Published: June 01, 2009 10:17 am      

A firefighter’s new tool

Corbin Fire Department tries out new ‘Res-Q Jack’ system

By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer

The Corbin Fire Department tried out the newest tool in their life-saving arsenal Friday morning.

The “Res-Q Jack” system is a portable jack that allows firefighters to overturn or otherwise stabilize wrecked vehicles to more quickly extricate potential victims.

“Basically the main thing is it’s a faster and safer way for the firefighters to get patients out of wrecked vehicles,” Fire Chief Barry McDonald said.

The department was able to buy two rescue jack systems through a FEMA grant. The grant also helped the department buy a thermal imaging camera that allows firefighters to spot fires through walls and thick smoke. Another portion of the grant will go toward buying fitness equipment for the department.

When a person is severely injured in a car wreck, getting medical attention within “the crucial hour” is vital to their chances of survival, Chief McDonald said. The portability of rescue jacks will allow firefighters to stabilize and move a wrecked car before a wrecker service is able to respond to the scene, often dramatically cutting extrication times.

“Normally we’d have to get wreckers to try and stabilize the vehicle,” McDonald said. “But now we can get the car moved or stabilized in a couple of minutes.”

A representative from Vogelpohl Fire Equipment, the company the department bought the rescue jack from, was on hand Friday at Wallens Towing and Recovery to show the department’s firefighters how to best utilize the system. After learning how to attach the jack, the firefighters were able to stabilize and move a wrecked vehicle in a matter of minutes.

“This is definitely going to be a plus for our fire department,” McDonald said, “and for the citizens of Corbin.”