The come-along tool is a portable hand operated ratchet lever winch. It is really 3 tools in one, a winch, a ratchet, and a mechanical advantage. Come along tools are no stranger to the fire service, especially on rescue companies. If you have one, when was the last time you used it? If you cannot remember, it maybe to to grab off the rig and do some simple drills with it.
A come along has a built in 1:1 mechanical advantage but when the block pulley is used, a 2:1 mechanical advantage is created. One problem when using the block for a 2:1 mechanical advantage is the amount of cable needed. A 2:1 mechanical advantage uses nearly double the amount of cable that the 1:1 setup uses.
Tim Vandermeer put a great Come-A-Long Tool Basics video onto YouTube.
Building Collapse
Houston Fire Department’s Trailer 11
Check out Houston Fire Department’s new Trailer 11 purchased from Metro Fire Apparatus Specialists, Inc. It’s packed for of Paratech equipment with room for more!

Houston Fire Department’s Trailer 11
Check out Houston Fire Department’s new Trailer 11 purchased from Metro Fire Apparatus Specialists, Inc. Check out the pictures below and make sure you follow the social media pages from Metro Fire Apparatus Specialists.
Overall Pictures
Compartments Pictures
Rear Pictures
Heavy Rescue
Overturned Tractor-Trailer Extrication

Overturned Tractor-Trailer Extrication
Check out the overturned Tractor-Trailer, confirmed entrapment, and power pole down that Elizabethtown Fire Dept Station 74 had earlier today.

Large Vehicle with Heavy Entrapment
The Washtenaw County Technical Rescue Team recently assisted Milan Area Firefighters with this complex extrication. Team members assisted Milan Firefighters and utilized HURST Jaws of Life and Paratech to extricate the heavily entrapped driver quickly.