University of Extrication: Ram the Roof Off

Oct. 1, 2014
You arrive on scene to find a front-seat occupant trapped due to a side collision; what can you do to free them? Ron Moore covers techniques for B-pillar removal.

SUBJECT: Work-around Technique for B-pillar Removal

TOPIC: ‘Ram the Roof Off’ Work-around Technique for B-pillar Removal

OBJECTIVE: Understand procedures necessary to accomplish the “ram the roof off” work-around evolution

TASK: Given a late-model vehicle with the simulation of a front-seat occupant trapped due to a side collision, the rescue team shall accomplish the “ram the roof off” evolution

This University of Extrication article focuses on an alternative technique that rescue personnel may be able to use when confronted with the challenge of advanced steels such as Boron in the structure of a crashed vehicle. The scenario is that the vehicle has been struck in a side-impact collision. As a rescuer on scene, the decision has been made to move or remove the B-pillar to gain access to a trapped patient.

In this situation, however, the patient is trapped in a late-model vehicle that has ultra-high-strength steels within its side structure.  To further challenge the rescue team, the training scenario calls for the crew to be unable to accomplish any cuts through the new, ultra-high-strength steel that may be found in the pillar and roof-rail structure. Unless a department has recently purchased a new-model power rescue cutter specially designed to cut through steels such as Boron, they may not be able to cut through the B-pillar or even cut through the roof rail along the side of the vehicle.

With this challenging scenario understood, the work-around technique is referred to as “ramming the roof off”. It involves using a power ram to literally tear the top of the B-pillar off the roof rail near its connection point. The B-pillar is typically spot welded to the roof rail which may be the point where the two structural members separate during this evolution.

After using cribbing beneath the rocker to create a solid base to work from, the work-around technique requires a power ram to push upward against the roof rail both in front of the B-pillar and then behind the pillar, back and forth. The stress of repeatedly going back and forth on each side of the B-pillar is aimed at stressing and then tearing the connection until the top of the B-pillar is free. At that point, the pillar may be able to be forced down and out to provide better access to the interior.

TASK: Given a late-model vehicle with the simulation of a front seat occupant trapped due to a side collision, the rescue team shall accomplish the “Ram the Roof Off” evolution.

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