Lieutenant Doty discusses air bag placement as well as location of sensors that trigger the air bags deployment.  Vehicles manufactured after 2006 can have more than 8 air bags that can be dangerous to both rescue workers and occupants after the collision.  Members were informed of their locations and how to extricate without causing the detonation of any additional air bags as well as the distances to maintain while extricating the occupants, known as the "5, 10, 20" rule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Firefighter Bill Cecil, Firefighter Matt Lookadoo, Firefighter/EMT Tim Stanley, and Firefighter Evan Jobes gain access to the patient using several different types of window punches all the while shielding the patient from falling glass utilizing extrication blankets.  The glass of a vehicle actually enhances the strength of a car during extrication, this is another reason firefighters remove glass from the vehicle before extrication
    Firefighters are shown here beginning the "5th Door" by using the spreaders to pull the door away from the pin.  This technique is used expedite extrication to avoid complication that often arise when performing a door "pop"
    This view of the vehicle demonstrates how the extrication process can provide excellent accessibility to remove patients that have become entrapped in a vehicle after a collision.  This process has taken about 6 minutes to complete.

    Firefighter Evan Jobes and Firefighter/EMT Tim Stanley are now removing the doors and the "B" post from the occupant compartment of the vehicle.  Units will now utilize the spreaders to completely remove the side structure of the vehicle. 

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    Firefighter Bill Cecil is now cutting the pin that holds the door to the frame, as you can see in the picture the spreaders forced the door outward from the main vehicle structure which allows Bill to access the pin with the cutter in a procedure that takes less than a minute.

 

    Before any extrication could begin, firefighters utilized step chocks and wheel blocks to stabilize the vehicle.  By performing stabilization we can prevent any additional injuries caused by movement of the vehicle and also give us a solid base to push and pull during the extrication.  Paden City Rescue 6 carries a large variety of cribbing to secure vehicles in virtually every position.  The variety includes step blocks, wheel chocks, 6" x 6" x 20" blocks, 4" x 4" x 18" blocks, various sizes of wedges, and filler blocks.  Eventually members will equip the new rescue with stabilization struts to further enhance our capabilities in serving the surrounding area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Tim and Matt are now using a tool called a glassmaster to enable crews to remove the roof and windshield simultaneously.  In order to complete the process a whole is made in the middle of the windshield and a simple L shape is made from the whole to both sides of the vehicle to allow roof removal.

 

 

 

    Bill and Matt are utilizing the hydraulic cutters to cut through the C post in order to remove the roof.  By removing the roof, Company 4 allows for maximum access to patients as well as specific backboard placement in situation that require the extrication of a patient with spinal injuries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Finally the extrication has been completed by performing a modified dash roll.  A dash roll is a method of lifting a dash and steering column off of a trapped individual.  In this scenario Company 4 utilized the spreaders instead of the rams.  This technique gives an extra foot of leg room and give access to paramedic to assess injuries and perform lifesaving measures.