Edina Fire Department Showcases Modern Vehicle Rescue Equipment
The Edina Fire Department demonstrated advanced vehicle extrication techniques and equipment during a recent training session at the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility, highlighting how modern technology has transformed emergency rescue operations.
Fire Captain Josh Link, who joined the department in 2010, showcased battery-powered hydraulic tools that have replaced older, heavier equipment requiring generators and lengthy hoses. The new tools, weighing significantly less than their predecessors that could exceed 100 pounds, allow firefighters to begin rescue operations within 60 seconds of arriving at a scene.
The demonstration included three primary rescue scenarios: door removal using spreading tools, complete roof removal to create vehicle access, and vehicle lifting techniques using cribbing methods. Firefighters Bernie and Pete performed the demonstrations, showing how teams can remove a vehicle roof in under five minutes when working together efficiently.
City Manager Scott Neal participated in the educational video as part of the city's 'On The Job' series, which introduces residents to municipal employees and their specialized skills. The training emphasized the calculated nature of rescue cuts, particularly around airbag locations in vehicle pillars.
The fire department stressed the importance of public awareness regarding roadside emergency scenes, encouraging drivers to move over as far as possible when passing incidents. Captain Link noted that firefighters spend considerable time working alongside high-speed roadways, making driver compliance with move-over laws critical for emergency responder safety.
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Notable Quotes (6)
started back here in 2010 as a firefighter paramedic uh now promoted to a captain uh my job is basically supervisor of the shift uh we're in charge of on the engine anything other than a medical and we also come and help on the more serious medicals
we used to call them jaws of life and that was kind of the omnibus term for that uh but these aren't the same kind of tools as you use probably in 2010 right the the basic skeleton is the same as it always has been we used to have to have a small uh like generator size hydraulic pump these big long hoses that were super stiff and coily and hard to control and they weren't as long as we would like them to be and then we'd have these big machines that weighed anywhere from 60 to over 100 lb they've gotten way better they're way faster they're easier to use and they're more powerful
these almost never happen in a convenient location and they all frequently happen in areas of high-speed roadway and it's easy to think of all the dangerous things that firefighters do but one that doesn't come to mind a lot is how much time we spend on the side of a road where people are whipping by
we like to do lots of small motions so we don't tear the sheet metal until you get to the actual hard striker part where the latch is and once you get access to that and you have a good purchase then you have your fun and you bust it okay it breaks the actual latch that's what we're trying to do not rip metal
we have a saying in the fire service lift an inch crib an inch we're going to lift it and as Bernie on the right is lifting with the tool Pete is adding in wood as it goes up so that if something goes wrong with the tool it can't fall back down
an important one is if you see an incident on the side of the road we we could really use your help the public is if you see it please move over as far away as possible as you pass so we want people to pay attention to that right and understand that it's dangerous work right and you guys do a lot of things that are dangerous but on the side of the road is really something we ought to pay more attention to we don't want to block traffic and make you late but we also want to make sure everybody goes home safe
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Other Topics from This Document
Vehicle Extrication Training and Techniques
Firefighter and Public Safety on High-Speed Roadways
Evolution of Emergency Response Equipment
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