Res-Q-Jack: Vehicle Stabilization Struts, Lifting Rescue

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Permalink Reply by Rescue 1 on July 20, 2009 at 8:48pm

Air bags will let the the object down but looking at the photo's the one looks like it was in a training setting and the other also. I know that when we have used them to lift in either real world or training there has been ways to lower them with out hurting any one or damageing the equipment. If you are on a scene you can have the tow truck hold it up and then remove the jacks so it is controled. Not a real big issue. In a training setting you have many ways to do it. Once again the local dealer or the factory can show you the ways to do this. Lifting with the struts is safe and easy to do if you have the training to go along with them. I highly incourage people to talk to the factory about it.

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on July 20, 2009 at 10:22pm

Rescue 1, it seems that several of us have the training and prefer to use the struts for stabilization and the air bags due to better control of the lift with less chance of something going wrong.

The wrecker isn't always on the scene - it can be backed up in traffic, or more likely it's a roll-back with no lifting capability.

Crank/ratchet type struts don't life smoothly. Air bags do...a win for the patient's C-spine.

I'd rather do a strap-to-strap stabilization job with the struts and lift with the air bags. Generally, no strap adjustment is needed for this, as the straps will self-adjust during the air bag lift.

And...I take anything that any factory rep tells me with a grain of salt, particularly if I haven't already purchased their product.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Stoops on July 23, 2009 at 8:28pm

My station recently placed the Res-Q-Jacks in service. Ever since we've got them, we try an train with them at least twice a month. They seem to be working very well for us and we are getting adjusted to them. My Chief believes that the more we train with them, the better we will get with them. We are still going to carry air bags but they will be the last option.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Klaene on August 2, 2009 at 1:16pm

We bought ResQ jacks a few years ago -- Coral Gables package. we have defaulted to air bags on all calls to-date but recently ran across a call where the air bags were difficult to use. Inverted pickup truck. Lifting wasn't essential but stabilization was. so we just cribbed. The crew didn't pull the res q jacks because of the perceived long time to set it up.

so we went back to the training vehicle

with a few practice evolutions the guys set up teh res q jacks in under 4 1/2 minutes. It was quick easy, safe, and simple. I think everyone agreed that these would have been the right tool for that last call. And if we would of had to lift 8-12 inches we would definitely use the jacks. They are smooth and very stable. Once in place, to then set up air bags and coordinate stabilization of the jacks with lifting of the bags seems a coordination nightmare.

for many calls (when vehicle on 4 wheels) we will likely use air bags first. For side resting we will definitely go to res q- jacks first . For inverted it will depend on lifting air bag pushing points, height and angle of pushing points, amount of lift, weight of vehicles, etc.. as to which we will chose first.

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