Question & Answers about Rollover Access

[rmoore]

A military firefighter wrote with a question that I offer here for any additional help you may be willing to contribute-

"One concern I have about responding to a vehicle<br />accident is an inverted vehicle with trapped people. Besides the doors for entry purposes what other options do I have? What if I don't have doors to work with from the vehicle being crushed? Packaging and removal is another concern. This type of scenario seems to be avoided during training and we as firefighters have to make fast decisions on how to safely enter an inverted vehicle. Some guidelines would be appreciated to make this planning process easier.

My reply:<br />For the rollover, the realistic openings to make for patient removal are the side door of the <br />vehicle. Stabilize and remove sidewall structure is the primary strategy.

To practice the worst cast you mentioned, where there is no access to the sides of the vehicle, take a car in training and roll it over. Now place some traffic cones along both sides to simulate no <br />access. What does that leave you? The rear of the vehicle and the floorpan. So that is what you <br />practice.

Rear evolutions simply make the sedan into a hatchback. Remove glass, trunk lid, rear speaker deck, back of the back seat and any metal partition and you made a "hatchback" opening to remove the <br />occupants.

Same training and experimenting with the floorpan as an access opening. Make small starter holes, then enlarge this until you can acutally put a firefighter down through the hole in the floor and have him come out from inside the vehicle.

Ron Moore

[lutan1]

One technique being taught by the Ambulance Service over here is to remove rear window. Place a spine board over the lip of the roof. Then place another board on top of this one, but further in the vehicle so as the casualty is over it. Ensure there are adequate rescuers in vehicle. Roll the back of the seat as far back as possible. Release seat belt and lower casualty onto first spine board. Then slide this board along the bottom board, over the roof lip out the rear window.

If this doesn't make proper sense, have a look at the link below and contact Anthony Hann. Anthony has done years of study and training in spinal injuries and extrication techniques for these patients. He teaches this course to the Victorian Ambulance Service and to any others that are interested. (I beleive, what Anthony does for spinal injury training, is what Ron Moore and Steve Kidd do for extrication training!!)

<a href="http://www.neann.com/Vehicle%20Extrication%20Course.htm" target="_blank">Neann- Training </a>

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[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: lutan ]

[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: lutan ]</p>