Jaws of Life are priceless tools for rescue workers
Staff reporter
A call comes in. Two cars have collided. There is entrapment.
Emergency medical services and rescue crew members race to the scene to do everything they can to rescue victims and save lives.
Fortunately, there are five communities in Marion County with rescue crews. Each crew from Marion, Hillsboro, Peabody, Florence, and Goessel has a set of rescue tools commonly called the "Jaws of Life."
About the jaws
The Jaws of Life actually is a brand of tools that is trademarked by the Hurst Jaws of Life company.
First used on the racing circuit, the term "jaws of life" refers to several types of piston-rod hydraulic tools known as cutters, spreaders, and rams — all used to extricate trapped victims.
These devices also can be used to extricate victims from collapsed concrete and steel structures.
A portable gasoline power unit sends pressurized hydraulic fluid to the equipment. A typical Jaws of Life machine uses about a quart of hydraulic fluid.
An operator-controlled valve switch controls the port the fluid enters. If it enters one port, the fluid forces the rod up and opens the arms of the spreader or blades of the cutter. The operator can then toggle the switch and cause the rod to retract, closing the arms or blades.
Spreaders and cutters probably are the two pieces of equipment most commonly associated with the Jaws of Life.
The powerful jaws of these machines can tear apart most vehicles like cutting through a tin can.
The spreader is used to tear apart pieces of a structure or it can be inserted into the side of a vehicle to tear out a section.
The cutter is used to cut through the vehicle like a pair of giant bolt cutters.
A typical power unit might be a five-horsepower gasoline engine that operates at 5,000 pounds per square inch.
The ram is the most basic type of hydraulic system. Hydraulic fluid moves a piston head inside a cylinder to extend and retrace a piston rod.
A ram can be used to push a collapsed dashboard forward to free a victim.
With these important tools and proper training, countless lives have been saved in Marion County.
