BOF FF2 Chapter 3*27 Technical Rescue Support and Vehicle Extrication Operations

What roles do firefighters have at technical rescue incidents?

recognize the hazards associated with the type of incident, understand methods for mitigating the associated hazards, and recognizing, locating, and sometimes operating rescue tools and equipment

What hazards may be present in a confined space rescue?

Atmospheric include oxygen deficiency due to inadequate ventilation, flammable gases and vapors, toxic gases, extreme temperatures, and explosive dust; Physical include limited means of entry and egress, tight constricted spaces, cavens are unstable support members, standing water or other liquids, and utility hazards including gas, sewage, and electricity

What is the first priority at structural collapse incidents?

Help get untrapped victims to a safe area (the next priority is to extricate victims who are trapped by collapsed debris)

What hazards may be present at a water rescue incident?

undercurrents, unstable or slippery soil at water's edge, debris, sinkholes, quicksand, sharp rocks, extreme temperatures, chemical or biological contamination, and poisonous or dangerous reptiles

What hazards may be present at cave?

Toxic gases, oxygen deficiency, tight spaces, sharp rocks, potential for cave ins, lack of available light, standing or swift running water

What hazards may be present at mine?

Toxic gases, oxygen deficiency, explosive atmospheres, cave ins, a abandoned tools and equipment, lack of available light, and standing water

What hazards may be present at tunnel operations?

Toxic gases, oxygen deficiency, smoke, fire, tangled debris, electrified rails or wires, lack of available light, standing water or other fluids, and biological waste and sewers

How can Firefighter IIs assist at an elevator rescue incident?

Intended to function as a support role to assist trained elevator rescue technicians; Contact should be attempted with occupants without opening hoist way doors, there may be a phone which establishes two-way communication with elevator, otherwise shout through the hoist way door at the nearest landing and attempt to recall the elevator to the main floor and open the doors if possible

What kind of hazards may be present at an electrical line emergency?

Passengers may fall onto or between rails; firefighters may have to enter tunnels to assist passengers from stall trains or subway cars (never work around these tracks unless it is proven that the power has been shut off)

List four common types of stabilization tools

jacks, tension buttress systems, wheel chocks, and cribbing

Which type of powered rescue tool is designed primarily for pushing?

Extension Rams

Which type of cutting tool is ideal for cutting sheet metal body panels on vehicles?

Reciprocating saw

How do high-pressure lifting bags compare to low- and medium-pressure bags?

High pressure bags are constructed from tough, neoprene or butyl rubber exterior reinforced with steel wire or Kevlar aramid fiber (when deflated, they are about 1/2 inch to 1 in thick and their surface area ranges from 6 by 6 in to 36x36 in and a height up to 20 in); Low and medium pressure cushions are considerably larger than high pressure bags and can inflate to a greater height, up to 6 ft, Using Their power to lift it stabilize large vehicles or objects And are mostly stable when fully inflated (versus high pressure bags which loose stability and lifting power as they inflate)

Which pulling tool is typically mounted on a vehicle?

Winches

Identify the eight sides of a vehicle

Front, rear, interior, exterior, driver side, passenger side, undercarriage, and roof

Which types of vehicles may use full or rigid vehicle frames?

Larger automobiles and trucks, particularly heavy duty Vehicles that carry or pull heavy loads

Which vehicle windows are typically made of laminated glass?

Most windshields and some rear windows (many vehicle manufacturers use in all windows)

Which vehicle windows are typically made of tempered glass?

Mostly side windows and some rear windows

What is the first step of a vehicle extrication operation?

Size of the incident scene

What is the primary hazard at vehicle incidents?

Traffic

Describe the priority order for extricating victims from a vehicle

Seriously injured victims must receive higher priority than those with minor injuries; victims were not trapped should be removed first to make room for rescuers who are trying to remove those who are in trapped (as each assessment is completed, crew members should report the information to the IC)

What must be done to stabilize a vehicle that has all four wheels on the ground?

wheels must be chocked to prevent horizontal movement

What is one method for shutting down electrical power in electric and nonelectric vehicles?

(First lower power windows and unlock power doors, move power seats back only if the victims medical condition has been evaluated and is safe to do so); Turn off the ignition and remove the key (this works in both types of cars)

What techniques can be used to disable seat belts and pretensioners?

(do not cut the B posts exterior units during extrication); to disable - cut the seat belt webbing, un-buckle, and retract the seat belts

How can rescuers avoid being impacted by a head protection system or extended rollover protection system during vehicle extrication?

Removing the roof can mitigate this a HPS (be careful not to cut into high pressure cylinders and other devices used in conjunction with it); For ROPS, power down the vehicle as soon as possible (they may have to be deployed intentionally to prevent them from being a hazard during extrication)

Which type of window glass is typically not removed from a vehicle during extrication?

windshield (safety glass)

In which situation might a rescuer displace the dashboard of a vehicle?

common after front-end collisions, in which victims are often pinned under the steering wheel or wedged under a dashboard

Accountability Officer

Personnel position in the Incident Command System (ICS) assigned the role of monitoring entry and exit of all personnel into and out of the hot zone (IDLH environment) at an incident.

B-Post

Post between the front and rear doors on a four-door vehicle or the door-handle-end post on a two-door car.

C-Post

Post nearest the rear door handle on a four-door vehicle. On a two-door vehicle, the rear roof post is considered to be the C-post.

Case-Hardened Steel

Steel with a surface that is much harder than the interior metal because the surface layer was hardened via special heat-treating methods. Used in the construction of vehicles.

Chassis

Basic operating system of a motor vehicle consisting of the frame, suspension system, wheels, and steering mechanism.

Come-Along

Manually operated pulling tool that uses a ratchet-pulley arrangement to provide mechanical advantage.

Confined Space

Space or enclosed area not intended for continuous occupation, having limited restricted access openings for entry or exit, providing unfavorable natural ventilation and the potential to have a toxic, explosive, or oxygen-deficient atmosphere.

Cribbing

Lengths of solid wood or plastic used to stabilize vehicles and collapsed buildings during extrication incidents.

Extension Ram Hydraulic Jack

Lifting jack that uses hydraulic fluid power supplied from a manually operated hand lever.

Hypothermia

Abnormally low body temperature.

Low-Head Dam

Wall-like concrete structure across a river or stream that is designed to back up water; allows water to flow over the crest and drop into a lower level. Also known as Low-Water Dam.

Nader Pin

Bolt on a vehicle's door frame that the door latches onto in order to close.

Personal Flotation Device (PFD)

A life jacket, vest, or other device that provides buoyancy for the wearer. Devices must be U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type III or V when used for rescue operations.

Pneumatic Lifting Bag

Inflatable, envelope-type device that can be placed between the ground and an object and then inflated to lift the object; it can also be used to separate objects. Depending on the size of the bag, it may have lifting capabilities in excess of 75 tons (68,040 kg).

Pretensioner

Device that takes up slack in a seat belt; prevents the passenger from being thrown forward in the event of a crash.

Ratchet-Lever Jack

Type of lifting jack that uses the principles of leverage to operate. It is capable of lifting moderately heavy loads but tends to be unstable; generally recognized as the most dangerous of all jacks.

Rope Rescue

Use of rope and related equipment to perform rescue.

Safety Glass

Two sheets of glass laminated to a sheet of plastic sandwiched between them; the plastic layer makes the glass stronger and more shatter resistant. Most commonly used in windshields and rear windows.

Screw Jack

Long, nonhydraulic jack that can be extended or retracted by turning a collar on a threaded shaft.

Secondary Collapse

Collapse that occurs after the initial collapse of a structure; common causes include earthquake aftershocks, weather conditions, and the movement of structural members.

Side-Impact Protection System (SIPS)

Air bag system designed to protect passengers during side-impact collisions; may be operated mechanically or powered by the vehicle's electrical system.

Stabilization

Process of providing additional support to key places between an object of entrapment and the ground or other solid anchor points in order to prevent unwanted movement.

Step Chock

Piece of cribbing with a tapered end, specially designed for stabilization of automobiles. Also known as Step Block.

Supplemental Passenger Restraint System (SRS)

Air bag system that adds protection for drivers and passengers.

Tempered Glass

Treated glass that is stronger than plate glass or a single sheet of laminated glass; safer than regular glass because it crumbles into chunks when broken, instead of splintering into jagged shards. Most commonly used in a vehicle's side and rear windows.

Tensioned Buttress System

Stabilization system consisting of posts and struts wedged between the ground and the vehicle to prevent movement.

Trench

Excavation in the earth that is narrow in width, usually 15 ft (5 m) or narrower. It is longer and deeper than it is wide.

Trench Rescue

Set of rescue incident strategies and tactics used to extricate a victim from a trench.

Undertow

Underwater current that moves in the opposite direction to what is expected, such as away from the shoreline or upstream rather than downstream.

Unibody Construction

Method of automobile construction in which the frame and body form one integral unit; used on most modern cars.

Wheel Chock

Block placed against the outer curve of a tire to prevent the apparatus from rolling; made of wood, plastic, or metal.

Winch

Pulling tool that consists of a length of steel chain or cable wrapped around a motor-driven drum; most commonly attached to the front, rear, or side of a vehicle.