The department I use to work for has battery powered jaws of life and ect. Works just as good as the hydronic tools and you’re not dragging around a hose or generator. And the batteries would last about an hour even with cutting and spreading metal. Blew my mind
Yeah, we just got the battery tools at my department. They're not as light as they claimed to be, but compared to the old hydraulic set, they're a feather. And the power is just as good, if not better than the hydraulics.
@Funk Master Technically speaking I believe the battery powered ones still are hydraulic. Its just all a contained system since they don't have to rely on an external power source. Pretty neat.
Seeing this tool live as a first grader 24 years ago made a huge impression on me. It was the most awesome thing I've ever seen. That field trip to the fire station was the best I had in my entire school life.
You do not know how relieved I was when it cut to y'all learning about it from ACTUAL FIREFIGHTERS! I was scared y'all would dive right into it and those things can do some serious damage if used both properly and improperly ;)
As a firefighter/paramedic I really appreciate all of the research you guys did for this one. When you called them “jaws of life” I was a little worried that the episode would be filled with inaccurate info (we don’t typically call them that lol), but you guys did an awesome job! Yes a sawzall can cut a lot of the same stuff, but like you said it creates spark. Also, some vehicle posts (like BMW), a sawzall is actually unable to cut through
@@alexdam8218 typically just “cutter & spreader” or “the tools”. Jaws of Life was a promotion title for Holmatro which is one of the brands that make them
@@alexdam8218 By description of what they do so there's no confusion - cutters, spreaders, ram. Occasionally like was stated by Michael grab the sawzall or a halligan bar. Mike Brick came up with "Jaws of Life" and it's mostly used by media anytime they report on MVAs or anything of the sort when departments would use hydraulics to extricate victims. I guess its because 'Jaws of Life' makes for a more inticing title than "Firefighters use hydraulic cutters"
We have the Sawzall on our rigs and deepening on the situation I'll reach for it cause it can be much faster. Spark is a concern but a lot of our vehicle accidents don't have much fuel on the ground
As a firefighter trained with cutters and spreaders, please be careful. When you’re cutting a car, you can cut into airbags and such. You can hurt yourself easily if not trained.
Auto extrication using hydraulic tools is an art. To do it quickly, safely and efficiently is very hard to master. Especially considering that every accident is different and car makes and models are vastly different. Newer cars are made out of incredibly strong materials. So strong that a lot of the tools that most rescuers have wont be able to cut them unless they have the newest most up-to-date tools. Have fun and BE SAFE! Never place your body between the tool and the car and always look under/ behind the plastics on the A,B, and C pillars so you dont crush or cut an airbag cylinder. It is fun to cut and break stuff and its challenging to learn how to do it well. Extrication is one of the reasons why I love doing what I do. Cool video guys!
My grandfather wrote one of the earliest textbooks on using the Jaws of Life for extrications. He personally drove out to Hurst to pick up the third set in the country for his department. His house has stacks of awards and commendations for his expertise. This is about what I expected when a couple of random guys buy one and have fun. I'd love to see them get with a fire department and cut open a car for real.
I really like Justin, though I am afraid they have slowly been putting him into more videos to get us ready for some other member of the Donut team leaving. I hope my assumptions are false though.
I’m a firefighter/first responder and our department just used a set of rescue tools like these last night on a semi truck. I love fighting fire, but wreck scenes are my favorite part of my job. Each scene is different and it’s like a puzzle trying to use your tools safe and efficiently, all the while keeping your patient or patients safe while saving them.
I also think a big advantage of them over conventional tools is that even though they are "slow", it allows constant reassessment of the situation, doesn't suddenly use a lot of force on the damaged car and ultimately, leaves enough time to stop if something seems to go bad. A sawzall or similar if used when things could collapse or or if near a person leave little time to adjust or to stop.
Safety note for the future: peel or remove the interior trim before you cut or spread. More modern cars have compressed air cylinders in the pillars and roof to inflate the airbags. Piercing them will do catastrophic damage to that area of the car, and possibly inflate the airbag. You will lose that fight. Cut the battery cables with a gap and let the capacitors discharge before cutting and spreading as well. The system can ve tricked into thinking an airbag detonation requirement is happening, and detonate the airbag. No bueño!
@@1234567890CAB Both are used in various airbag systems, but typically side impact inflators are compressed gas or a combination of compressed gas and deflagrant (the chemical reaction). Compressed gas inflators and hybrid (both methods) inflators are becoming more popular these days. Pure deflagration based inflators are typically used for the primary driver and passenger airbags systems.
@@1234567890CAB both. The compressed air cylinder usually is for the pretensioner. It fires down, tightening the belt with it. The chemical reaction is for the actual air bags.
There are regular service bulletins from manufacturers to safety departments on how to disassemble their cars and what to look out for. For example, Subaru in the WRX has a tungsten carbide bar or something in the B pillar and the advice for rescue departments was to avoid cutting the pillar anywhere except at the roof line because the material will disable the jaws of life and other extraction equipment.
8:18 So I noticed earlier in the video that you had taken the blade guard off of the grinder and I was wondering if I needed to be nervous about that... My bois hand gettin awful close lookin to spinnin death even with gloves on.
Was on my first extrication a few months ago. I learned that trying to pop the door at the hinges is much easier than at the Nader pin. That pin will hold on but just a little pressure on the hinges and it’ll pop. Great video!
That person was actually Jack "Doc" Watson. He was largely responsible for the 20 year run of Hurst/Olds and was famous with the Hurst shifter company. The JAW's got its name from his his initials Jack A. Watson.
I'm certain you'll get to this, but the question keeps being asked about the comparison to the other cutting tools. Obviously though, sparks. The aim is clearly to be as safe as possible around combustible fluids and vapors. edit: annd you got to it.
Hey guys, I work at Amkus Rescue Systems. I'm glad you are using our tools! We do a lot of extrication classes showing how to use these tools. I am glad that you went to a fire department to learn how to us them, its important to be safe. I do have to say though, we don't call our tools Jaws Of life, lol that's another company. 😆
this is the most like a tv show i've seen in your productions so far. you guys are getting so good at making these vids. thanks and great work! please keep it up!
@@PraisedLink Actually it's an old "Mr. Yuk", which was to warn kids about poison. Was pretty local to the philly/dc area in the 70's and 80's, and is likely where VD picked it up as they're from B'more
I am a professional firefighter and we use the 'sawzall' as part of our rescue kit. Great tools when used appropriately. Obviously you wouldn't have a casualties head resting against the pillar you are going to be cutting.
Justin’s voice of authority is fantastic. When he’s being genuine, you can hear the tone shift versus clowning on someone’s scripts. Give him more voiceovers for serious matters.
I was cut out of a 96 Buick Regal in 2005 with the jaws of life. True to it's name it saved my life. I wouldn't be around today if it wasn't for this life saving device.
This is a golden opportunity for you buff Donut guys to have an essay contest for fire departments to win a donation of these tools from you, along with swagging them up with Donut merch. Many rescue squads could use the help.
Its a good sentiment, but these tools look both old and outdated, and reliability is a number 1 priority when it comes to this type of thing, a tool with leaky seals is only gonna add fuel to the fire.
I love how donut’s videos are the perfect mix of educational and entertaining Just a suggestion which will probably never be read Just to not waste the car, remove everything that dosent help it move, and by everything, I mean everything. You’ll end up with something light enough to carry and it will probably be really fun to take down a track
In addition to these tools some departments also actually have a large cutoff saws and chainsaws onboard their trucks. They also have airbags and a winch onboard so they have everything they could possibly need to get the job done. However not all trucks have hydraulic or even electric extradition tools. Often only one truck in a department will have a set and will be set up as a purely rescue truck with no pump or water onboard. However this is up to each department and is based on preference as well as the resources and funds available in the area. At the apparatus manufacturer I work at each truck is designed to be completely custom from the ground up for each departments needs.
When our department trains on extraction we start with cribbing, it is important to keep the vehicle stable while working on it. As I'm sure you saw the car loses a lot of rigidity when you cut pillars and roofs.
I've been calling all of the similar hydraulic rescue tools "jaws of life" - but it turns out that's actually a brand and trademark. It's a bit like velcro vs. "hook and loop"
@@fatalgravity that's crazy I never knew that. The company was called dempster dumpster, dempster being the name of the founder. Skip bin is the word used where dumpster isn't an established brand
My grandma works in dispatch at her local fire department and I got to hold a jaws of life spreader when I was like 10 years old, one of my best childhood memories
Son: mom, can we have *JAY Z, Kanye West - Otis ft. Otis Redding* at the way home? Mother: we already have *JAY Z, Kanye West - Otis ft. Otis Redding* at home *JAY Z, Kanye West - Otis ft. Otis Redding* at home: 10:18
For those saved by this device, thank the inventor Jack "Doc" Watson. He was largely responsible for the 20 year run of Hurst/Olds and was famous with the Hurst shifter company. The JAW's got its name from his his initials Jack A. Watson. Rest in Peace Doc.
It's completely wrong info, but keep on sharing wrong info I guess. They were invented by George Hurst/Mike Brick for extricating crash victims during races. And they weren't named after someone's initials, Mike Brick, who was hired by George Hurst, coined the term "Jaws of Life" when after seeing them in action said they were saving people from the jaws of death. Brick developed the first portable cutters/spreader/jaws toolset, and ran the company for over a decade. And then he went on to develope and patent the Combi tool, otherwise known as the "Phoenix Rescue tool." But keep on spreading bullshit. Not like we don't have enough of that
@@fubar5884 well alright. I do come here for the education. Jaws of death makes sense too, and kinda sounds horrific when considering a wreck scene. These tools probably saved countless lives and a few limbs.
You guys honestly think we, the fans, want to sit here and watch you PLAY with such an integral piece of life saving equipment used by first responders all over the world?????? you're God damn right we do, this is gonna be fuuuuuuun
Another FD personnel input, Cutters and spreaders are a bit more quiet than the other options, cause less shaking and noise while extricating the victims. A patient entrapped is already stressed and adding the noise of a sawzall cutting it is impossible to provide patient care and keep the patient relatively calm. Great content boys!
Wow, it is amazing the quality content that these guys make. The illustrations, the background music changing according to the situation, the sound effects, the camera angles, everything works perfectly. Thank you for making free quality content.
@@heavygaming6596 I feel that, the newer "shows" feel low effort compared to their older ones but to be fair; they've covered so much history and done many modification walk-throughs; I'm sure it gets difficult to keep up that type of content without being incredibly repetitive.
The most dangerous thing you guys did in this video was run that Milwaukee angle grinder with a cutoff wheel and no guard. Sure, you're okay most of the time. But it only takes one exploded disc for one of you to get killed or maimed. As a collision tech I use that tool frequently for cutting metal, but I have yet to ever run it without the guard.
Just as someone who spent 20 years as a firefighter and 10 as a medic, don't call them Jaws of Life, its clownshoes, kinda like calling NOS "noss." You've got the cutters, spreaders and the ram. But because "Jaws of life" is used to just described the hydraulic tools as a whole it's just nothing but confusing. When you're on a scene and you tell someone "grab the Jaws" they're gonna look at you like your an idiot, if you tell them grab the spreaders they'll grab the spreaders.
@@amazimotionstudios9263 And B2B... At this point I don't think any of those shows will come back as Donut seems content just making algorithm friendly videos.
The other thing that wasn't mentioned is the noise. Even if it wasn't for the sparks issue, imagine being rescued after a crash and have the sound of a sawzall in front of your face. These are a lot quieter.
I manage a scrap yard, and we closely work with our local firefighters. We create simulated accidents with the cars brought in as scrap, so we get to watch all their toys in action on the weekends. It’s pretty sick what they do, true heroes.
Remember when donut did. B2b, up to speed, wheelhouse, money pit, the D list , longer seasons of high/low. Hopefully they are writing and making those shows to be released soon. This stuff is fine. As a hold over but I'd hate to see the permanent
Those tools are now considered antiques! Pretty much the electric & cordless hydraulic extrication tools have become the gold standard for first responders.
We use Electric tools along with the traditional hydraulic tools but watch out with the lines for holes the hydraulic pressure can shoot into your skin.
I have no idea why I haven’t seen this until a year later! You guess and gals at donut are amazing! It’s wild to think I remember when y’all just had over 1M SUBS now over 8M! And several different spin offs awesome job you all!
I'm glad that they went to actual firefighters to learn how to use them and for tips and tricks. Really cool of them to do that. They could of easily just said fuck it and went ham haha. Even during the explanations they seemed attentive and really wanted to learn even with jokes and stuff haha.
The new guy was a little quiet at first so it was impossible to see why you hired him. But he's the perfect addition to the team. Seems like he was always here.
