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 . Auto & Heavy Vehicle Extrication Training, Vehicle Fires and The Dangers of New Technology, Airbag Safety and Supplemental Restraint Systems Training, Hybrid Vehicle Anatomy Rescuce & Extrication, Magnesium Fires and Magnesium Involved in Vehicle Fires, Heavy Vehicle Extrication, Structural Fire Suppression, Rope Rescue, Trench Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Public Education in: Airbag Safety, Seat Belts, Home Fires and smoke Alarms, How Airbags Work, Child Restraint Systems, Airbag Injuries
Midsouth
Rescue Technologies
Is a Non-profit Fire/Rescue Training Org.
The mission of Midsouth Rescue Technologies is to develop and provide the highest quality fire, rescue, and
public education training possible. To work in cooperation with all first responders and public education
organizations, in an effort to save lives, and prevent injuries.
We specialize in automotive rescue
When Midsouth Rescue Technologies was
founded in 2004, our goal was to provide basic fire rescue training to small department that did not have the funding for
proper training. That goal has never changed, though the training needs and demands nationwide have led us to where we are
today.
Since the development of our national
fire prevention plan in the late 1970s, structural fires have taken a drastic drop. Today according to all national records;
nationwide, fire departments are responding to six times as many auto accidents as they are structure fires. Yet we are finding that not only the small volunteer departments but, large metropolitan departments
as well, do not have the proper training to deal with the constantly changing automotive construction and technologies
of today’s vehicles.
We
are striving to provide the very best information available on:
We
hope to accomplish this with online studies, nationwide classes and events such as ExtricationFest! our annual extrication school and expo.
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Furnishing ExtricationFest! with nearly 100 cars
each year
It is human nature to fear the unknown, Through misunderstanding
and misinformation hybrid vehicles have earned their spot as the dreaded monster of the rescue world.
This website contains in-depth studies of:
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How Hybrid Vehicles Work, their
components & locations
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General Hybrid Vehicle Extrication
& Rescue Operations
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Advanced Hybrid Technology &
how it affects our rescue operations
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Emergency Response to Hybrid Vehicles
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Hybrid Vehicle Fires and Submersion
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Today's vehicles are the safest they have ever been. However; as automotive technologies increase, so do the problems, dangers and challenges for rescuers.
Today we face an average of six airbags per vehicle
as standard equipment, two of which are dual stage, along with options for as many as twelve per vehicle. These operate in conjunction with seat position sensors, occupant position sensors, weight sensors, seat
belt tensioners, seat belt tension sensors, and on and on, all of which present their own unique challenge for the rescuer.
In our studies, we hope to raise an awareness
of the many new technologies found in today's vehicles, the dangers they present in vehicle extrication, and the desperate
need for a change in our training.
This site will take you through studies about:
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Auto manufacturers have spent billions of dollars
making today's vehicles the safest they have ever been and that they are, with airbag systems, cushioned bumpers, crumple
zones and boron steel post, they are literally built to wreck, but today there is not one built to burn.
Car fires use to be the firefighters' fun and games, but today's vehicle
fires are some of the most dangerous calls we can make.
NFPA reports show that one out of every four fires
that we respond to is a vehicle fire. With 2007 having the least vehicle fires in history, we reported 278,000 car fires.
In 1973 we developed an approach to
a vehicle fire that would protect firefighters from the dangers of a bump strut explosion. This approach is still being taught
nationwide, even in our largest academies and ironically 95% of the vehicles today are not equipped with bumper
struts.
Today's vehicle fires consist of hood struts exploding and penetrating firefighters legs and abdomens,
airbag inflators blowing out through the roofs and exploding into shrapnel, plastic gas tanks melting and dumping their hot
load, right at the firefighter's feet and unexpected molten magnesium splattering back in their face.
But, the worst danger of all, is that because of a lack of changes
in our training, we are teaching them that they are supposed to be in the path of these, to fight a vehicle fire.
In the vehicle fire section you
will find a complete in-depth study of each of these components.
We have also developed a training program
on CD that can be used as a self study course or a full instructor's class presentation. On this CD you will find:
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Sections on each of the hazards involved
in today's vehicle fires, along with pictures, videos and case histories showing these dangers.
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Sections on the proper handling
of vehicle fire scenes and the unbreakable rules of vehicle firefighting.
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Sections on making a safe
aggressive approach to today's vehicle fires and their dangers.
Over the passed four years Midsouth Rescue as developed a
set of new aggressive approaches to a burning car. Using these approaches, we are able to mark
thirty three danger zones on one vehicle and never put a firefighter in harms way. These are not the only safe approaches
but, they can be used as a foundation for developing a desperately needed change in our vehicle fire training nationwide.
This CD is Phase I Car Fires. We are also in the process of developing a five part
series that will include:
These will hopefully be available in the next few months
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ExtricationFest! First Gold Sponsor of the year 2009
In
an effort to cut the weight of today's vehicles, manufacturers are using a lot of magnesium. This is a very strong, yet light weight metal, weighing only 1/3 the
weight of aluminum. Unlike most metals, this metal burns and is very hard to extinguish.
Magnesium fires have a very violent reaction
to water, putting firefighters in much danger. We have always known about magnesium in the fire service, but most firefighters
only relate magnesium to the old VW engine when it comes vehicles. Today we never know where to expect it, we find it hidden under dashes, on the engine and even under the vehicle
on suspension parts. A few of the later model cars have as much as 45% of their engine made
of magnesium.
In this site; you will find a study of magnesium
fires, their dangers, how to deal with them and the agents used to extinguish magnesium.
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Vehicle Extrication Training
We are extremely proud
to partner with the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) in bring you the third year of ExtricationFest!
This is our
annual three day event featuring; three levels of; Auto Extrication, Big Rig Rescue, Hybrid Vehicle Anatomy and Rescue, Airbag
and Supplemental Restraint System Technology and Patient Care, classes along with an Expo and Live Demo Area, all in one location.
This is an
event you don’t want to miss, 2008 being only our second year, we had twenty two states and two countries represented.
Our auto extrication
classes meet and exceed NFPA 1670 – 1006 – 472 standards as they pertain to vehicle extrication, for each individual
level. (Awareness, Operations, Technician)
All levels
are both classroom and hands-on.
(Full
details and registration can be found in the navigation bar or click the link above.)
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Heavy Vehicle Rescue
We are proud
to bring you one of the most outstanding rescue courses in the United States and it's senior presenter and planner, Billy Leach, Jr. from Big Rig Rescue (Asheboro NC)
This course has been featured
at the International Vehicle Extrication Learning Symposium, Firehouse Expo, Search and Rescue Disaster Response Conference,
Fire Department Instructor's Conference, Fire Rescue Magazine's First Due Conference, American Towman Exposition, NC Extrication
College, and FDNY's Technical Rescue School
Billy is the co-author of Big Rig
Rescue a book teaching heavy truck anatomy and extrication.
This class is offered each year during
ExtricationFest! and we are now offering the class semi annually
in Ft Worth, Tx. See upcoming events page for dates.
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