Jaws of life rescue tool

Edit Close. Don't have an account? Sign Up Today. Image: Colorado Springs Fire Department screenshot, see full video embedded below. In this case, a crew member cut the top of each bar, opening the gap to free the deer.

Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. Manage followed notifications. Close Followed notifications. Please log in to use this feature Log In. Instead of arms, the cutter has curved, claw-like extensions that come to a point.

Just like in the spreader, hydraulic fluid flows into a cylinder, placing pressure on a piston. Depending on the side of the piston that force is exerted on, the claws either open or close. When the piston rod is raised, the claws open.

As the piston rod lowers, the claws of the cutter come together around a structure, such as a car roof, and pinch through it. This particular model gives the operator:. If you understand the operation of the spreader and cutter, the ram is going to seem about as complex as a pair of scissors if scissors had hydraulics, of course.

The ram is the most basic type of hydraulic system: It's just a matter of using hydraulic fluid to move a piston head inside a cylinder to extend and retract a piston rod. If you look at some heavy construction equipment, like a backhoe loader , you'll notice that rams are used to control the boom arm.

The ram's function is to push apart sections of the car or other structure. For instance, a rescue worker can place a ram on the door frame and extend the piston to push the dashboard up, creating enough space to free a crash victim. Hydraulics play an important part in many of the machines around us, but none may be as vital as the equipment known as the "Jaws of Life. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots.

Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. How the Jaws of Life Work. Air Force Brig. Lance Pilch, th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, uses the Jaws of Life tool to remove the door from a truck during an exercise Dec.

Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Anna-kay Ellis. Simple Hydraulics Oil is the most commonly used incompressible fluid for hydraulic machines. In a simple hydraulic system, when a piston pushes down on the oil, the oil transmits all of the original force to another piston, which is driven up Advertisement.

Spreaders " ". Cutters and Rams " ". The new Roll Warning Feature alerts the user if the cutter blades are tip-loaded or positioned improperly around the metal, causing axial rotation and blade separation, and potentially progressing toward blade damage or fracture. The power button will turn red based on an internal gyroscopic sensor and allow the user to reposition the tool before damaging or breaking a blade. Extreme heat and extreme cold are the primary performance reducers with Lithium-ion batteries.

For example, most commercially available batteries are programmed to shut down at F internal temp for safety reasons, a common possibility in much of the country during the summer.

This ensures greater overall tool reliability and reduces environmental condition concerns when assessing rescue operations. The Power Level indicator allows the user to recognize max loading of the tool and either continue to drive or reposition for a cut or spread with less resistance. The battery status indicator on the SMART Dashboard also frees the user up to stay focused on the work at hand without having to access the rear of the tool to see their battery life.

When you combine all of these upgrades, the result is a tool platform that was already the most capable on the market and pushed it into a much more intelligent tool that interacts with the rescuer. This makes the rescuer more equipped, more capable, and more effective. He is assigned to a heavy rescue and is an active leader as a member of both local and national tech rescue response teams.

Zartman has delivered fire and technical rescue training courses and services around the globe for the last 15 years. He is also an international leader in fire-based research, testing, training and consulting related to energy storage. Zartman serves as regional training program director and advisory board member for the Bowling Green State University State Fire School.

Connect with Zartman via email. Request Info. Make FireRescue1 your homepage. Email Print. Dalan Zartman Heavy Rescue.