News and Notes on Extrication – May, 2017

It has been a busy spring, but I have collected a few items to share with everyone…

I spent a few days at FDIC in April and here are a few of the new vehicle rescue items that were introduced or shown there (I don’t make any money or advertising revenue from any of these folks – just want to share what is new/newer in the industry for everyone’s knowledge, especially extrication instructors.):

ESI/Junkyard Dog has introduced a new 10,000 LB Strut in the JYD line.  The XTEND HD strut is now out and can be viewed here: http://junkyarddogindustries.com/products/new-2017-xtend-hd-rescue-strut/  .  The nice thing about these struts is that from a training and use point of view, they are literally identical to the original JYD struts.

Paratech has introduced a new “Strut Driver” for their systems.

A better video on this is located here:  https://vimeo.com/214572465.  I have not gotten a chance to work with them yet, however they seem pretty straightforward.  This is an add-on component that works with existing struts, so if you have Paratech you just need to look at the strut driver.

I have mentioned this in the past, but it looks like RESQTEC and PowerHawk have finally started the process of bringing the new EDD Technology tools to North America. (http://resqtec.com/rescue/edd-technology/) This is one tool that I really want to get my hands on and try.  The technology is basically a hydraulic rescue tool without the hydraulics.

Not necessarily from FDIC, but AMKUS has a couple things to note…   They have introduced their battery-powered line of rescue tools which they have branded as “ION” (http://www.amkus.com/product-type/ion-battery-powered-rescue/).  They are using the Dewalt batteries.  They do not have is a long-arm spreader in this series yet.

The other big Amkus news is that they have discontinued production of the “Ultimate System”.  While the system has its pros and cons, there were many agencies that loved the system, and the unmatched tool speed.  I have worked with many of these systems and do take some getting used to though.  Going to be interesting to see what some agencies do now when it comes to replacing trucks/systems…

On to another topic…   Like many of my heavy rescue counterparts, I have recently been working and conducting training a lot more with winches and rigging.  If there is one thing that I cannot stress enough anymore to instructors is to please take the time to inspect chains and rigging [before use] when teaching classes as I am finding a lot – as in really a lot – of substandard, damaged, and/or otherwise bad chain, winch and rigging tools on rescue trucks.   Over the next few weeks I will be trying to post additional pictures and reference information for everyone to use either in training and/or their own departments on how we can improve on these tools from a safety and use perspective.

And the last thing for this message – several years ago I was introduced to the Chain Cable Rescue techniques from the Scandinavian region.  Recently I have had the time and truck resources necessary to do this in a heavy environment.

I cannot stress enough – this is not a beginner technique…   This requires an understanding on vehicle construction and proper rigging.  The truck in the video was older and so the forces required were minimal.  This was done with a 3-part line to keep forces on the rigging and winch well below their working load limits.  (And yes, if you take notice, this was an example of “sub-standard” rigging that we debriefed with the agencies.)

Well that is enough for now…   As always, please feel free to share with your counterparts as none of this information is proprietary, top-secret, or classified…

Keep it safe!   EJR