Removing battery power?

[arhaney]

I know the answer to this question, but here goes anyway. Should you always remove battery power on every extrication, even a simple door pop on an older model car(i.e. no air bags).

[MetalMedic]

Yes :-)

Oh.. you wanted a reason too????

Ok, my way of thinking is that any time an automobile is involved in an accident, there is a potential for something in the vehicle's design and construction that could be compromised. Even without airbags, the vehicle could have electrical wiring in the area of your work that could become an issue. You can also never be sure that there is not a leak of a flamible liquid that an errant spark would ignire and make your day longer.

Besides all that, if you train to disconnect the battery on EVERY extrication, you are not as likely to forget that detail on a vehicle that you really do need to had this done to.

[firenresq77]

Originally posted by MetalMedic
Yes :-)

Oh.. you wanted a reason too????

Ok, my way of thinking is that any time an automobile is involved in an accident, there is a potential for something in the vehicle's design and construction that could be compromised. Even without airbags, the vehicle could have electrical wiring in the area of your work that could become an issue. You can also never be sure that there is not a leak of a flamible liquid that an errant spark would ignire and make your day longer.

Besides all that, if you train to disconnect the battery on EVERY extrication, you are not as likely to forget that detail on a vehicle that you really do need to had this done to.

Ditto.........

[lutan1]

Yes....

[arhaney]

Thanks guys, caught myself skipping the step of disconnecting the power on a car the other day, didn't even think about until this morning when I woke up. We will make sure and train everyone so as not to forget this step.
firenresq77.......love the new avatar!!

[firenresq77]

Originally posted by arhaney
firenresq77.......love the new avatar!!

Thanks......... I haven't decided if I'm going to continue using it or change it a lil later back to Mini-Me.........

[Bones42]

Every extrication? Yes. Every MVA/MVC/TC/etc. ? Almost every incident involving a vehicle anymore, we secure the battery by removing battery cables. If needed, they can be put back in place.

[fftrainer]

Yes... all MVA's

On major damage we cut a chunk out wire and minor fender/bender type stuff we disconnect and wrap in tape to prevent contact. Tow company can reconnect if they need power in that situation.

[Weruj1]

gotta say pretty much yes ...........

[Firegod32]

I have 2 points...

1. During a recent PR event, my department cut a few cars during the day. After we cut the last one up, we were putting everything back on the Engine when we noticed that the lights were still on in one of the cars!!! They were all brought to us by a local wrecker service and we had guessed that there were no hazards such as this one. Mental note for the next PR.

2. We make it a habit to DC all batteries on accidents unless the car will be driven away. On one particular accident involving a VERY high end car, we were unable to get the battery DC'd. I instructed my crew to simply cut the wires. About 3 weeks later, we got a call from the owner of the car. His insurance carrier chose not to reimburse him for the cost of the cable as it was not something they normally paid in the event of an accident. This particular wire cost about $1,200 to replace. We made him very happy when we spoke to the insurance carrier and explained to them why we did it (reduce any further damage) and they agreed to pay.

[abarker]

Ok I agree with dcing the battery but here is my question. How does everyone usually dc it? I noticed someone said they unhooked the battery in case they needed to use it later. Our department usually just cuts the cables. We find it a hassell especially on newer vehicles to try and get to the terminals. Plus it takes a little time to unhook it.



Auk

[fftrainer]

abarker - I posted about disconnecting rather than cutting. We only do it if there is no obvious life threatening injuries but you still have to commit guys to the interior of the vehicle. If we are simply entering to apply c-spine precautions for the 'my neck is a little stiff' victim. If there is anything greater than that, we generally cut the cable and worry about it later.

It's just a little nicer for everyone if you have the opportunity to disconnect instead of cutting. If the tow guy can just reconnect and put the car in neutral rather than drag it up onto the flat bed with everything locked up, we all are a little happier.

Does that make any sense? I have it all in my head because we do MVA's more that fire these days but my fingers don't always want to type what my brain is thinking.

[FirefighterLong]

Public relation is huge in our line of work. Unless it's an emergency or we know the car is totaled we always take the time to disconnect the cables. Point to remember is to always disconnect the Neg first to avoid grounding yourself.

[arhaney]

I had to dig this one back up to tell you guys about an accident the other day. We had a two car MVA, side swipe/head on. One car went way off the road and the PT walked up form his car, so we never went and disconnected the battery cables. Later that night at the wrecker yard, it shorted out, caught on fire and burned to the ground in a fenced in area of the yard. The city department had to cut their gate open to put it out. All this could have avoided by disconnecting the battery cable! Firefighterlong...good point about disconnecting the negative side.

[Resq14]

Originally posted by Firegod32
About 3 weeks later, we got a call from the owner of the car. His insurance carrier chose not to reimburse him for the cost of the cable as it was not something they normally paid in the event of an accident. This particular wire cost about $1,200 to replace. We made him very happy when we spoke to the insurance carrier and explained to them why we did it (reduce any further damage) and they agreed to pay.

hah

sounds familiar, only I think we "caved" and ending up paying out some money, and were then "reprimanded" not to cut cables...



The "if it looks totaled" line is nice in the classroom, but I question the average firefighter's ability to determine whether a vehicle is totaled out on the street. What looks to be major damage on newer vehicles can oftentimes be fixed... so be careful if that's how you're making the decision to cut vs. disconnect.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Originally posted by Resq14




The "if it looks totaled" line is nice in the classroom, but I question the average firefighter's ability to determine whether a vehicle is totaled out on the street. What looks to be major damage on newer vehicles can oftentimes be fixed... so be careful if that's how you're making the decision to cut vs. disconnect.

Go to an autobody shop. Take a good look around at the different types of wrecks in the yard and ask what the dollar damage is. You will get a good feel for what is a total and what is not. Crumple zones, the costs of replacing engine and drivetrain components, amount of time on a frame straightening rack and supplemental damage reports can push the cost to repair a vehicle into the "totalled" zone in a hurry.

[Resq14]

I agree, Cap. It's just the technicality of "totaled" is typically 75% damage on the vehicle's current blue book price. And we've been nailed on this a couple of times when the damage wasn't quite totaled, but sure looked it.

Perhaps my department allows the insurance companies to push us around... I don't know how aggressive we are when push comes to shove.

Generally, I guess I look at it this way now: if we're cutting/spreading, we're cutting the cable. Otherwise, we're disconnecting.