Extrication On A Campagna T Rex

[ckroll 101]

We just did an extrication on a Campagna T Rex.

Wow... double Wow. It's worth looking up if you've never seen one. One wheel in back and two in front with a fiberglass shell.

Not recommended on the Taconic Parkway in the rain.....

[Oswegowind 17]

We have had a couple around Yonkers...DMX and the Rough Riders love em! Never had to do an extrication from 1 though...more or less a 3 wheeled motorcycle, like a police scooter, just smaller-lower-and faster!

[xfirefighter484x 234]

WHOA! Thats quite a vehicle. Never seen one, can't imagine what a JAWS job that would be.

[Oswegowind 17]

Hot Link!

Go-T-Rex.com

Edited September 23, 2007 by Oswegowind

[ckroll 101]

Hot Link!

Go-T-Rex.com

The fiberglass shell disintegrates on impact and leaves a go-cart cage in front of a single rear motorcycle tire. The tubular steel cut like butter and could be bent back by hand. No doors, no windshield, no airbags, no roof simplifies extrication. The occupant did remarkably well considering the total deconstruction of the vehicle. Had it flipped it would have been a different story, but given the outboard front wheels and low CG, maybe they don't. Obviously ripping up the vehicle absorbed a lot of energy and resulted in a reasonably soft landing. Not a bad safety design, which is remarkable given how little vehicle there is and how fast they can go.....infinitely superior to doing the same thing in a motorcycle.

[Guest partyrock]

While we're on the topic of fiberglass and lightweight vehicle construction there's one trick that makes a huge difference. Cut. Cut everything. The spreader is becoming less effective as vehicle construction gets away from steel frames to unibody to carbon fiber and fiberglass.

[x635 4,066]

Wow! Interesting vehicle I didn't even know existed!

As always, extrication is never going to be simple or textbook- you never know what's going to be thrown at you, especially nowadays! Cars used to be pretty simple, but not anymore.

I guess that's why ALSFirefighter had us cut the roof of a station wagon-while it was rolled over on it's roof- in probie school. To get us to think outside the box, and it's those types of abstract scenrios everyone needs to practice during extrication training....because it's not just door pops, convertibles, and dash rolls anymore.

[Future Fireman 4]

The T-Rex thing looks like it could make a good Fly car, no? Only an idea

Mike