle inspections, you can put your finger through it.
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That's why I moved to an area that has palm trees instead of snow!
The rusty car thing is a valid point. The Rescue 42 Telecribbing and Alpha Crutches have multi-use heads that are designed for a variety of purchase points on the car. These include an angled V-block that cradles a frame rail or a solid floor pan contour line on a unibody. That helps the tip to spread the force better and to hold a flat-edged car component better than a typical Paratech or Air Shore strut C-block.
One other thing about the size of the foot plate - if you use very large ones, they may be too large to fit between rocks and other obstructions in uneven terrain. That situation is common for cars over an embankment or off-road accidents in hilly or mountainous terrain. You can use the smaller swivel feet for Paratechs if you have them available.
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