One of the great ironies of modern automobiles is the sophisticated electronics, airbags and hybrid drivetrains that make them smarter, safer and greener also make them riskier to cut apart after an accident.
Slicing a high-voltage electrical cable or puncturing an airbag compression cylinder with a hydraulic cutting tool like Jaws of Life can result in electrocution or an explosion. Navigating the potential minefield of risks takes time - something a patient bleeding to death in the crumpled remains of their car might not have.
With that in mind, a Dutch company offers a database firefighters can call up on a laptop to pinpoint and deactivate potential rescue hazards. The Crash Recovery System developed by Moditech Rescue Solutions includes system diagrams and other data for 20,000 vehicles - virtually every make and model they might come across in North America - eliminating much of risk first responders face every time they cut into a car.
But so far, just 1 percent of the 30,000 fire departments and 7,000 emergency response teams in the U.S. are using it.
Moditech gathered the data directly from auto manufacturers. Rescue workers can call the info up in the field and access detailed diagrams of the vehicle they're working on. Potential hazards - a battery, for example, or an airbag - are highlighted, each in different colors. Clicking on a hazard brings up the procedure for avoiding or deactivating it (pdf).
Guemter sent us a demo disk, and the procedure for deactivating the battery on 2004-2006 Toyota Prius offered the following rundown:
- [It] is located in the baggage compartment as indicated (see fig. 1).
- Caution! This electrical circuit of the vehicle has a voltage of 200 Volts.
- Deactivate by disconnecting the orange service connector (see fig. 2).
- Use specified gloves when working on high-voltage circuit.
- Caution! After deactivation the high-voltage circuit requires 5 minutes to deplete.
"Vehicles didn't used to be as complex, and now rescue workers are getting hurt all the time," Aaron Guemter, director of marketing and sales for Hurst, which created Jaws of Life, told Wired.com.
The system costs $600 a month annually. Updates can be downloaded as often as every other week, and a more advanced edition allows rescue workers to use a vehicle identification number to get information on the exact car they're working on.
COMCARE, a non-profit emergency communications advocacy organization, is impressed by the Moditech system and wants to make it widely available. The software's been around for three years, but just 1 percent of the nation's fire departments and emergency reponse teams use it, says COMCARE director David Aylward. Part of the reason is cost.
"Most rescue teams need to be able to justify the price," he said. "They don't deal with serious emergencies on a regular basis, and some don't even have enough laptops to go around."
COMCARE is trying to get funding to distribute the system widely, and Aylward says the organization would like to make it available online or at the very least broadcast the information to first responders via radio as they need it. The Auto Alliance, which represents 11 major automakers, provided $50,000 back in 2006 to make the system more affordable, but it's had to scale back its financial support due to the economic implosion that's hit the auto industry in recent months. Still, the organization says it hopes to work with the Obama Administration to bring the program to a broader audience.
UPDATE: Tuesday, April 7 - Aaron Guemter dropped us a line to say the Crash Recovery System costs $600 annually. Our incorrect information was based on information provided in an interview with another source. We've amended the post and apologize for the error.
Main photo: Flickr / Andy Ciordia Second photo: Hurst.
