Demo Videos - A comment

[Carl Avery]

I recently picked up a demo Video at FireHouse's Expo in Baltimore! So here I am back home in New York and watching the video and the ideas of Alan Dupuis come to mind. For those of you that Do not know who Alan is, he is the man that Fathered Extrication Competitions and an Employee of the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office. The story I heard was that he was at a show where several tool manufactures were showing off their latest tools. Lots of Glitz and Glamour, you know where all the manufactures show just how powerful and capable there tools were! But NONE of them showed REAL WORLD, or at Least what I hope would be REAL WORLD Rescues.That is what got Alan thinking about and ultimately creating the Competition idea as a forum for the exchange of Rescue Ideas. As I sit and watch this video (Not going to mention the manfacturer, heck 99% of them do the same things in there videos) I see a cutter being used to cut an 'A' post whilst also breaking the side window glass, NO or at Least no noticeable Cribbing, A vehicle on its side, again no noticeable Buttress cirbs (Stabilized [much better choice of words than tensioned]or otherwise). I am just concerned that SOME EXTRICATORS out there may see these DEMO TAPES as instructional tools as opposed to sales devices. Not that they may not present some interesting NEW ideas but Please be careful how you view any of these! I Would Love to hear any thoughts the rest of you have out there about these videos

Thanks

[Zmagrescue]

Funny thing Carl. Zach (the Z of Zmag) and I sat and watched what I believe may be the same vid just last night. We both laughed. While it was no doudt a sales tool it showed horible rescue technics. Pretty bad when a 14 year old can point out all the flaws. Uncontroled glass breakage, zero stab work, total disregard of patient safety just to show how a tool works. I would hate to see this be misused as a training guide. Your right, manufactors need to show proper technics as well as promote their products. I could point out a few websites that clearly show shaky and unsafe practices, but I won't.
Zmag

[lutan1]

At the risk of sounding sarcastic- WAKE UP!

You've answered your own question- they're equipment demostration videos, not technique demonstrations.

The aim of these videos is to promote a product doing something its designed for- not to show us how to satbilise a car, protect a casualty, etc. You've also got to remember that the people buying these products, due to the specialised nature of the industry, are already trained in these other areas.

(It's not like the video is aimed at the "home handyman" and telling him how good the Triton work bench is- it's a specialised area that specialised people buy for)

[Carl Avery]

Maybe in Australia you can safely say that, but I am not that comfortable in saying that here in the USA. I have had a chance to travel abit around the USA. I can tell you that there is a wide discrepency in standards of training from Area to Area and Department to Department! I have seen some of the Very best in our country and some places where little more than a 16 hour course is all that is considered to be an extricator! Sorry to offend you, if I have but I believe these board are read by alot more than those who post here. I think we owe to all to discuss all the point of rescue. OK I'll get off my soap box for a while, Lets hear what the reast of you think

[res7cue]

Carl, I agree with you totally. Because of my job, I get to see what some dept's do and the end results.

I can tell you for a fact that some people see a marketing video or article, and feel that if that's waht the "experts" are doing, it must be the standard.

If you're gonna simulate a scene, you need do it so that it acuratley depicts how it should be done.

Just 'cause it's a marketing tool doesn't cut it as an excuse.