Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services (SVF&MS) secured a $30,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (AZGOHS) to acquire a set of vehicle extrication tools.
This life-saving equipment includes a hydraulic spreader (commonly referred to as the “jaws of life”), cutter, and ram, which will significantly enhance SVF&MS’s capacity to perform rescue operations.
These tools serve distinct but complementary roles during an emergency. The spreader is designed to pry open jammed doors and separate vehicle components to free trapped victims. The cutter is used to sever door pillars to remove a vehicle's roof or cut away other parts of the vehicle pinning a victim. Meanwhile, the ram tool provides the necessary pushing force to move heavy, compressed components, such as a dashboard, away from an entangled individual.
“This is a vital investment in our community,” Sierra Vista EMS Lt. Michael McKearney says. “It ensures that when every second counts, our firefighters have the tools to handle challenging vehicle extrications and save lives.”