Extrication Flashcards
6 basic principles
• Always expose interior vehicle trim before cutting
• Always try and cut at 90º angles
• Always allow your tool to freely move during cutting
• Never allow your hose/coupling to contact the vehicle during
cutting operations
• If your tool cannot freely move, reposition
• Always monitor blade tips and ensure they have space to
move forward
Exposing interior trim allows you to…
identify the safest area to cut.
identify airbag inflators and seatbelt pretensioners
identify the exact areas of strength.
Identifying substantial construction features such as seat belt anchor bolts and height adjustment rails will allow you to positionyour cutters away from such areas
spread hinges from
top to bottom to move door away from passenger compartment
dual stage airbags
can still deploy because both stages dont always deloy
Taking the medical condition of the patient into consideration, removal of the seatbelt
is recommended as soon as possible
four main locations for the seatbelt pretensioning system
lower B pillar, mid B pillar, inner front seatbelt buckle
area and rear deck area.
crumple zones
These are zones in the car body and chassis developed to absorb the impact
energy of a collision and to prevent energy from being absorbed into the passenger cell and
thus into the occupants of the vehicle.
flexion, tension, torsion
bent (flexion), stretched (tension), or twisted (torsion)
hazards of new seats
Airbag sensors, mini gas cylinders, and in some
case airbags themselves should not be cut through.
To avoid this first always remove the upholstery with
a knife to investigate for hazards before cutting
through with a hydraulic cutter.
hazards of pillars and posts
Reinforcement for the mounting
of the seatbelts can cause damage to cutter blades.
Seatbelt pretensioner systems can also damage
hydraulic cutters. The most hazardous however is
to cut into an airbag inflator. This can be very
dangerous as the release of the compressed gas
inside the cylinder or fragment of the cylinder itself
can cause serious injury
hazards of Automatic Roll-Over Protection
Systems (R.O.P.S.)
These systems deploy as the vehicle begins to roll over.
They are typically stowed behind
the seats in the rear deck area
presents a significant risk to rescuers if deployment accidentally occurs
avoid by disconnecting the battery and avoiding the deployment path.
the _____ battery terminal is disconnected first
negative ( ) to remove the
chance of sparks caused by inadvertantly
grounding the positive terminal.
stabilize car on wheels
3 points ok, 4 better
stabilize a vehicle on its side
support it under the A and C pillars.
Shore the bottom side with mechanical
struts
stabilize car on roof
Chock the space between the back of the vehicle and the ground. Add additional blocks to the space between the engine compartment and the windshield for added stability.
