Sitting around a table talking with a bunch of firefighters can produce some of the most interesting conversations, especially when new firefighters are in attendance. The stories told aren’t myths or a means to scare them; they are street scenes of incidents and jobs that have occurred, and if you know anything about firefighting, give it time and surely something similar will happen again. These stories resemble a critique held after an incident, often refreshing a firefighter’s memory of a tactical tip.

Arriving at the scene of a head-on collision as an extra rescue company, we knew we were going to work because of the first-due unit’s catastrophic failure of their extrication system. The officer on scene knew the situation at hand when the tool started to fail during operations and immediately had the “smarts” to get an additional unit on the way. Having two people severely injured and pinned in the front seat of a large sport utility vehicle with no air bag deployment was more of a concern than “company pride” and thinking they’d be able to handle this by themselves.

On our arrival, we met up with the extrication officer and began our own size-up of the wreckage. Both victims were pinned badly, and this was going to be an all-hands effort to extricate them as safely as possible. As our tools were being transported to the scene, we requested a short board from an emergency medical services (EMS) unit; luckily, they brought the one we requested. Many EMS and fire department units have gone away from the “old” short board (plywood or polycarbonate backboard that would fit a patient from the waist to the head, in a bowling pin shape). Most units now carry a heavy-duty vinyl device with metal ribbed reinforcement slats that have color-coded straps to make securing it together very easy.

Prior to our dismantling of the vehicle’s interior, both rescue units quickly discussed our options of extrication and the victim’s conditions. Since we spotted some places where things would be difficult, work began on both sides of the vehicle, and the decision to proceed on one side before the other would depend on the outcome of the first cuts made. As the “A” and “B” pillars of the vehicle were cut, a notch in the roof behind the “B” pillar was made; the roof was then easy to flap back. This procedure allowed firefighters to climb into the rear seats of the vehicle to assess the victim’s positioning and medical needs.

Once the roof was folded back, we could now put the short board into play. Since the driver’s door was severely crushed, the metal skin separated from the interior plastic panel, causing jagged pieces of material to stick inward or into the passenger compartment. We slid the short board between the victim and the doorway to protect the victim from being impaled by any piece of plastic that might snap off or move during door removal.

As we removed the door, it began to tear into pieces. Luckily, it exposed the hinges and we cut them. The board had done its job in preventing the pieces from coming in contact with the victim.

Next, we moved the board to the victim’s opposite side and slid it between the transmission hump and seat because the victim felt heat radiating through his clothes and burning him. Once we wedged the board into position, the victim informed us he no longer felt that sensation.

As we lifted the dashboard and cut plastic pieces of the lower dashboard with a reciprocating saw, we were able to extricate the driver’s legs from around the bent brake pedal and then removed the short board from its position. The other side of the extrication followed almost the same plan, and we used the board a second time as a safety mechanism.

When we finished the operation, the incident commander thanked us and said he was glad a “fresh set of eyes” helped in the size-up of the victim’s position and the cutting of the vehicle. The short board proved it wasn’t only for first-aid measures; it could also be used for victim protection and safety.

Often, firefighters will encounter vehicles flipped over and resting on their roofs. Victims may have self-evacuated or are trapped upside down and secured in their seats by their seat belts. As long as the roof isn’t severely crushed, we might be able to access the vehicle from a side or rear window to begin an interior size-up.

As a new firefighter, don’t be so quick to listen to victims say they’re fine and quickly hit the seat belt release button. Often, they’ll rapidly tumble downward and hit the roof of the vehicle. They survived the crash and now have a neck issue from the impact they just suffered.

The long board has been a part of fire and EMS for years, but the use of it is now changing, and often many places have done away with using it unless certain criteria are met. When we encounter the rollover and victims are still strapped in, we should consider sliding the board into the vehicle before releasing the seat belt. Place the board just below victims’ shoulders, if possible; as the belt is released, their body weight will press them down onto the board. The firefighter inside the vehicle can support the board with his body or arms while another firefighter holds the opposite end, most likely outside the vehicle. As you lower victims onto the board, you can slide them farther onto it or, once it’s flat on the roof, reposition them on the board so you can slide them out of the vehicle through the window.

The long and short of it is, we aren’t just using these devices on medical runs. We need to open our eyes during a vehicle extrication and use our equipment for the way it’s designed and use it out of the norm.

MICHAEL N. CIAMPO is a 36-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. Previously, he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC International Truck Essentials H.O.T. program. He wrote the Ladders and Ventilation chapters for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II (Fire Engineering, 2009) and the Bread and Butter Portable Ladders DVD and is featured in “Training Minutes” truck company videos.