Vehicle extrication out of your tool box

[MIKE G]

Not to derail the vehicle tactics thread I mentioned starting a new thread on a tool kit that is capable of basic repairs but also capable of dismantling/extricating people from wrecked vehicles as well as gaining entry into fortified areas.

Ultimately it takes very few tools to literally destroy a vehicle, even cut it into chunks. Many of these tools would already be included in an automotive tool kit.

This list is from memory as I am traveling and dont have access to my kit at the moment. This comes from a list out of the BTLS Access curriculum for first responders I have added and adjusted items in my list. Once I get home I will add the verbatim items. The book can be found here: http://www.itrauma.org/products/index.asp?CategoryValue=Books

Crescent wrench (min 1, I prefer two of varying sizes)
Medium vice grips
window punch
Hacksaw (heavy duty style) with multiple metal cutting blades
spray or squirt bottle of soapy water
Locking blade utility knife
Heavy wire cutters
9-15mm sockets and driver
5/16-11/16 sockets off the same driver (I prefer 3/8)
2 long extension bars
2 short extension bars
medium and large flat head screwdriver
medium and large phillips head
3/8x7/16 and 1/2x9/16 open ended box wrench
11mmx12mm and 13mmx14mm open ended box wrench
medium or large channel locks
comprehensive set of allen wrenches, long ones are better
pry bar
High lift jack
2# sledge
cold forged chisel


with this kit you should be able to take a door off, lift a dash off someones legs, cut a roof off, remove a windshield, fold one hole side off a passenger compartment, roll a car over, safely break a side or back window, and generally dismantle and destroy quite a bit of stuff.

The basis of this kit is that you can accomplish everything a modern rescue team could with the JAWS just slower.

Example:

front/side collision on a sedan and passenger is entrapped in vehicle due to dash and door impinging on legs. Use the crow bar to peel the metal away at the hing side of the door until you can access the bolts that hold the door in place. Unscrew them with the socket or box wrench, if that is not accessible use the hack saw with an assistant spraying soapwater over the blade to cut the hinges. Once the hinges are cut you can try to access the nader pin or the pin that the door latch contacts with and cut that (it will cut, it is just slower going since it is often hardened steel). If that wont cut you can manhandle the door out enough to get the high lift jack in and use it as a ram to push the door out of the way possibly even enough to tear the latch assembly out of the sheet metal door. Once this is done you can use the jack to lift the dash off the passengers legs by putting the base in the corned of the door frame opposite the dash and the lifting point in the frame at the dash and jacking until sufficient space is present to move the patient.


Obviously this example leaves out quite a few details and should not be used as training but shows how you can initiate rescue with tools you should already have on hand.

Note that you should not take this list as a recipe but a concept. I would go through and see what size bolts are predominant on any new vehicle, if the doors are secured by 16mm bolts then I need to make sure I add that to my list.


Some things I added to my gear include a mini- halligan bar, small tow strap, chem sticks, neon spray paint, handheld flash light, mini carabiners, duct tape, and a few other items. All of this with the exception of the mini halligan and high lift jack fit into a USGI mechanics bag.


Get the book, read through it, find a junker vehicle you can use for your shooting practice and when it is beat to hell and doesnt run anymore use it for extrication practice. All it takes is a little imagination, a few tools, some gloves, and some eye pro.

DOC

[Iraq Ninja]

I think a crow bar may not be enough if you have to open a wrecked car as you describe, especially if someone is trapped inside.

If you have the space, why not go for a proper hooligan bar?

What about fire extinguishers? Not exactly a tool, but related.

[MIKE G]

That list is based off the text book, further down you may notice I added a minihalligan (24" if memory serves) as I felt the same way. I didnt include the fire extinguisher as I dont consider it part of this kit but a separate item however, any time you are cutting you should consider fire a threat and have a plan to deal with it.

I consider that list to be more of a foundation and not to be strictly followed,

DOC

[Iraq Ninja]

Roger that!

When it comes to tools, I know very little about brands other than Craftsman. What are the "Colts" or "Noveskes" of hand tools?

[citizensoldier16]

What are the "Colts" or "Noveskes" of hand tools?

Snap-On tools are about the best hand tools out there. As for power, I'd say Dewalt. However, the price difference between Craftsman and Snap-On is significant; enough for me not to buy them. Considering Craftsman has a "no questions asked, period" lifetime warranty, I stick with them. The one time I've had Craftsman tools break I simply grabbed the pieces and went to Sears to see the manager. I informed him that part of the handle had broken off one of my adjustable wrenches, which had seen considerable use and was obviously scratched, dented, and had paint on it. The manager took a look at the wrench and promptly walked me over to the wrench isle and grabbed an identical one off the shelf and handed it to me, saying "there ya go!" and I walked out. No paperwork, no reciept of return, no nothing. I'll stick with my Craftsman tools.

[Chooie]

Snap-On tools are about the best hand tools out there. As for power, I'd say Dewalt. However, the price difference between Craftsman and Snap-On is significant; enough for me not to buy them. Considering Craftsman has a "no questions asked, period" lifetime warranty, I stick with them. The one time I've had Craftsman tools break I simply grabbed the pieces and went to Sears to see the manager. I informed him that part of the handle had broken off one of my adjustable wrenches, which had seen considerable use and was obviously scratched, dented, and had paint on it. The manager took a look at the wrench and promptly walked me over to the wrench isle and grabbed an identical one off the shelf and handed it to me, saying "there ya go!" and I walked out. No paperwork, no reciept of return, no nothing. I'll stick with my Craftsman tools.

I've had mixed experiences with Dewalt tools. I have some older drill/drivers that have lasted forever and only seen replacement brushes, where the brake and clutch still work beautifully - but I've also seen a $500 hammer drill fall apart after just a few weeks of light (for a hammer drill) use. Sometimes you just can't get away from the fact that all they are is a dressed up Black and Decker drill.

Given the choice, I'll probably stick to Makita or Milwaukee power tools.

[Thomas M-4]

Snap-On tools are about the best hand tools out there. As for power, I'd say Dewalt. However, the price difference between Craftsman and Snap-On is significant; enough for me not to buy them. Considering Craftsman has a "no questions asked, period" lifetime warranty, I stick with them.

Snap-on is at there best with specialty tools the rest is most defiantly over priced..
Craftsman has its good and bad did you know that most of the time when they replace a ratchet it is replaced with a rebuilt unit ? You can thank the new CEO for that. Most of my ratchets and hand tools are Husky. All of my torque wrenches are Craftsman [they just give you a new one when it breaks]. I have found that the husky premium ratchets have less yaw than the craftsman's and they still have a life time replacement.
Matco as good tool not quite as pricey as snap-on but close.
Mac tool's tools I like the best but they are to pricey for me.

[Thomas M-4]

I've had mixed experiences with Dewalt tools. I have some older drill/drivers that have lasted forever and only seen replacement brushes, where the brake and clutch still work beautifully - but I've also seen a $500 hammer drill fall apart after just a few weeks of light (for a hammer drill) use. Sometimes you just can't get away from the fact that all they are is a dressed up Black and Decker drill.

Given the choice, I'll probably stick to Makita or Milwaukee power tools.

Makita and Milwaukee are good and there battery life seems to be Superior to Dewalt but for me the dewalts are built to last longer and when they do break down there is a dewalt repair shop near by.

[Fireguy275]

Screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers and similar tools all will not have much value in vehicle extrication without the aid of hydraulics. Nothing wrong with having them, just don't get wrapped up in the little things.

If you break it down by tasks an equipment list might go like this. Electric or battery powered tools can give you more options (battery or corded recips, battery impact wrench, air tools, etc.)

Forcing open jammed doors: high lift jack, 2 racquet balls, nylon strap, reciprocating saw.
Clear out any remaining window glass in the window opening.
Unlock the door and try to manually open the door operating both the inner and outer latches at the same time.
Wedge the inner and outer door latches in the open position using the racqetballs (this is called the nader bypass and avoids you having to forcefully defeat the nader pin assembly).
Place the high lift upside down in the window opening and put a hitch around the jack and the nearest roof post with your strap to control the door when it pops.
Operate the jack until the compressed metal releases and the door pops open. Because you set-up the nader bypass, you save yourself a lot of work.
If you need more room, cut the door hyperextension strap located between the hinges with bolt cutters or your recip and fold the door forward towards the front bumper. You'll get almost as much room as total door removal.

Roof removal: recip saw, pry bar
Although a recip saw can get through most posts with relative quickness, if you do a complete roof removal you need bodies to support the roof as you cut posts to keep it from falling in on your patient.
An alternative is to trench cut the roof and this works for an upright or sideresting vehicle.
Break out the rear window (window punch) and make a cut parallel with the long access of the car about 6" inboard from the roof rail. This puts you inside and away from any roof mounted airbag systems.
Do this on each side of the car, peeling the roof forward towards the hood as you work.
The pry bar inserted under the roof of pushed forward supports the weight and helps you peel the roof like a sardine lid. stop when you get to the windshield.

Rear window spread: Highlift jack
A very easy technique that gives you amost as much room as roof removal.
Break out rear window, place high lift jack on top of speaker deck and spread roof upwards. Roof will move up and rear seat/speaker deck area will compress down.
Remove jack and recline patient seat for patient removal.

Steering column displacement: Highlift jack, length of chain rescue rated chain with grab hooks, pry bar or haligan
Punch a hole in windshield or cut out a section for chain to pass though.
Simple loop of chain around steering column, hooked to itself with grab hook, then run chain across hood and anchor to undercarriage or around axle.
Place highlift on firewall area, with lifting portion under chain.
Operate jack which lifts length of chain and raises steering column.

Be careful cutting windshields, avoid when possible. Cutting glass throws a fine powder in the air and you don't want that in your lungs. Have a dust mask in your kit at a minimum.

A minimal kit that can get a lot done: highlift jack, length of chain, haligan and flathead axe, bolt cutters (can cut steering wheel ring or door hyperextension straps), small bag with ResQme window punch, nylon hose strap, 2 racquetballs, saw blades if you have a battery powered recip, utility knife.

I'll dig though my laptop at home and see what photos I have to demonstrate some of these techniques.

[perna]

Well not trying to ruin the thread, but most times trying to extricate someone from a vehicle when you are not trained is a bad idea. The amount of air bags and crash protection devices in new vehicles can kill you or others if dealt with wrong.

Unless it is a severe emergency (like the car is on fire) extrication is better left to professionals. Providing first aid and fire control are the best things you can do. In a severe emergency the best thing to have would be a window punch/seat belt cutter.

Even if help is a long way off, it can still make things worse by extricating someone. Neck and back injuries can be made worse by moving someone, unpinching their legs and feet can cause them to bleed out, plus an improperly placed jack can kill or injure you and others.

[MIKE G]

The basis of this thread was what you can do out of a tool bag you already have. When I was driving a Land Rover I always had a high lift jack and had more tools than what I listed. It isnt "hey, you never need to call 911 again because we can teach you via forum how to solve every problem you will ever have". Your logic can be applied to lots of things that are dangerous but might have to be done. Is it not better to have the knowledge and never have to use it than to not have any idea while sitting next to your buddy trapped in a car.

I could list a whole host of consequences of removing someone from an entrapment: Rescuer injury, further injury to victim, failure to address crush or compartment injury, exposure to blood borne pathogens, exposure to hazmat, and the list goes on.

We all take risks every day, how long do you think it would take for you to get comms with a rescue company during Katrina much less for them to get to you if you were in a heavily damaged/flooded part of town. As well, much of this equipment could be used in structural collapse, off roading, accessing secured facilities/travelways, and the like.


Enough about talking about why it is a good idea, I agree you can get into some trouble if you tackle a vehicle that is heavy with protection. It is nearly a full time a job to keep up with vehicle safety systems BUT if you have a training group in your area you may consider pulling a firefighter or professional rescuer into the fold.

Just as a note... lots of free training to volunteers in any field fire/rescue/EMS. Often you can get your EMT, FF1 and 2, and HRT paid by the state.


I will continue to keep my gear ready, but then again I was an extrication instructor and continue to teach rescue techniques in the thirdworld on both civi vehicles and up armored kit vehicles.

Fireguy, great info. The only reason I did not list power tools was that some people might not normally have those with a regular vehicle tool kit and can be a pricey addition. I do however have a couple of Dewalt recips, and a hammer drill which is nice to have. For the kit vehicles class a partner saw works wonders and has many uses elsewhere. A complete list of tools that can pushed into duty would be great for people that may find themselves providing a lot of services to mini communities should something severe happen.


DOC

[MIKE G]

Just got home and pulled out the textbook with the recommended list which I will provide here, I will try to get pics of my kit up this week.

Textbook kit based on placement on an ambulance:

Portable Generator (think Honda cube gen)
Gas either/and/or electric recip saw x2
10-short (4") Lenox Hackmaster 18tpi bimetal blades
10-long (6") Lenox Hackmaster 18tpi bimetal blades
12v single tube fluorescent work light with alligator clip connection to go to battery
120v single tube with plug to go to generator
20' extension cord

2-rigid frame hacksaws
10- Lenox hackmaster 18tpi blades for hacksaws
2.5# machinist hammer
12" cold chisel
16" large flat screwdriver
wonder bar (stanley or sears)
Schild panel cutter (google, can be home made out of an old lawn mower blade)
large side cutters
12" crescent wrench
6" crescent wrench
1/2" combination open end and box wrench
14mm combo open and box wrench
9/16 combo open and box wrench
15mm combo open and box wrench
spring loaded center punch
large channel lock pliers
large vise grip pliers
heavy knife
battery pliers
battery cable pullers
8x8 lightweight tarp
roll of duct tape
box of duct seal
2- squirt bottles of soapy water
12- golf tees
10-cyalume hi intensity light sticks
6' retractable tape
quickbar or halligan tool with pike
51" pinch bar
2-high lift jacks


This is the list straight out of the book which is written for ambulance based rescuers to initiate or effect a rescue with only the ambulance on scene. Obviously you are not going to roll around town with a generator and recip saws BUT if you already have a generator in your preps you may want to adjust where you load it in your BOV not just to handle extricating someone from a vehicle but lets say you have a small fender bender and need to "adjust" your fender so it doesnt rub against your tire. OR you need to "modify" a gate to gain access to railroads/firetrail/powerline trail it would be nice to have that generator and recip saw close to the top of the pile. Something I didnt see in this list is a set of bolt cutters which I think is important although mine seem to have walked off.

I highly recommend this book if you can spare the $25 as an addition to your library.

I will try to add more later on,

DOC

[bradb55]

Try adding a Milwaukee 28volt sawzall to your kit.

We added two to our first out trucks for extrication. They work like a cham.

You really need to have patient awareness when doing any extrication with any tool, well in extrication in general.

The sawzall is a great tool

[MIKE G]

I love the sawzall/recip saw and have two Dewalt 18V from when I first put together my personal kit but it may be a bit much in the way of investment for an individual to handle a contingency BUT excellent info for reference particularly for people who may have the gear on hand for work and can apply it to preps.

Something that gets overlooked quite a bit is the soapwater, it really helps keep the temp down on the blades so you dont glaze/melt the teeth off.

DOC

[bradb55]

Something that gets overlooked quite a bit is the soapwater, it really helps keep the temp down on the blades so you dont glaze/melt the teeth off.

DOC

You are so right. We took a couple of kitchep bottles and filled them up with soap and water. it looks like a lot of soap and water until you start to use it, then its gone in a hurry. Just make sure your not squirting it all over the patients

[fatmoocow]

I'm a big proponent of bolt cutters as a general purpose tool.

[Naxet1959]

Just as a note... lots of free training to volunteers in any field fire/rescue/EMS. Often you can get your EMT, FF1 and 2, and HRT paid by the state.


DOC

Any suggestions? I'd love to get an EMT paid for by my state, county, city etc...?

[MIKE G]

Best way is to find a volunteer agency. Much of the training listed is either required or recommended of volunteers.

DOC

[perna]

EMT classes are sometimes hosted at community colleges/tech schools, and normal college grants cover it.

[LockenLoad]

I've had mixed experiences with Dewalt tools. I have some older drill/drivers that have lasted forever and only seen replacement brushes, where the brake and clutch still work beautifully - but I've also seen a $500 hammer drill fall apart after just a few weeks of light (for a hammer drill) use. Sometimes you just can't get away from the fact that all they are is a dressed up Black and Decker drill.

Given the choice, I'll probably stick to Makita or Milwaukee power tools.

hilti makes some good power tools I have 1000 hours on there largest demo hammer