A vehicle’s “upper rail” extends forward of the front door hinges and supports the top of the MacPherson strut suspension "tower."

A common task at involved extrication scenes is movement of the dash, wheel and column, and firewall away from trapped occupants in the front seat area.

The two basic protocols are to "roll" the dash or "jack" the dash. With either assignment, cribbing is placed in strategic places under the rocker channel of the vehicle and cuts are made in the A-pillar.

There is one additional action you can complete that makes your dash roll or dash jacking task more effective. This step was first introduced to me by Frank Miscia Jr. of the Verona, NJ, Rescue Squad. Frank features this technique in his extrication seminars presented throughout the Northeast.

Rolling the front of the car toward the ground always destabilizes the vehicle. Is this what your dash rolls look like?

Through Frank’s program, I learned that the “upper rail,” a metal support that runs along both front edges of the vehicle just underneath the front fenders, actually causes the vehicle to resist our dash-movement efforts.

When we direct a push or lift against the dash and firewall structure trapping our patient, our efforts are being resisted not only by the upper rail, but by the MacPherson strut suspension "tower," the springs of the front suspension and the weight of the entire front of the vehicle.

Dash rolling will lift the floorpan and rocker channel while at the same time crushing the front suspension and tilting the entire front end of the vehicle.

Cutting into or completely through the upper rail allows the dash and firewall to move separate from the front of the vehicle. I performed this evolution on a 1994 Ford Taurus four-door sedan with impressive results.

I crushed the fender at the center top of the wheelwell to expose the upper rail. I then cut deep into the upper rail behind the strut tower, avoiding the thick mounting plate at the top of the tower. After cutting the A-pillar, I was ready to jack the dash.

As the spreader opened, the steering wheel, column, dash and front firewall structure moved completely away from my simulated patient, but the front of the Taurus remained miraculously untouched. Because I disconnected the upper rail, forces from the spreader moved just the portions of the vehicle I wanted to move.

Cutting the "upper rail" on the Ford Taurus allowed the spreader to jack the dash while maintaining the front of the vehicle in an almost horizontal position. Compare this to the photos of the dash rolls.

I recommend you practice and experiment with this “upper rail” technique. Learn how to best move or remove the fender to expose the upper rail. Practice cutting in the correct location to disconnect the upper rail will allow for efficient dash movement evolutions at your next rescue scene.