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 here and created a tent at the latch. And then I would attack at the latch. But we don’t attack at the latch anymore ’cause you’ll skin the heck out of these new cars.

We now take it and we move it closer above. Of the latch, the bottom arm has to encompass the inner cosmetic, the inner composite, and the outer skin because it’s gonna grab all three layers and pull it out. We don’t want to deam anything. The upper arm is gonna make contact. It needs to angle that backhand a little bit higher because we want this to grab the roof rail, not grab the windowsill and pull it out.

Okay, so close. Just a little bit til there. There you go. Now contact, stop. I want you to take this half step right there. That’s all he needs. Now here’s where our target is. Go ahead, open,

stop. Keep going. Stop. Alright. Vertical crush. Here’s what you need to know. When this arm is straight up and down, that’s all it’s gonna give you. Doesn’t matter the window size, right? The next thing that’s gonna happen is that. Bottom arm’s either gonna tear this door or it’s gonna slip into the compartment.

So we want to prevent that. Once it’s straight up and down, we’re gonna close and remove the tool. That’s all we got. Can you see the purchase point right here? No delamination. Next tips should encompass all three layers when you focus on the tip you rip. So we want more of the body of the tool in. He’s looking right here.

Look what his tool is angled at. So we want you to lower your back hand. I want that tool flat son.

And we didn’t have to call for the cutters. Do you see how that worked? Nice and flat. Top above the latch in the strong point, encompassing all three layers, and just open the door.

* The training views expressed in this video are those of the training instructors, and not Fire Spotlight. The actions in this video are inherently dangerous and could result in death; should the viewers choose to adopt any views expressed in this video, he/she is doing so at his/her own risk. Fire Spotlight encourages viewers to review his/her department’s Standard Operating Procedures when adopting any new training views.