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 …
Thermal Imaging Camera – Live Fire Reading | Firefighter Training
In the final episode of the four-part Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) training video series, “Training To Perform Under Pressure” instructor, Mike McCarthy, instructs firefighters on how to utilize and read a TIC while in a structure fire environment. VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: Camera’s on, you’re gonna see that incipient stage quickly transfer to growth, right? Incipient stage. What does that give us? …
“I put the ads back on the door about six inches, slide punch the tip to my target. That takes me to where I need to be every time.”
Todd Shepard | Forge Fire & Company
Forced Entry Tip
“The best tool you can have is a Home Depot paint stick. And we just wrap Velcro on the, on the handle of it.”
Brian Bird | Arvada Auto X Instructor
HEAVY LIFTING/Rescue Tool Tip
“What we don’t want to do is put the chain with the hook down because now you have to remember we’re pulling down on this car. Take the chain and bury the hook into the car.”
Paul Shoemaker | Next Level Extrication
Motor Vehicle/Rescue Tool Tip
If I keep the spreader tip flat down to start, I’m going to be able to go a lot higher with stability of this thing being on the ground and being flat.
Paul Shoemaker | Next Level Extrication
Motor Vehicle/Rescue Tool Tip
“We keep our cutters on our right side because we lay on our left. And then, we put ’em in the correct way, which is handles down and the heads up.”
Paul Capo | When Things Go Bad, Inc
Self Rescue
Forced Entry Through a Padlock Using the Two-Person Hook Method
Based on “IFSTA Essentials of Firefighting 7th Edition”
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Forced Entry Through a Padlock: One-person Twist Method
Based on “IFSTA Essentials of Firefighting 7th Edition”
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