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When the Ladd, Ill., fire department called for backup to a highway crash, two firefighters found their route blocked by drivers going the wrong way on the shoulder to escape the backup. Their 21st-century response: Bitching out the drivers on Facebook. More »
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Tucked into a corner of the basement is a 1937 Seagrave Safety Sedan, known amongst fire truck junkies as the Detroit Safety Sedan and it represents one of the more interesting untold stories here at Detroit. When a firefighter falls in the line of duty, there is a longstanding tradition of using a firetruck as the funeral hearse to honor the family and the deceased. The tradition of the final ride has become difficult, as fire trucks have grown in size and height. Seeing the problem, the Detroit Fireman's Fund Association decided to set out to do something about it. More »
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A few SEMA Shows ago, we had dinner at Don Miguel's in the Orleans Hotel with Bob DeVour, the guy who basically invented the Jaws of Life when he worked at Hurst. He was also responsible for driving Linda Vaughn around for a while. Man, what we wouldn't do to have been the Miss Golden Shifter chauffeur... Hurst has since been absorbed by Mr. Gasket and their safety products division is now owned by Hale Products. The latest generation of Jaws of Life tools address growing concerns about rescue workers having to hack through high-voltage hybrids and are fitted with insulated materials that actually visually react to the high voltage encountered in vehicles with hybrid drive systems. [Thanks to Chris for the tip.] More »
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While describing a car wreck in our high school yearbook, we once wrote, "Cars and trucks and things that go also stop. Sometimes with deadly results." Some of these cars are now hybrids, which require a different methodology for rescue workers attempting to extricate accident victims from vehicles with 200 to 280 volts of power coursing through cables that could be sheared in accidents. More »
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