![]() However, firefighters use them most, especially during fatal car accidents that lead to complications such as compressions of sheet metals, etc. You can use hydraulic rescue tools in various emergencies. The jaws of life tools are special equipment with hydraulic fluid used for extricating victims of accidents from compressed areas, especially during a fatal car crash. You may be wondering, “What are jaws of life?” This article is a corpus of everything you need to know about the equipment. Others led to further complications that resulted in fire outbreaks and other deadly occurrences.ĭriven by the urge to find a better solution, George Hurst invented the jaws of life in 1961 to remedy the limitations rescue teams faced during their missions. Not because the victims couldn’t have been rescued, but because some of the rescue measures were time-wasting. ![]() “We require all of our firefighters to be certified in each discipline they perform in.Accidents have claimed many lives. “The Kennedy Space Center Fire Rescue Services is second to none,” Moore said. Then they will advance to the technician level 2, which is an additional 40 hours of training. Hayes said for vehicle extrication, the firefighters have to complete a 40-hour operational class, which is compliant with the National Fire Protection Association. “We train to provide rope rescue, which would be an elevated rescue from the side of a building or tower confined space rescue, which would be rescuing somebody from a manhole or vault and vehicle extrication using the Jaws of Life.” “The special rescue team is a diverse group of individuals that are trained at a higher level than the standard firefighters,” Hayes said. Michael Hayes, the assistant chief of Safety and coordinator for the Special Rescue Operations Team, said there are several types of rescue scenarios. “The type of equipment that we have available to us on the squad truck can range from a very simple center punch for clearing windows, all the way up to the Jaws of Life, which is a hydraulic tool that has up to 100,000 pounds of spreading force,” Seymour said. If, after an assessment of the scene, it is determined that the rescue is more complicated, then a squad truck would be dispatched that carries more advanced rescue tools. Seymour said that in response to a motor vehicle accident on the center, a fire engine would be dispatched with basic life-saving tools. Then they practiced using the Jaws of Life on the vehicle in order to simulate the rescue of a trapped and injured person. They also used a hydraulic cutting tool, capable of up to 50,000 pounds of force, to remove the roof of the vehicle. “We practiced extrication skills using a vehicle that had been damaged in an accident.”ĭuring the training, firefighters wearing full gear used very simple tools such as axes, to highly specialized tools to clear away windows. “The type of training we completed was vehicle and machinery extrication,” said Dave Seymour, battalion chief. “One of the missions of the Protective Services Office is to oversee fire rescue services,” said Tim Moore, Fire Rescue Emergency Management specialist in the protective services office. Now, with the completion of the Jaws of Life training, the Protective Services Office is one step closer to achieving certification in vehicle machinery extrication. Recently, Kennedy’s firefighters achieved Pro Board Certification in aerial fire truck operations. To ensure that safety, Kennedy’s Special Rescue Operations firefighters conducted training using the Jaws of Life and other advanced rescue tools at a facility nearby. Kennedy Space Center’s Protective Services Office considers the safety of each employee and visitor on the center a top priority every day.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |