I’ve been on somewhat of a rant about getting back to the basics with some extrication techniques lately.  Mainly because we sometimes get overzealous in our efforts to use the most fancy electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic tools.  Tunnel vision, maybe.  Remember, you may need two or three options to perform a rescue.  Keep it simple, fast, and safe.

A recent training opportunity allowed the same scenario to be set up 6 times.  The firefighters were told to perform the rescue the first…

Great training with Avon (OH) firefighters of all experience levels.  Thanks for the invite.  Pictures are worth more than words as usual, so the summary will be short.

• What tools are on your rig?  Different haligans, axes, sledgehammers?
• Gap, Set, Force the door!  Repetition is hard to come by, so take advantage of acquired structures and props.
• Know your saw; starting, stopping, changing the blade.  I encourage a little friendly competition.  Who on the crew…

This truck fire appeared routine on arrival.  The driver reported no occupants in the truck and no hazmats in the box.  You’ll see a quick knock down with water and foam, but burning magnesium kept burning through the foam blanket. Usually more H2O will suppress this type of burning metal fire, but sand was used for final extinguishment in this case.

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