Heavy rescue vehicle

A heavy rescue vehicle is a type of specialty firefighting or EMS (Emergency Medical Services) apparatus. Essentially oversized toolboxes on wheels, they are primarily designed to provide the specialized equipment necessary for technical rescue situations such as auto accidents requiring vehicle extrication, building collapses, confined space rescue, rope rescues and swiftwater rescues.^[1]. They carry an array of special equipment such as the Jaws of life, wooden cribbing, generators, winches, hi-lift jacks, cranes, cutting torches, circular saws and other forms of heavy equipment unavailable on standard trucks. This capability differentiates them from traditional pumper trucks or ladder trucks designed primarily to carry firefighters and their entry gear as well as onboard water tanks, hoses and equipment for fire extinguishing and light rescue. Most heavy rescue vehicles lack onboard water tanks and pumping gear, owing to their specialized role, but some do carry onboard pumps in order to broaden their response capability.

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association in the U.S.) regulation 1006 and 1670 give guidelines and regulations for the operation of heavy rescue vehicles and also state that all "rescuers" must have medical training to perform any technical rescue operation, including cutting into the vehicle itself ^[2][3]. Therefore, in most all rescue environments, whether it is an EMS Department or Fire Department that runs the rescue, the actual rescuers who cut the vehicle and run the extrication scene are Medical First Responders, Emergency Medical Technicians, or Paramedics, as a motor vehicle accident has a patient involved.

Railway Heavy Rescue

In addition to traditional fire brigades and rescue departments, tram or railway companies may have their own heavy rescue squads specialized in responding to tram or train accidents including derailments. ^[4][5]. For example, railway rescue squads may carry specialized equipment for railway accidents like heavy hydraulic jacks, heavy truck-mounted cranes for lifting and moving derailed locomotives and train cars, and equipment for capping leaking tank cars. ^[6].

HazMat

Heavy rescue vehicles can also be outfitted specifically as HAZMAT Response Vehicles. In these situations, they carry the necessary specialized equipment to respond to and deal with Haz-Mat incidents. These types of apparatus may also be equipped with a pump and tank(s) for water and/or foam, but they carry materials for decontamination, absorption of chemicals, plugging leaks in storage tanks, and chemical protection suits for firefighters.

Gallery of heavy rescue vehicles

Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad's squad 15	Fairfax County Rescue 439	Fremont CA Technical Rescue 3897	Rescue-Engine 45 is a typical Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) fire engine. This ALS engine company serves the Kings Point/Villages of Oriole communities of suburban Delray Beach, Florida.
Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad's technical rescue vehicle, Squad 135.	1994 Pierce Lance Rescue Squad 1 Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department in Stafford, Virginia.	An old rescue unit approaching a fire in Helsinki, Finland. (Click the picture to see the list of equipment.)	NSW Fire Brigades USAR Heavy Rescue in Sydney.

See also

• Rescue squad
• Fire apparatus
• Emergency medical services
• Extrication
• Glossary of firefighting terms
• Flying Squad

References