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Big Truck Extrication - Part 2: Assessment and Stabilization

Sometimes I wonder if rescuers realize just how many trucks are actually on our highways traveling each and everyday. My wife and I took a trip out west last Spring to see the Grand Canyon. I decided to drive in order to stop and see other things we might be interested in seeing along the way. Driving from North Carolina to Arizona is quite a trip. I noticed one thing was certain, there a lot of big trucks on our highways. As I got further out west, there were times when the trucks out numbered the cars by three to one. Almost weekly, if not daily, we see truck crashes on the news and some of these wrecks are quite devastating.

In the first article, we took a look at the general construction of big trucks and the types of trailers they may be pulling. Having this understanding, will help the rescuer determine their approach, assessment, stabilization and extrication techniques needed to perform a successful rescue. As with any discipline of rescue we undertake, a good background of what we are dealing with is essential.

Big truck crashes most often occur on the interstates and main highways. This is where they travel most and their speeds are much higher, especially with the bigger engines and more advanced technology. With this usually accompanies a major traffic nightmare. In May of 2004 there was a tractor trailer tanker hauling glue on I-95 just out of Smithfield, NC. The driver struck a passenger van that was pulled off the side of the road. No one in the van was killed, but the truck driver suffered fatal injuries. Traffic was backed up for miles and was later routed through the town of Smithfield. Since hazmat crews were called in, it was quite some time before the interstate was cleared. During that time another fatal crash occurred in Smithfield because of the routed traffic through town. As you can see, crashes involving large trucks can become much more involved.

Approach

We will first take a look at approaching the scene where a big truck or trucks are involved. First, you want to ascertain as much information from the 911 dispatcher as possible. Besides the location and number of vehicles involved, what the truck may be carrying or what type of truck it may be. (Tanker, cargo trailer, livestock, etc.) Knowing the different types of trailers that are on the road, we can start to assess our situation before we arrive, if that information is available. As with any rescue call, you probably have already started running scenarios through your head as to how you want to handle things once you arrive. By knowing what type of truck is involved, this may also dictate how you approach and where you approach from. Some years ago, we had a fully loaded fuel tanker turn over and rupture a valve, where fuel was leaking across a four lane intersection, a small store parking lot, and then into a drainage ditch. The fire department parked their first in engine about 20 feet from the tanker. I was riding EMS that day, and parked our unit about 200 feet from the crash. The fire chief was befuddled as to why we parked so far away. We advised him that if the truck exploded, we would just catch the firefighters as it blew them to us. They now use that call as a training example of what not to do.

As you know, tankers can be hauling most anything, so always look for the placard. It may not be clearly visible from your initial approach, so you may have to move around to better see it. A good pair of binoculars on your rescue vehicle is well worth the purchase. If you see a placard indicating some type of hazardous materials, or there is some type of product on the ground, you might have to wait until a hazmat team arrives if you and your personnel are not trained or equipped to that level to begin any type of rescue. Keep in mind that cargo trailers can also be hauling hazardous materials as well. Your job is to scan and look for these hazards before approaching the scene.

Live stock trailers can pose an entirely different challenge and will not be covered in this article. Trucks pulling flatbed trailers with construction materials also pose a problem, especially if the load has come loose and may be on the highway or other vehicles. The load may still be secured, but shifted in a way that the straps may be overloaded and could be compromised. A closed box trailer could also have had the entire load shifted and be extremely unstable. Remember, trucks can weigh from 20,000 pounds to over 140,000 pounds.

As with any motor vehicle crash, you must also assess the basic hazards as well. Look for power lines, fuel spilled, traffic conditions, bystanders, etc. Also, from our earlier article, trucks use air pressure for their suspension and braking systems. Damaged lines will usually cause a mechanical spring system to lock the brakes in place. You should not attempt to release the piggyback canister as the spring inside, if released, could cause serious injury. This system will at least prevent the truck from moving further during extrication. Remember to use your hot, warm and cold zones when assessing for hazards at a big truck accident.

Stabilization

Our next step is going to be stabilizing all the vehicles involved to prepare for our extrication. We all carry cribbing on our rescue trucks, but do we carry enough to stabilize a large truck crash involving multiple vehicles or even several big trucks? Potentially, we could need a big truck load of cribbing or a lumber yard near by. Most of us carry enough cribbing for a standard motor vehicle crash, but we “get by” when it comes to large trucks. There are several types of cribbing “systems” on the market. When handling large truck rescues, you may want to consider a jack type system, as it will greatly reduce the cribbing needed to be carried on your rescue truck. These systems work quite well and set up relatively quickly with training.

You will probably have to stabilize not only the tractor, but the trailer as well, especially if the two are still attached to each other. In stabilizing, we shoot for a minimum of three points but four would be better. This means that if you have to stabilize both the tractor and trailer, six to eight points need to be set. As with any vehicle stabilization, you have to look at how the truck is resting. If the truck is on its side, then it may be relatively stable and only need to be kept from sliding. Another big help when it comes to stabilizing and extrication is the use of your local towing and recovery service. These services are a little different than your standard wrecker service, as they have much larger wreckers that are capable of towing tractor trailers. You should contact your nearest towing and recovery service and set up training with your department. This will allow your folks to see just what they can do with these large wreckers and what their capabilities may be. It will also build a good relationship with the service so when the need arises, both your department and the wrecker service can work together to get the job done. We train once a year with or local towing and recovery service and I teach heavy truck extrication classes where we bring in the local large wrecker service to train together. Some of these services have large air bags capable of up righting a full size tractor and trailer. These may work quite well if you have a vehicle under the truck and it has to be lifted.

The most important thing to remember is that when stabilizing large trucks, you are working with substantially more weight and size. This in itself creates a hazard for the rescuers. Caution should be used when approaching an accident involving large trucks, and putting that stabilization in place. During your assessment, decide how you want to stabilize the vehicles and put that plan in action. Always have your Safety Officer watching closely as you work toward making the vehicles safe for extrication. As with any motor vehicle crash, a charged line should be in place and manned at all times.

As you can see, working with large trucks, pose a slightly different type of problem. They are much heavier and larger than your standard vehicles. They may require much more equipment and outside resources to safely conduct a successful extrication. Since these are not your everyday vehicle extrications, your department should train and practice the stabilizing of tractor trailers. Contact your near by large wrecker service, and they may even have some trucks you can train and practice your skills. Good stabilization is critical in all vehicle extrications and should be emphasized and practiced.

Until next time, stay safe, train to your best, remember that knowledge can be a wonderful thing, and to not have tried is to have not achieved. “It’s all about training.”

Read the other parts of this column:
- Big Truck Extrication – Part 1: Anatamy 101
- Big Truck Extrication – Part 3: The Extrication

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