Equipment on the job

Training is only part of the equation; equipment is ever-changing, too. When you consider how much training the team does, as well as how many times the tools are used in emergency operations, it's no surprise that Palm Harbor's equipment lasts from eight to 10 years.

When the department needed to replace its heavy hydraulic extrication equipment, it studied what was available from various vendors, who each spent a day at the agency discussing and demonstrating their products. Then 10 people, including chief officers, training officers and firefighters, formed a committee to test the equipment. They wanted to determine which product was the safest, easiest to maneuver, most user-friendly and best-suited for Palm Harbor's needs. During the practical part of the field study, the equipment was tested on car doors and roofs, as it would ordinarily be used on the job, as well as on bumpers and frames.

Though the results of the testing were very close, the committee decided to buy a Genesis Rescue System. Unlike low-pressure systems that operate at 5,000psi and use hydraulic fluid, the Genesis system has an operating pressure of 10,500psi and uses a mineral-based oil.

In addition to the Genesis cutter, Palm Harbor Fire Rescue uses an S40 XL spreader and a 16C Brute combination tool that cuts and spreads. The team has various sized push-pull rams and a telescoping ram that extends from 26 to 57 inches. A hydraulic C30 mini cutter, designed for one-handed operation, can be used in confined spaces such as under a vehicle dashboard. Palm Harbor also has a T-Rex C165 hydraulic cutter with a point-to-point spread of 6H inches that can sever the B post behind the door in one pass, as well as DeWalt electric- and battery-powered saws.

The department's heavy-rescue vehicle was replaced in 2001 with an E-ONE model that has a permanently mounted onboard generator for running up to four tools at the same time. Should there be a need for equipment farther away than the 100-foot truck-mounted cord will allow, there's also a portable 6.5hp Genesis Mach V Simo pump large enough to run two tools at once. In situations where a gas generator can't be used, such as a building collapse or in a confined space where carbon monoxide might build up, pneumatic hand-pump tools also are carried.

Strategic competitions

While training scenarios are essential, competitions allow the extrication team to learn from others. They bring back information about tools and new techniques that benefit the entire department and the community they serve. The knowledge and skills transfer to day-to-day operations and other firefighters in the department. In addition, patient care and efficiency improve as the team practices for the competition. Team members become experts who are able to teach other departments and pass along their acquired knowledge.

Accolades and trophies boost the morale of a department, but the recognition and respect from people who have been through a competition build teamwork and pride within the entire department. In addition to placing first or second in regional and national competitions, Palm Harbor Fire Rescue joined with four other extrication teams in 2006 to form the Suncoast Extrication Coalition and to host the Florida Regional Extrication Challenge. This competition was sanctioned by the Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee, the governing body that oversees auto extrication education throughout the United States and Canada.

The Florida competition involved two 20-minute events: limited and unlimited. During the limited event, participants could use any tools they wanted except hydraulics. This tested ingenuity because tools that cut easily weren't available, yet time was still important. In this event, reading the vehicle came into play and technique was essential. In the unlimited event, any tool could be used, including hydraulics.

A local business donated cars for the competition. Different scenarios were planned ahead of time and numbered. Because the scenarios were all different, the last team to compete didn't have an advantage over the first team. Each team drew a number but had no idea what their scenario was going to be. This unknown factor gave a sense of urgency.

The teams competed one at a time. Each team had 20 minutes to set up their tools in the pit before being sequestered while a scenario was set up. Wrecked cars were rolled or stacked, and a mannequin was placed inside. When the scenario was ready, the team rode to the site in a fire engine, as it would on the jobs, to make it as realistic as possible. Timing began when the team crossed the starting line.

Each five-person team and its incident commander needed to immediately identify the hazards, determine how many patients were involved, discover how the scenario patient was pinned inside, stabilize the scene, and develop a plan. In general, two plans were best so that if the first didn't work, another was still available. Both plans also could be worked at the same time. This is where free-thinking teams had an advantage as they removed the vehicle from around the patient, not the patient from the vehicle.

Extrication is like a chess match: Both require advanced planning. Planning three and four steps ahead promotes a proactive strategy.

Tips for teams

Palm Harbor Fire Chief Jim Angle and District Chief Dan Zinge, who is also the extrication team incident commander, offer the following suggestions and hints for fire departments that want to form a competition extrication team.

Selection process

Look for team members who work well together and complement each other's strengths. They should be able to take directions and be open to suggestions. Because they work together so closely, they will develop a sibling relationship with each other. They also must be willing to support each other as they work, realizing that no one can be the star all of the time.

Leadership

At least one individual should want to fulfill the incident commander role. This person will need to command, organize the information presented, formulate a plan, and stand by it. He or she will be the team's spokesperson and its the coach.

Commitment

Be sure you have a personal commitment from the team members and that the entire department supports the team's effort. These are not six people on their own; they represent the entire department and the experiences of its individual members. The chief should show an interest in the team by attending as many events as are financially possible.

Support

Provide your people with the tools they need to be successful — not just the hardware, but a positive atmosphere in which to learn. Try to make entering competitions as financially viable as possible. Palm Harbor Fire Rescue has been able to finance competition entries through its training and education program. Members also have raised some funds for themselves and solicited donations and sponsorships from the community and apparatus and tool companies.

Best practices

Get out and ask questions of other teams, both in person locally and through membership to national organizations. Palm Harbor Fire Rescue is a member of the Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee. Its Web site, www.terc.us, not only contains useful information, but has a place where individuals can ask questions of experts in other locales.

Auto accidents are the same everywhere. It's how the rescuers respond that makes the difference, saves lives, and prevents injuries to both patients and rescuers. If given the financial resources to perfect their craft, the time to practice and a supportive atmosphere, a department's extrication team members can develop into a well-oiled machine that is able to provide excellent service to the community.

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Jim Weiss is a former police lieutenant, military police officer, and State of Florida investigator. Mickey Davis is a Florida-based writer and author. Together they are frequent contributors to a number of public safety magazines.