A tool cache manager can be invaluable on the extrication scene, organizing tools, coordinating resources, acting as a safety officer and much more
By Todd D. Meyer

The cook who supports the cattle drive. The pit crew that supports the race car driver. The administrative assistant at Station #51 who keeps the BCs inline. The ground support crew that keeps the fighter jets in the air. My wife who puts up with me and allows me to come home. Behind any good outfit is a competent support system. And the extrication scene is no exception—we must have a tool cache manager!

Why is a tool cache manager so important? This position can make or break an extrication. The tool cache manager can help the incident commander (IC) coordinate the scene and can assist the extrication group supervisor. Plus, their integral work helps eliminate downtime, which the patient may not be able to afford.

Upon Arrival
Depending on your outfit, the first-in engine driver is usually the logical choice to be tool cache manager. After getting the scene set up—which usually involves defensive positioning, cones for traffic and pulling a line—they can roll right into being the tool cache manager. Designating a tool cache manager early (rather than playing catch-up) is the best choice when dealing with complex situations like the extrication scene.

The Actual Tools
The type and severity of the wreck will dictate the makeup of the tool cache—whether it’s just a BLS medical bag or the entire complement of tools off the rescue, engine and truck, or somewhere in between. I know this stuff is heavy to lug over to the staging area, but it beats the cut team yelling at you and having to run back to the truck over and over again.

The hydraulic tools should be out, hooked up and warmed up. Assuming you did your daily rig check, they should be gassed and oiled. The generator (inverter) should be going with the Sawzall attached. Are there extra Sawzalls blades ready to be deployed? If the air chisel is being used, do you have spare air? The list of questions goes on and on.

What Do You Need?
The tool cache manager needs to think ahead and forecast potential needs. What does the interior team need? What’s the cut team’s next move? The tool cache manager needs to be on their toes, being proactive about equipment and resources. Some people may say this is overkill, but trust me, it helps everything run smoothly.

Illuminate the Area
Don’t wait until it’s dark to fire up the lights. In fact, fire up the lights well before dusk to ensure you're prepared. Also, for those of you who have inverters with load managers, if you have your scene lights up and on, and the wig wag going while operating a Sawzall, you need to think about what to shut down first when the system gets overloaded. Don’t wait until 0300 HRS to figure this out. Hopefully the electrical outlet powering your Sawzall takes priority over the decorative Christmas lights that you still haven’t taken off the engine.

Other Duties of the TCM
Good tool cache managers keep their heads on a swivel, have good situational awareness, are experienced in extrication and have an in-depth knowledge of the craft. Additionally, they should care about safety. Depending on your manpower, the tool cache manager could have dual roles and act as an informal safety officer, especially since they’re usually one layer removed from the task level. Plus, they’ve probably been at the scene since the beginning of the incident and have witnessed its evolution.

Most of us don’t have staffing to man a hoseline while also performing the extrication. So if your standard operating guidelines tell you to pull a line during extrication, this could be a secondary assignment for the tool cache manager. Place the charged nozzle near the cache, and if something goes wrong, reaction time will be short.

Another helpful use: If the cot isn’t out of the medic unit, the tool cache manager may be in position to make this happen. Rather than setting the back-boarded patient on the ground and wondering who’s getting the cot, the tool cache manager can forecast this and make it happen.

Final Thoughts
The tool cache manager may not get all the glory, but based on the differences between incident where I’ve had them and those where I haven’t had them, it’s clear that they make a huge impact. They’re the unsung heroes who make the cut team and the IC look good. Remember, without gas for his tanks, General George Patton only went so far. The cowboys could only ride so far on an empty stomach. And, of course, without my wife, I wouldn’t have made it to work, because the dog misplaced my keys.

Support systems often get overlooked, are mainly underappreciated, sometimes misunderstood, and usually understaffed. The time you miss them is usually when they’re already gone—and that kind of sounds like a country song.

Todd Meyer is a battalion chief with the Gig Harbor (Wash.) Fire & Medic One. He has 16 years of fire service experience. Meyer holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Central Washington University, as well as IFSAC Fire Fighter I and II, IFSAC Fire Officer I and II and Strike Team Leader qualifications. He’s a Pierce County Type III team member and instructs extrication classes on the West Coast. Meyer is the co-founder of “Crunch Time,” a hands-on vehicle extrication class hosted by Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One and a member of the IAFC.

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