Initial funding OK?d for Jaws of Life equipment

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON News Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County paramedic Kenny Moffitt tests some of the county?s aging Jaws of Life extrication equipment during a recent demonstration for county commissioners, who subsequently voted to purchase new equipment and keep the old equipment for backup.

Recent problems with the county?s aging Jaws of Life extrication system has prompted local EMS employees to ask for new equipment to replace their current gear which, because of its age, is more prone to failure. Also of concern is the lack of replacement parts for the machines.

According to EMS officials one of the county?s units failed at a recent accident and a truck from another fire department had to be called to provide assistance with its Jaws of Life equipment.

?We had a pump fail on one of our units,? said paramedic Kenny Moffitt. ?We had Morrison come in and cover for us on the extrication. It was resolved the next day. We got another pump in. But being out on a wreck is not the time to find out that your pump fails.?

A joint meeting of the Budget and Finance and Safety committees was called recently so emergency personnel could stage a demonstration of some of the newer Jaws of Life equipment available. Commissioners got to see the old equipment versus the current version used on an actual vehicle, which was donated by Turner Auto Salvage.

Safety Committee chairman David Grissom said county officials are very concerned, and wanted to check the condition of the current equipment.

Commissioner Teddy Boyd, who has been a volunteer fireman for more than 20 years and is trained and certified in the use of extrication equipment, volunteered to act as the victim in the demonstration.

?I know how important this equipment is,? Boyd said afterward. ?I know how it operates and I knew what to expect. That?s why I got in there for the demonstration. This equipment saves lives and we need the newest and best that we can get.?

The Jaws of Life equipment Warren County EMS currently uses was purchased in 1978, and ambulance personnel say it is both heavier and less powerful than the current models. According to paramedics, the old Jaws of Life weighs around 80 pounds and has around 12,000 pounds of spread force, while one of the newer versions weigh 48 pounds, and another has up to 31,000 pounds of spread force.

Moffitt says not every accident requires extrication equipment, and it is hard to estimate how frequently the equipment will be required.

?It could be once a day, once a week, once a month,? Moffitt said. ?Like everything else, it depends on the severity of the wreck. It could be as simple as taking a door off, or as complicated as rolling the roof off or rolling the dash up off someone?s legs.?

But Moffitt said when it is needed, it is vital.

?It?s extremely important,? Moffitt said. ?Time is life. We don?t have time to sit around and wait on a truck to come from another area of the county 30 minutes away to bring us equipment. If someone is trapped in a car, bleeding, we need to get them out right then.?

Budget and Finance Committee members voted unanimously to approve the transfer of $25,000 from the county?s undesignated fund balance to finance the purchase of the equipment.

The Safety Committee also voted unanimously to purchase a variety of new equipment, but opted to keep the old equipment as a back-up rather than trading it in as had been originally discussed. Both the fund transfer and purchase will have to be approved by the full commission at its next meeting April 17.