Overview of the Jaws of Life
The so-called Jaws of Life and the like have come into frequent use since their conception several years ago. They are basically a set of hydraulic triangular jaws that can cut through very strong materials because of the high pressure of their bite. They are usually used by fire departments, but are also being use by the military, police and several other civil and government agencies as well. They were invented in the 1970s, and were first used in racing circuits before they became popular in commercial and federal use.
Most commonly they are used to cut through wreckage after a car crash to help to free victims trapped inside. They are much better than methods used before because they are a lot faster and safer, and often speed is a factor. This is because often with badly crashed cars it is only a mater of time before the gas tank ignites, and blows the car and trapped passenger to pieces. And with conventional methods of freeing trapped people and cutting through car parts, this left the rescue services very little time to work before the situation because unsafe for them. This meant that a lot more people were likely to be killed when trapped in a car that was at risk of ignition.
Similarly often people trapped in wreckage are often losing a lot of blood, and so the faster they can be freed the better their chance of survival will be. The Jaws of Life makes this process much easier as they can cut through nearly anything in seconds. Which compared to the time consuming and often spark and heat producing conventional cutting tools, is a vast improvement.
The other major use of the Jaws of Life is for burning buildings to clear debris and to force open things such as elevator doors. Often in a burnt out building there will be things blocking exits and elevator doors will be jammed closed. The Jaws of Life can then force them open, allowing rescue services better access to many buildings. Again meaning that more people can be saved.
Unlike many other powerful cutting devices, the jaws of life are fairly mobile, and can be carried on a light truck. This in itself is an advantage because they can get into tight spaces where larger cutting devices would not be able to fit. It also means that it can be transported o the scene of an accident quickly, and doesn't need to be attached to a large truck, which might have trouble negotiating smaller roads covered in debris.
Because of the massive success of the Jaws of Life they are now used in many different countries, by many different rescue services. There are also now several different brands available, which are all fairly similar in the main. The latest addition to the Jaws of Life range is an electricity resistant model, for use with cutting through electrically powered cars. Ensuring the current running through certain parts of the car doesn't cause the user to receive a shock, or the jaws themselves to short out and stop working.
