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Batwing – Vertical Crush | Chop Shop RX | Vehicle Extrication Firefighter Training
At the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association’s 2025 Fire College, Chop Shop RX Instructors highlight how to use your tool to its advantage when making space to complete a Batwing-style extrication. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: We’re gonna talk about the vertical crush. Vertical crush used to come in here in the center of the door and it pulled the door out to …
Backhand Is Boss | Chop Shop RX | Vehicle Extrication Firefighter Training
At the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association’s 2025 Fire College, Chop Shop RX Instructors highlight how to use your backhand to take advantage of your tool and limit stress on your body while amplifying control of the tool. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: There is a human thing that says we are going to do this. So it’s human nature. We’re wired that …
Tempered vs. Laminate Glass | Chop Shop RX | Vehicle Extrication Firefighter Training
At the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association’s 2025 Fire College, Chop Shop RX Instructor Randy Wells describes how he identifies Tempered vs Laminate glass on scene. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: Now we gotta get all the glass outta this car before we start. This is tempered. Tempered, right? See how it was wiggling a little bit, not a big deal. If it’s …
Respecting Airbags | Chop Shop RX | Vehicle Extrication Firefighter Training
At the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association’s 2025 Fire College, Chop Shop RX Instructor Randy Wells and Erik Herbst open discussion to knowing your enemy and respecting it. The ability to know how to work around airbags can be lifesaving. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: As much as I would like to carry everything on the fire truck on my body, it’s not …
On-Body Tools | Chop Shop RX | Vehicle Extrication Firefighter Training
At the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association’s 2025 Fire College, Chop Shop RX Instructor Randy Wells provides insight on the tools he has carried for years that serve multiple functions for structural response, EMS runs and ultimately extrication incidents. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: As much as I would like to carry everything on the fire truck on my body, it’s not possible. …
Body Mechanics | Chop Shop RX | Vehicle Extrication Firefighter Training
At the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association’s 2025 Fire College, Chop Shop RX Instructors Randy Wells and Eric Herbst highlighted key ways to limit the exertion on your body when carrying and using extrication tools. Check it out! VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: How do you operate on a 20 minute cut job when you don’t have relief? The minute you start to …
Kawasaki Move | Firefighter Training
In this episode, “Training To Perform Under Pressure” instructor, Adam Ritsch provides a quick tip for tying your ladder halyards off on the fireground. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: I’ll throw this to the window and the victim reaches out to grab the ladder out of distress if they pull on that at all. In theory, it’s separating just enough that my dog’s …
Ladder Angles | Firefighter Training
In this episode, “Training To Perform Under Pressure” instructor, Adam Ritsch provides insight for knowing what angles ladders can be utilized and how to best utilize them as a tool to help you, not hurt you. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: What about ladder angles? What angle do we typically want to throw our ground ladders up against the building? So usually one …
Marry-Up Ladders | Firefighter Training
In this episode, “Training To Perform Under Pressure” instructor, Adam Ritsch provides insight for knowing what ladders can be married up and how that applies to the fireground. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: What about how my ladders marry up to each other, so each extension ladder marries up with a specific straight ladder. What are those sizes that marry up 24 and …