Get the Most from Your Extrication Equipment

As in every other aspect of the job, let’s start with safety. Identifying the potential causes for injury first will aid in your inspection of unsafe conditions. The instruction manual should be reviewed and available to spot specific hazards common to your brand of equipment. Rescue tools commonly operate with pressures in excess of 10,000 pounds per square inch, poorly maintained hoses that are allowed to be driven on, cut, or kinked have the ability to cause injections or laceration. Inspection of hose should include uncoiling or unrolling the entire assembly and checking for abnormal abrasions, blisters, bulges, kinks, or cuts. Use of unapproved fluids in some equipment may increase your risk of injury by introducing oils that may be classified as carcinogenic or that have an unknown adverse health effect if exposure occurs. For example, the MV1 oil used in Amkus and Shell Tellus 22 used in some Hurst tools state the oil is not classified as a carcinogen, which may not be the case with unapproved oils. High pressure leaks may also be possible from o-rings that are in poor condition, aftermarket couplings, failing gaskets, worn valves, and loose bolt on components. Missing engine guards or covers can cause burns, extremity lacerations, or flying objects. Cracks in the bodies of tools or implements have the potential for catastrophic failure when in use causing injury to yourself, other firefighters, or a vehicle occupant. Spotting these items early during inspection and cleaning can greatly minimize the potential for equipment malfunction and injury.

 

There are some parts of rescue tools that cannot be inspected when fully assembled, these items and types of service work will be outlined in your particular tool’s operation and maintenance manual. It may be necessary for full or partial tear down of a tool or power unit to properly inspect and maintain it. User manuals will often highlight what type of repairs or preventive maintenance may be performed by the operator and which levels require a factory trained person. It is often found on tear down that internal mechanisms of tools contain a large amount of glass, metal, dirt, and other byproducts of extrication that expedite wear. These items can cause premature failure of seals and moving parts leading to unnecessary expense. Over lubrication of moving parts or improper lubricant type can cause undue accumulation of these foreign abrasives. O-ring’s in older equipment can also be hardened and their likeliness of failure increased. Pump reservoirs may contain dirt, metal, sand, gravel, and yes-even broken parts. These contaminates cause early pump wear and degradation, this serious problem ninety nine percent of the time is caused from external sources. These points of entry are typically the couplings and fill ports on the reservoir. Couplings should be wiped prior to connection, cleaned when dirty, and capped whenever disconnected. Extrication pumps will wear slightly over time but following the recommended fluid service intervals will prolong the service life by flushing away these contaminates before they can wear the moving parts further.

Following the recommended maintenance schedule for equipment is important to allow the longest life possible for a substantial department investment. Often older extrication equipment is perceived as inadequate and the inability of it to perform well on the drill ground or scene is blamed on age. Some older units may simply need a complete service with pressure relief adjustment or replacement. For example, a department recently had a rescue system built in 1989 that would perform “ok” when one line was used and very poorly after five minutes when the other line was used. Upon inspection it was noted that the first line was about two thousand pounds per square inch under specification and the other line had a tube that had vibrated loose in the reservoir causing the fluid to aerate slowly, creating a severe reduction in pressure. The cost of repair was not much more than a typical bi-annual service for that model. When complete, this unit performed as well as a similar unit that was 20 years newer.

Getting the most out of your equipment always starts with proper care, inspection, and routine maintenance. Rescue tools will have the best chance for survival, optimum performance, and safety by adhering to manufacturer instructions, reporting deficiencies, and removing unsafe equipment from service.

Justin Claibourn, Board Member
Fire Mechanic Section