For more than 30 years, local firefighters have been using the Jaws of Life to save lives at car accident scenes. Now they have a new tool that helps rescue teams get inside wrecked vehicles faster, reports San Diego CBS 8.
San Diego firefighters gave a first-hand demonstration last week of the new e-draulic tools.
“The nice thing about e-draulic tools is they don’t require a power unit,” engineer Josh Milton said. “They have a battery-operated pump.”
Milton is talking about the latest addition to Rescue 4’s life-saving arsenal — e-draulic tools. The E is for electric, and “draulic” means they use hydraulic fluid.
“These, we can just pick them up and take them where we want to go,” Milton said.
“The vehicle is stabilized and it’s not risky for the firefighters, but it does take a tremendous lot of rescue expertise,” San Diego Fire-Rescue Capt. Rocky Delgadillo said.
In the past, firefighters would have to use the old-fashioned Jaws of Life, with power lines and hydraulic hoses strung out all over, significantly slowing down response time and requiring more manpower.
“And it’s just a world of difference in our ability to get to the scene quicker and more efficiently,” Delgadillo said.
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