Rescuers need a knife

J

JohnnyR

Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
392
Off duty fire fighters rescue a boy from a burning SUV. In the confusion you can hear a woman by stander ask if anyone has a knife. The rescuers yell for a knife. This was an emergency situation and people were yelling for someone to give them a knife. At the end the rescuers credit citizens who helped smash the windshield and credit citizen for giving them a pocket knife. If not for that knife the outcome may have been different. Amazing rescue.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/21/milwaukee.rescue/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
 
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Thank god someone with a knife came through. Makes you realize the real life situation of being prepared, but I don't guess anything, even training, could prepare you for a disaster of this caliber. (Considering you were the one trapped in the car.) At least everyone kept a cool head.
 
Time and again we've had threads with some professional responders telling us how they never use knives as firefighters or first aiders because they have better tools available on the job.

But it never hurts to have that little old all-purpose tool around just in case, does it? I carry a Leatherman Wave and a Spyderco Assist in my gear bag.
 
I hate to say it but this story has been done to death. As for the knife I'm a firefighter/EMT and I usually carry one when I respond to a call , hardly have ever used it though. Trauma shears well they are an entirely different matter.


ETA: Esav, Thanks for reminder in re: multi-tool. Went on a call this week and needed to shutoff gas to water heater and had to send someone to truck to get pliers. Could have been easily solved if I had put a gerber on my bunker pants like I've been meaning to do.
 
citizensoldierNY said:
I hate to say it but this story has been done to death. As for the knife I'm a firefighter/EMT and I usually carry one when I respond to a call , hardly have ever used it though. Trauma shears well they are an entirely different matter.

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Well citizensoldierNY, I just saw it for the first time last night. When I watched the video on line, it struck me how many times a knife was requested. The rescuers even thanked the citizen who gave them a knife in a follow up press conference. It's an extreme example of how important of a tool a knife can be, so it shines a very positive light on our favorite tool that is frequently maligned. It's also one heck of a rescue by citizens and off duty fire fighters.
 
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JohnnyR,
Apologies if I came across as harsh, just meant to let you know video had been discussed before. In agreement though that a knife can help in just about any job.

When I was a paid EMT, about two eons ago, I used to carry a multi-tool, Benchmade CQC-7 , and a Gerber Boot knife. Boot knife was my last ditch and never saw any use, thankfully. Benchmade was great for showing off and the Gerber came in handy more than a time or two. Just last week I used the reamer on my SAK Pioneer to repair a patients hearing aide. She had jammed the battery in without putting it in the swing out door, was also wrong battery. Reamer on the SAK fixed it no problem though.
 
I thought I read a story, somewhere on here, just recently... about a member giving emergency responders his umnumm to bust a windshield with... interesting timing.. or was this the same person?
 
The Boy Scouts used to "be prepared", but I understand that they are cutting back on the use of edged tools. Can you be politically correct and prepared at the same time?
 
That was intense! :eek:

I'm just glad they got that knife in time.
Well you can bet your @SS that those fireman will carry some sort of knife from that day forward.
Though being off duty fireman they should have been carrying one in the first place.
 
I over heard a local fire fighter (recruit) looking for a knife at AG Russell one day, it is mandatory they carry a folding knife and multi-tool, the multi-tool surprised me, mainly carry position when suited up.

They get a nice 25% discount there too, I'm in the wrong profession being a knife lover and all.
 
citizensoldierNY said:
JohnnyR,
Apologies if I came across as harsh, just meant to let you know video had been discussed before. In agreement though that a knife can help in just about any job.

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No problem at all citizensoldier. Knives get such bad press and with so much negativity we face carrying one, I thought this story emphasized how awful this situation would have been if no one had been carrying one at all. I see this story as a big boost for the knife community. I see now it's an older news story, I missed it the first time around. Last night must of been a follow up on the boys injuries. Thank God for concerned citizens, knives and the EMT's too. If the off duty fire fighters hadn't been around it could have ended very badly. Regards, JR
 
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