We had a cattle trailer roll over in or area. It was full of cows heading for the market. When it rolled it jamed the back gate shut. We had to use the spreaders and cutters to get it open. Luckly some one had another trailer to load the cattle onto once the gate was opened. NO cattle were killed in the crash and it will be brought up at the next extrication class (now I am the instructor) I am sure there are more stories like this out there so lets hear them.
Permalink Reply by chele on September 7, 2008 at 10:58pm
We have had many cattle trailers tip over on some curves north of here. The last one my hubby stood on the back of the firetruck while it was being driven alongside the trailer and used the circular saw to cut the top out along the side (which was UP); then cut down to the ground on each end and the top just laid down, allowing the cattle to step out. It worked really slick.
That doesn't sound as if it was the safest way to accomplish the task. I don't know any training program that teaches to operate a power saw from a moving vehicle.
Simply using the saw from atop the engine, or from a ladder, may have taken a few more minutes, but it would have been way safer.
There's been some really good articles in magazines about how to handle bees at accidents- a look through the archives of Firehouse and FireRescue came up with the following: Unwelcome Visitors: Is EMS Ready for Fire Ants and Killer Bees?http://tinyurl.com/5wm3gj