The Top Challenges Fire Departments Face During a Rescue When it Comes to People & Material Lifting

However, they often face challenges lifting people or materials while out on a call. Since their physical strength can only do so much, fire rescue teams rely on specialized equipment like a portable lifting hoist to give them a helping hand. Furthermore, OSHA Standards 1910.156 mandates that firefighters have proper fire fighting hoists and emergency rescue equipment when out on the job.

Let's take a look at the top five lifting challenges firefighters face and how emergency rescue equipment like a manual hoist can help.

Top Lifting Challenges Firefighters Face 

• Heavy fallen debris

Heavy fallen debris, such as concrete slabs, tree trunks, steel beams, vehicles, and rock boulders, can hamper rescue missions. Debris removal is vital when firefighters get to the accident scene to avoid further injuries, make the scene safe, and gain access to the victims. 

A portable lifting hoist can make a considerable difference in such situations. 

This emergency rescue equipment is designed to lift extremely heavy loads, some capable of lifting four tons/8000 lbs! With the help of hoist equipment like this, firefighters can clear debris and lift victims and materials efficiently. 

• Limited spaces

Firefighters are among the fittest and most resilient human beings. They train to carry loads of up to 150 lbs, including their firefighting gear or those they've rescued, and sometimes both, safely under stressful conditions. 

But what happens when they encounter spaces where they aren’t able to carry victims out of to safety? What happens when they encounter a collapsed multistory building, cave, or another space with limited access? 

Limited and narrow spaces, such as stairwells, narrow hallways, and elevators, can cause even more distress to the victims. It can be challenging for the firefighters to maneuver emergency rescue equipment or the rescuers to reach the victims on time. 

Fire fighting hoists are compact, portable, collapsible, and adjustable. They are the ideal rescue emergency equipment to deploy to rescue victims in tight spaces where larger equipment or personnel can't access easily. 

• Heights 

Technology has revolutionized aerial reach for fire trucks. Now, the highest modern fire truck ladders can extend up to 230 feet vertically – 20 floors!

While this has changed firefighting, high-rise and multistoried buildings still pose a rescue challenge to firefighters. Also, rescue missions on bridges, cliffs, underwater mountain sides, and tall trees can be painstaking. 

Portable lifting hoists give firefighters another tool to use in these environments where their truck’s ladders can’t easily reach. By stationing a hoist on a bridge or from a nearby tree in an area that a truck can’t access, fire teams can safely move debris and people out of the way and free from danger.

• Extreme environmental conditions

Environmental conditions pose a significant challenge to any rescue mission by limiting the number of firefighters that can undertake the task and the number of victims or materials they reach and lift. 

While the environmental challenges firefighters face are unique to each scene of the accident, the most commons ones include:

• Inclement weather, such as high winds, raging rain, storms, snow, hail, blizzards, and heavy fog

• Natural disasters

• Poor visibility caused by smoke, rain, fog, dust, murky waters, and fog

• Safety concerns where the accident might cause more harm to the firefighters, such as immediate structural collapse, electric shock, explosions, chemical spills, and radiation, to name a few. 

Having the right firefighting tools, like a firefighting hoist, even with limited firefighters, can make a real difference in the rescue mission's success. 

• Time 

Time is always a challenge for firefighters when responding to any emergency. Be it search and rescue time, limited time to evacuate, progression of the accident, or the time it takes to set up their rescue equipment.

Lives and property are at stake, maybe from a secondary structural collapse or a growing fire, explosion, or severe injuries. Whatever it is, the firefighters always work under immense pressure against time to rescue victims and save property, all while trying to stay safe themselves. 

These heroes find the slightest and safest opportunity to lift victims and materials out of an accident scene, including themselves. The right emergency rescue equipment helps them do so in the shortest time possible.

Why Should You Invest in Fire fighting hoists?  

There are several reasons why you should consider investing in fire fighting hoists in your fire department:

• Increased safety

Safety first!

Firefighters train to run into danger head-on and save the day while maintaining the highest safety levels. A firefighting hoist makes rescuing safer for the firefighters, rescuees, and materials since they are designed to provide controlled lifting, reducing the risk of further injury.

• Improve efficiency

A firefighting hoist reduces the need for manual labor. This equipment ensures your firefighters complete their rescue mission faster.

Your firefighters can lift victims, materials, and themselves effortlessly in and out of any environment without relying on their strength. 

• Save time and money

Time is of the essence in any rescue mission for the victims, firefighters, and property. Conventional lifting tactics, such as manual lifting, take time, putting everyone in further danger. 

Emergency rescue equipment speeds up rescue missions by eliminating the time and effort needed to lift people and materials safely. 

• Easy to set up and deploy

The faster and easier the firefighters can set up and deploy their equipment, the faster they begin their rescue mission, raising the chance of survival for the victims and materials. 

Unlike other equipment, fire fighting hoists are easy to set up. They are designed for quick deployment and are easy to use, giving the rescuers more time to carry out their duties safely. 

• Resource optimization

A portable lifting hoist reduces the personnel and equipment needed for a successful rescue mission.

This way, you can leverage the extra resources into other rescue operations, such as search and rescue, for optimal results and increased efficiency. 

• Legal compliance

Several organizations, such as OSHA, ISO, NFPA, and federal and state laws, mandate fire departments be equipped with proper emergency rescue equipment.

Failure to comply can have significant legal ramifications, steep penalties, and citations. 

Your Preferred Emergency Rescue Equipment Experts 

Firefighting equipment can make a significant difference in rescue missions. However, with the multiple hoists available, choosing the right one is vital. 

At Tractel®, we have the expertise and experience to help you choose the right portable lifting hoist to equip your fire department. Contact us for more information on how you can empower your firefighters with our emergency rescue equipment.