When my first University of Extrication article was published in the March 1997 issue of Firehouse Magazine, automobiles—as well as the field of vehicle rescue—were quite a bit different than today. Rescuers across the country and around the world had limited means to communicate with each other. There was no Firehouse.com website back then, no Facebook, no YouTube, no smartphones. I knew back then that there had to be a way to share vehicle rescue information, so starting from scratch, I began writing my University of Extrication column as a monthly training-oriented article that would specifically address the needs vehicle rescue and extrication personnel.
When the Firehouse.com website launched, on Day 1, my University of Extrication article was the first article posted on the site. I’ve been the moderator of the University of Extrication Message Forum ever since, and through that portal, I am able to interact with responders from all over the world.
My October 2016 article will be article number 224. That’s 224 consecutive monthly articles—the most in the history of the magazine. Over this nearly 20-year period, the University of Extrication has essentially documented the history of vehicle rescue in this country. From article #1, the story of the Dayton airbag incident, to my 224th article where we look at pedestrian airbags that deploy from under the hood when a person is struck, we’ve covered the history of vehicle new technology, rescue tool advances, and evolving extrication techniques.
I set out in 1997 to establish my University of Extrication column as a consistent, reliable and unbiased source of information that is of value to responders everywhere. Through the magazine, the Message Forum and the Firehouse.com website, I have been able to accomplish that. My efforts are a labor of love—a continuing effort to serve my fellow rescue personnel, rescue officers and training instructors.
Sidebar: Milestones
1997: Published first articles for vehicle rescue personnel on side impact and roof airbags
1998: First to report on laminated side window glass, dealing with roof airbags and rear-hinged door extrication techniques
1999: Debunked the Slim Jim Hoax, introduced the upper-rail component of a vehicle, and promoted reciprocating saws for vehicle rescue
2001: Introduced rescuers to stored gas airbag inflators, published first hybrid vehicle series on the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight
2003: Published first five-part series on safe parking for responders at crash scenes
2005: Published first article on “trunk tunneling” evolution
2006: Explained door unlocking techniques with The Big Easy tool
2007: Introduced rescuers to concept of “Power Feedback” through cigarette lighter receptacles
2008: Wrote about “Covering Your Sharps” at crash scenes
2009: Published first five-part series on boron steels
2010: Published first article explaining “Blowing Out the B-Pillar” evolution, and introduced the Chevrolet VOLT to responders
2011: Explained procedures for dealing with tensioned cable barriers at highway median crashes
2012: First to explain lithium-ion high-voltage battery fire challenges in hybrids and electric plug-in vehicles
2014: Introduced the Mercedes-Benz QR code program
2015: First to research and explain carbon fiber structural members for rescue personnel, explained “gun barrel” boron steel design
2016: First published articles for rescuers on Gorilla Glass use in automobiles, and protocols for EV charging station emergencies
