FireFighterNation

By Les Baker
Published Sunday, January 1, 2012 | From the January 2012 Issue of FireRescue

As is the case at any vehicle collision, once responders determine that a patient is entrapped in a side-resting vehicle, they must determine the best tactics to mitigate the situation. These tactics should not only provide an effective path of egress in a proficient manner, but they must also ensure the safety of patients and first responders. In most cases, a complete roof removal, partial roof removal and/or roof flap is sufficient to complete the extrication. One factor that should be considered in the decision-making process is the presence of high-side glass, which refers to any door or window glass on the elevated side of a side-resting vehicle.

Know the Hazard
Vehicles may have between 5 and 10 square feet of glass on either side of the vehicle—glass that could eventually be suspended over a patient and/or interior rescuer. And if this high-side glass needs to be removed during the extrication process, it has the potential to “rain down” on the patient and interior rescuer. Tempered glass will result in thousands of small pebbles, while laminated glass that has to be cut will result in dust and fine slivers of glass. Although interior rescuers and patients should be properly protected from this hazard, the glass always seems to find ways to work through this protection, increasing the risk of lacerations. Also, the glass coats the work surface, complicating further stabilization and creating a slip hazard.

Best Tactics for High-Side Glass
When high-side glass is present on a side-resting vehicle that requires extrication tactics, responders should consider a partial roof removal or flap. After a ridge cut, the bottom posts can be severed for a partial roof removal or the roof relieved and flapped down. Completing these tactics will provide a suitable path of egress and avoid high-side glass removal.

Some key points to consider when completing a partial roof removal or flap and avoiding high-side glass:

• The first and most obvious consideration in determining your ability to complete a ridge cut is the outward signs of construction features, such as sunroofs, luggage racks and convertible hard-tops, all of which complicate the tactic. The presence of these features does not necessarily rule out the tactic; however, the components should be evaluated to determine if it is possible to make the ridge cut from one end to the other.
• Displace the interior trim and headliner to evaluate for possible hazards, and determine the width of the side roof rails. This step also helps to determine the presence of any additional construction features that may cause difficulty.
• If readily available, use a hydraulic cutter to make a roof rail cut on the front and rear, just inside the side roof rail. The cutter should be able to make the cut in the thicker and larger material easier than other tools, especially if the collision has damaged the structural components. However, if the hydraulic tools require time to set up, and a reciprocating saw or chisel is readily available, responders can begin the tactic with these tools. Ensure that other personnel continue to set up the hydraulic tools in case they are needed.
• If there’s any doubt about whether the glass will stay intact, it may be beneficial to take the glass in a controlled manner early in the incident. The last thing you want to do is break the glass unexpectedly and defeat the purpose of the tactic to start with. It may cause both physical and mental harm to the patient.
• Throughout the tactic, place hard protection between the cut locations and the patient and interior rescuer. Maintain an appropriate level of soft protection over the patient and interior rescuer during the operation.
• After completing the tactic, harden the egress by covering the remaining sharp edges and clearing the hot zone as much as possible to decrease slip and trip hazards during patient removal.

Another similar option, depending on vehicle damage, is cutting the high-side posts while avoiding the glass. This is only applicable when the roof has been displaced inward, leaving a gap between the framed glass and posts. When attempting these cuts, ensure that the cutting tool does not strike the framed glass, creating the risk of unexpectedly breaking the glass. If the tool of choice is a hydraulic cutter, ensure that it is placed correctly so it doesn’t torque into the glass. The best course of action: Position the cutter in line with the flat portion of the post so the cutter does not pivot during the cut and rotate into the glass.

Avoid the Glass    
Crew resource management is becoming widely accepted as an important tool in the fire service, and one major concept it supports is error management. One part of the error management model is avoidance, as this is the first way to prevent error with the least amount of risk. Similarly, the best way to manage high-side glass is to avoid it all together. Even when responders take all the appropriate glass-mitigation steps, there’s a good possibility that some of the glass fragments will cause issues throughout the extrication process.  

Baker’s Tech Training Resource
A great addition to any extrication training program, especially during practical exercises, is a tablet computer. A tablet computer is a complete mobile computer that’s larger than a mobile phone and integrated into a flat touch screen. With a tablet, such as the iPad 2, instructors can increase the depth of instruction in several ways:

• Immediate pictures and video: When NFL quarterbacks return to the sideline after a drive, they’re immediately inundated with pictures and video of previous plays. The goal is to improve their level of performance in a short amount of time. Using the tablet to take pictures and record video allows instructors to provide quick and constant feedback on tactics in an easy-to-understand manner.
• Saved pictures, video and presentations: Instructors are often presented with tactical and/or “what if” questions. An instructor can carry an endless supply of supporting documents and use them to help fully explain their response.
• Vehicle technology applications: There are several applications (apps) that display an assortment of vehicle components—components that are important when evaluating a vehicle, such as supplemental restraint systems (SRS), advanced steels, battery locations, etc.

Comment Now: Post Your Thoughts & Comments on This Story

• 

  Les Baker

  Les Baker, a 12-year veteran of the fire service, is an engineer with the City of Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department and a volunteer with the Darlington County (S.C.) Fire District. He has an associate’s degree in fire science from Pikes Peak Community College. Baker is an adjunct instructor with the South Carolina Fire Academy and a member of the Darlington County Extrication Team, and he speaks and instructs throughout the country. Read Full Bio

Tweet