![]() More than 70 percent of the funds came from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and the generosity of Firehouse Subs customers and the Firehouse Subs brand. “It is exciting and encouraging that the Bronson Volunteer Fire Department is using the equipment to improve our response and service to Bronson, Levy County, and the traveling public,” Foote said. The new battery-operated system can function in saltwater or freshwater 10 feet below the surface. The Hurst Corporation invented the Jaws of Life. “It can be time-consuming to set up, very cumbersome with the hoses in the dark and it’s leaking oil and fluid,” Foote said. ![]() The fire department formerly used a Jaws of Life system operated by a gas engine with hoses. The Jaws of Life consists of three hydraulic rescue tools for removing accident victims from their vehicles by cutting through doors, spreading crushed metal, and using the ram to widen openings for trapped passengers to escape. Training Captain and Firefighter II Officer Gail Foote said the grant program is popular with fire departments around the country and it usually takes two or three applications before funding is approved. The Jaws of Life tools were purchased using a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant requested by the Bronson Volunteer Fire Department. All we can wish you is to never need one of these.By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporterīronson Town Council members saw their fire department’s new $35,500 rechargeable battery-operated Jaws of Life tools demonstrated at the most recent council meeting. Instead of just a device meant for cutting, the Jaws of Life can complete several tasks using the same technology, and that is what makes this setup so great. The real secret is that the Jaws of Life are a trio of devices that can cut metal, spread components, or push them out of the way from a point using hydraulic power. Unfortunately, it does not match the speed and power of the Jaws of Life system. The Sawzall is another relatively affordable alternative, which does not create a flame when it is operating, and it can cut through metal without throwing sparks everywhere. Again, you do not want sparks or an open flame next to a vehicle that has just crashed, as it may start a fire. Unfortunately, there is a caveat to using an angle grinder in an emergency: cutting metal with an angle grinder will lead to sparks being thrown everywhere. The same can be said about the angle grinder, which is also a tool that can cut metal and is more affordable than other tools. For example, the cutting torch can be an effective tool to cut metal, but you do not want it anywhere near a crashed vehicle that may be leaking fuel. ![]() While we already know that this is the device of choice for emergency responders worldwide, it is important to understand why that happens. That may be the reason why the Jaws of Life have become the go-to tool for cutting roofs off of damaged vehicles. When firefighters need to save lives, speed is key, so they need their equipment to work in their favor as fast as possible. Mind you, a plasma cutter could have also been tested, but the latter is quite expensive. The latter three are a Sawzall, an angle grinder, and a cutting torch. The folks over at Donut Media went ahead and bought a Jaws of Life device and then compared it to other alternatives that could be used to cut the roof off a vehicle. Later versions have been made to work with electric power alone, which means an increase in portability for the device, as well as a decrease in complexity for the system. The first version of the Jaws of Life rescue device was a hydraulic one, which required another device to create pressure for the hydraulic system that helps make this giant metal scissor work.
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