![]() ![]() Prying him out with a crowbar threatened the integrity of the vehicle. The driver was trapped in his car, and using a saw to cut the occupant out of his confined spaced posed the danger of sparking a fire. ![]() Interestingly, the inventor of the jaws of life, George Hurst, was inspired by a collision he witnessed on the auto race track. The invention of the jaws of life has been credited with saving many injured people with a minimum of extra trauma. The expression the jaws of life may be applied to any number of hydraulic tools used as rescue equipment, which are used to cut through the wreck of a mangled passenger vehicle, spread apart the metal with a spreader or with rams run off a hydraulic pump. Emergency medical personnel are there too, to treat the injuries of victims and take them to the hospital as quickly as possible by ambulance. In most cases, the first responder who aids victims in their escape from such an accident is a firefighter, or a member of fire and rescue. A combination tool can shave precious seconds off a rescue, lessening the chance of harm or stress to a victim.The jaws of life is a term that refers to many hydraulic rescue tools used by emergency response crews in order to extricate an accident victim from the wreckage of a rollover, car crash, or other vehicular accident. That’s where rams come in, where a sturdy metal alloy rod is pressed forward to punch or ram apart sections of an accident that may be pinning a victim down and preventing their extrication.Ĭombination Tools: Instead of carrying multiple tools around, combination tools allow firefighters to use one device to both cut and spread damaged areas and extricate victims. Rams: While creating openings are important, there are times when a firefighter needs to dislodge parts of wreckage, like a steering column or a dashboard. ![]() Using immense hydraulic pressure, they cut through metals to remove damaged and dangerous obstructions, allowing openings for firefighters to extricate victims. Like a pair of reversed scissors, spreaders start in a closed position and apply outward force, moving apart steel and fiberglass frames with ease, giving victims the space to be removed from a hazard.Ĭutters: A more efficient version of the old-school circular saws and the opposite of spreaders, cutters operate like scissors on steroids. Spreaders: Hydraulic spreaders are primarily used for compressed car frames and other damaged and collapsing structures. There are four types of Jaws of Life tools. Rather than an hour or more extricating a victim, the Jaws of Life can remove a car roof in roughly two minutes. A gasoline or electrical power source pushes hydraulic fluid into the first piston, which then pushes down the second piston and applies immense pressure into the tool quickly. The Jaws of Life tool uses a piston system, similar to a car engine. The tool became an essential rescue device due to its speed. Oil can be used in many types of hydraulic equipment, but because oil is extremely flammable, the Jaws of Life typically use phosphate ester fluid, which is non-flammable and does not conduct electricity. Most hydraulic equipment uses some sort of incompressible fluid to help create optimal force. They’re noisy, which just adds to the stress and strain a victim might be enduringīecause they are “hydraulic” tools, the Jaws of Life are aided by fluid. The tools can be cumbersome and take longer for rescue, exacerbating the probability of injury Traditional saws can cause sparks, increasing the possibility for fire and explosion There were several drawback to using saws exclusively: Rescuers typically used circular saws to cut open car frames. Saws were used most often before the Jaws of Life were invented. ![]()
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