Heavy Rescue
Motorhome RV Construction
With summertime in full swing in the northern hemisphere, motorhomes are hitting the highways and pose an unique situation when those vehicles are involved in an accident.
With summertime in full swing in the northern hemisphere, motorhomes are hitting the highways and pose an unique situation when those vehicles are involved in an accident. First, take a look at the body structure of motorhomes. The pictures below show the different types of construction. The construction used varies by manufacturer. Alumium and laminated structures are commonly used.
In the YouTube video below, Newmar Expert Chris Anderson takes about RV/Motorhome wall construction.
Consider that most RV/Motorhomes are built on top of a truck platform chassis. Depending on the age and type of construction, the vehicle could be difficult to safety stabilization. Rescuers need to exercise extreme caution when working around or inside of these vehicles.
Why is this important? Take a look at the photo that the Harford Volunteer Fire Company posted on their Facebook page. If patients needed to be extricated from this vehicle, stabilization could be challenging. On top of that, the number of patients could classify as a mass casualty incident.
Newmar Corporation has a great page with the difference between Class A, Class B, and Class C Motorhomes.
I ran across some great pictures on the Big Vehicle Rescue Facebook Page from a training course. The 2019 Virginia Department of Fire Programs Spring Rescue Week was held at the VA Public Safety Training Center. Below are pictures from the vehicle rescue technician class. Thanks again to
John Burruss for allowing us to use his pictures. Make sure you follow his page!
Stabilization, Lifting, and Vehicle Relocation
The bus was captured with struts for stabilization. The black guard rails on school buses are strong points for struts tips for stabilization and lifting.
The bus was rolled off the car with two griphoists anchored to the duals on a semi-tractor while the Paratech gold struts chased the movement automatically with air extended the struts.
Heavy Rescue
Fort Worth, TX Fire Department Heavy Rescue 38
Another awesome SVI Truck headed to the Lone Star State!
Heavy Rescue
Checkout the SVI-built Heavy Rescue for the Lone Star State. The Fort Worth rig features a 20′ aluminum body mounted on a Spartan Gladiator LFD chassis with a 24-inch raised roof and powered by a Cummins X15 505HP engine. The new walk-around Heavy Rescue boasts a powerful 180,000-lumen LED Command Light CL602A-W4 light tower, OnScene Solutions heavy-duty aluminum cargo slides and much more!
Below are links to more information about this heavy rescue:
Overall Pictures
Compartments Pictures
Heavy Rescue
Steel Coil Awareness
Steel Coil are transported part all over the world. However, we typically deal with coils when the truck hauling one has an accident or loses its’ load.
Steel Coil Awareness
Steel Coil are transported part all over the world. However, we typically deal with coils when the truck hauling one has an accident or loses its’ load. Steel coils are loaded onto trailer is three common configurations. Those are, Eye in the sky, Shot gun style, and Eye to the Side (Suicide).
Eye in the sky
Shot gun style
Eye to the Side (Suicide)
Weight
Steel coil weights vary vastly. However, Coils can weigh in excess of 45k pounds.
Safety Stand Down
The video below is demonstrates how a 45000 lb steel coil can easily crush a mid sized vehicle. The video is from Worthington Industries in Monroe Ohio and part of their safety stand down.
