Tractor Rollover Rescue

[txdon]

I would have NEVER NEVER thought I would spend my first retirement vacation doing this!

Going back to school. Fire training school.
http://www.teex.com/teex.cfm?pageid=teexresc&area=teex&storyid=562&templateid=23

However, this was Class was different, it had tractors and was very interesting and informative. This class along with other Firefighting and Rescue classes are given once a year by the Emergency Service Training Institute Texas Engineering Extension Service at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The class is 36 hours and last a week. About 2300 professional Firefighters (paid and volunteer) from all over Texas and beyond attended this week. The Ag-Rescue class is limited to 75 people and the class was full.

The tractor scenario we had was an older Farmall had turned over and was upside down on the side of a dam. The driver's leg under the rear wheel.

Using wood blocks (cribbing) we stabilized the tractor and lifted the rear tire by using a "cylinder lift" with air bags. See attachments below.

As you can tell by the last picture we learned all the places that farmers get hurt and trapped on their equipment. We also learned how to rescue a person from a grain storage bin.

So I guess you might be asking: "How was the wife entertained while I was having my tractor fun." Well, go to the last picture, see the smoke in the background, she was putting out a car fire in Firefighter Phase-One course.

 

[Egon]

Sounds like an interesting course.

Back in my employed days we had some firefighting schools and some on the job staged senario sesions involving hydrocarbon pressure vessels and there ancilillary equipment.

After one such sesion I made a comment about running the other way and watching from a distance as I was not provided with proper equipment or adaquate training. Needless to say my name was not "Mister Popular" with local supervisors and received some advice team spirit and duty. [ I was at the bottom of the food chain]

About three days later an edict came down from on high telling us we were not to engage in active firefighting but could provide assistance in the form of plant knowledge to the real fire fighters but we were to remain well in the background. [ Then I was really unpopular ]

 

[Bird]

Don, many years ago, I attended a state public safety communications officers conference in College Station and got a tour of A&M's firefighting school; very impressive.

And Egon, I'm much like you. Part of our training when I did the gas leakage surveys included demonstrating that we could put on a fire resistant suit in a certain amount of time. That was certainly a waste of time. My job was to find, classify, and document the leaks. If there was a fire, the extent of my participation would be long range observation.

 

[txdon]

Sounds like an interesting course.
After one such sesion I made a comment about running the other way and watching from a distance as I was not provided with proper equipment or adaquate training.

Eagon, Our VFD also does not have the equipment and manpower. Our training on the new equipment is limited. The Instructors were very helpful and understanding and they suggested different sources of knowledge and equipment, for example: (1.) The mechanics at the local JD dealership could help dismantle the equipment quickly, (2.)train with and use mutual aid with the surrounding VFDs that have the equipment needed, (3.) the farmer's neighbors might have knowledge of the equipment and have the tools needed or know someone that does.

They also pointed out that whenever you move equipment watch out for the other side of the equipment it will move and may make the matters worse. Use cribbing every inch of lift on both sides of the equipment, have EMS ready to transport when you relieve pressure from a crushing injury, they told us how to prepare and transport amputated parts, etc etc...

Some of the common injuries discussed in class were ones that I have seen here in the safety forum. As a tractor operator, this class really gets you to THINK about all the pinch points and things you do on and around the tractor that could go wrong or cause injury.

 

[jinman]

Don, I think I went to that "school" when I was 15. Only, I had no emergency equipment or cribbing and it was my dad under the tractor. I could not help but think about the time factor of rigging all that cribbing and airbag jacks to get someone out. My father's chest was crushed and he had a bruised heart.

I didn't know it at the time what the extent of his injuries were, but the tractor running and continuing to beat him was not a good thing. I shut off the engine and then pushed as hard as I could on one of the wheels. I was able to roll the tractor slightly and hold it while I screamed for help. Luckily a neighbor heard me and came running. While I held the tractor, he was able to carefully get my dad out.

So, perhaps we did the wrong thing, but it sure seemed right at the time. Can you estimate how long your practice rescue would take? I know you have to be careful for back and spine injuries, but if someone was having breathing difficulty or a heart attack, would you follow the same procedure?

 

[Bird]

I could not help but think about the time factor of rigging all that cribbing and airbag jacks to get someone out.

Jim, I've frequently felt the same way; not just with rescue efforts, but with emergency medical care in general. When I was a rookie cop, we carried little first aid kits in all the squad cars and we did the only first aid that was done. Ambulance service was provided by funeral homes and ambulance attendants did nothing but load'em up and haul'em in. That, admittedly, wasn't always the best, but it was sure the quickest.

But now we have EMTs and I've personally seen so many instances in which they "play doctor" for a half hour, accomplishing absolutely nothing, except prolonging the victim's pain before going on to the hospital. I know in some cases, they actually do "stabilize" victims and save lives, but I can't help but wonder if they don't frequently do more harm than good; just have to "play doctor" a long time to justify the fees they charge.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Hope I never need the services, but nice to see the training.
Bob

 

[txdon]

Can you estimate how long your practice rescue would take? I know you have to be careful for back and spine injuries, but if someone was having breathing difficulty or a heart attack, would you follow the same procedure?

Jim, all conditions and the victim must be assessed. There are no set rules. This set-up depending on the number of people present and their training would take about 10 minutes once on location with the equipment. Star-Flight from Austin will take about about 30 minutes to get here.

The rescue can be done with whatever you have to work with, just be careful not to hurt yourself or the victim more.

 

[Egon]

The courses always give one new insights on how to do things.

On site cases will vary and require an on site assement; the most critical of which is your own personal safety as all the courses will stress.

We all also had to have first aid courses. These courses all gave a lot of good information. Other than CPR and copious bleeding I always thought that a wait for the ambulance or helicopter was the best procedure. Fortunetly I was never in a situation where any of these decisions had to be made.

Although twice, from a isolated construction site, I drove several people 100 miles to the nearest hospital. Once was with an onsite ambulence and Doctor to be in attendance looking after a fellow with perontitis. Pouring rain and one flat tire. The othe time was with my own car and a young boy who had used an axe to cut off several fingers. Just a bandage and kept the hand elevated.

 

[silo36]

While I am not going to start a war of words, and thank God we all have the right to our own opinion; you may have a basis for your comments toward EMS and rescue, I find it offensive. It would take too long to explain all of the why's and what's of rescue and EMS, but I have litterally thousands of hours of training and 23 years experience in all aspects of Fire/EMS/Rescue/Hazmat.I may be killed at work tomorrow, (career firefighter/EMT) but I prefer to come home at the end of my shift instead of doing something stupid and furthermore, the last thing I want is to cause a patient further pain or discomfort. Believe me, the vast majority of us feel the same way. I probably won't even click on this thread again, so whatever you comment, just let it fly.But please, do not attempt to tell how wrong somebody does something till you have been trained as they have, and walked where they have walked. We care, probably more than you do.