Hey, it’s Jimbo here, (on behalf of Bob Pierce and the entire crew), with some tips on what is sure to rank at the top of Ultimate Man Skills — saving someone from a burning or submerged vehicle.

As usual, I’ve brought in an expert to help, (because let’s face it, I don’t know crap). His name is Dennis Curley, a 20-year veteran firefighter and dive rescue hot-shot who’s saved more lives than Schindler. (Well, maybe not Schindler. But a lot).

Dennis admits that of the many rescues and tragedies he’s seen over the years, (including that guy who somehow got his “thingy” stuck in a water faucet), automobile fires and submersions are the most heartbreaking — because there’s so little time to successfully save the victims.

Even if first responders arrive within 3 minutes of the initial call, which is damn fast (unless of course, you happen to be stuck inside a burning or sinking car, then I’m betting it doesn’t seem so fast), it’s still often too late.

Which means people on the scene have to act. There’s just simply no time to wait for the cavalry to ride in to save the day. Regular folks gotta step in — and that includes YOU.

Because frankly, there are few actions more manly than hauling a person out of fiery wreck just before it goes up in flames or sinks beneath the waves. (Actually, I think this is how James Bond landed a few Bond-girls).

So if you’re the kinda guy who’s willing to act in order to save a life, (and I’m betting you are), then what you’re about to discover could someday prove to be a most rewarding skill.

• On The Scene: So very smoldering hot.
• The Window: This is one tough cookie.
• Seatbelts: It slices… it dices.

On The Scene:

Know-How For The Man Of Action.

So you’re driving down a busy highway when you witness an accident straight outta “Smokey And The Bandit”. As you pass, one wrecked car begins to smolder with a young lady pounding on the window crying for help.

She’s obviously trapped.

And in a moment of inspired bravado, you leap from your car, run toward what is sure to be an extremely grateful admirer, (and possibly future ex-wife)…

…just before getting flattened like a squirrel by a semi-truck.

Be warned: Our expert has seen many a Good Samaritan killed because they became too focused on the emergency at hand while ignoring multiple deadly threats around them.

It’s called Crisis Blindness, (a cool term I just invented), and it’s very common, even among first responders who should know better.

So even in a life-and-death crisis where every second counts, you need to pause, gather your thoughts and carefully assess the situation… before acting.

Accidents naturally create a sense of confusion. Smoke, fire, blood, screaming victims, rubber-neckers rubber-necking. Gawkers gawking. It’s all a perfect formula for yet another tragic accident.

Because few drivers are paying attention to the road… or that awesome man-of-action who’s running to rescue.

So clear your head. Pullover to a relatively safe spot. Put your car in park. Turn on your emergency blinkers. Grab a glass breaker and seatbelt cutter. Check for traffic before opening your door. Look both ways before stepping from your vehicle, (I think I remember my first-grade teacher saying something about that). Be calm and extremely methodical.

If the accident vehicle is on fire, do NOT panic.

While a fire can spread very quickly, the vehicle almost never explodes in a dramatic mushroom cloud. Thanks to the movies, most bystanders believe just the opposite — that any vehicle on fire means you’re only moments away from an explosion rivaling a small nuclear device.

That is pure Hollywood, (although God knows I love a good explosion).

But this explains why most witnesses on the scene of a car fire are running around like frightened chimps instead of helping victims or providing first responders with valuable intel.

Yes, a fire is serious. But the car won’t explode and there IS time to get trapped victims out — although that time could be as little as 30 seconds before the car is completely engulfed in flames.

So you must act fast… but in a calculated manner.

Before trying the door, quickly tap the handle with back of your hand to check it. Metal is a good conductor of heat. You don’t want to sear your fingers like four burnt weenies. No, stay cool and use your head.

If the handles are too hot, or the doors jammed, (common even in minor accidents), quickly to move to “Plan B” — breaking out a window.

Bustin’ Out Windows:

Not As Easy As You May Think

Auto glass is tougher than most people think. There’s a notion that a determined person could punch, elbow or kick their way out. That’s not the case. And I challenge you to try.

Go down to your local junkyard and pay them a few bucks to bust out a window or two, (or just use my brother-in-law’s car. He won’t mind. I’ll shoot you his address).

I think you’re in for a shock. Because you’ll break your fist or your elbow well before you break the window, (so don’t do that). You won’t be able to get through it with a baseball bat or a tree branch or a screwdriver or throwing rocks or anything like that either.

I know, I tried them all, (except the breaking bones part). It was actually a lot of fun, (because nobody was dying), and I can tell you with 100% certainty that you WILL need a specific tool to break window glass.

Here are a few tips from Dennis, our rescue expert.

– Do nothing if you can. It’s tempting (and cool) to bust a window and drag someone to safety. But here’s the thing: If it’s clear that the accident victims are not in any imminent danger, you should just call 911 and wait for first responders to handle the situation. (Yeah, I know… boooring).

– Forget the window-punch. A standard spring-action widow punch is an unreliable piece of equipment, (which is bad in a situation that demands total reliability). Fact is, the spring weakens over time and often times the punch simply fails to shatter the window. They also don’t work (ever) underwater. Dennis is adamant about this for one reason: He has seen people die because a window-punch couldn’t get the job done. Do yourself a favor and don’t depend on spring-assisted window punch.

– Calm folks down. Victims of an accident are often disoriented and panicking. Before you start smashing windows, take a couple of seconds to tell the victims that you are there to help. You don’t them fighting you, (something firefighters experience all the time). So tell them to calm down, you’re there to help. You’re going get them out and you’re going to break a window in the process. Many times they’ll acknowledge you and calm down. (And if they’re really out-of-it, they’ll order a Whopper without cheese from you).

– Avoid alarming the victim. If you can, choose a window that’s not right next to the victim. Auto glass is not going to cut up anyone too bad, (it’s designed that way), but breaking a window near the victim could get him panicking and turn a rescue situation into a fistfight. (“No that black eye isn’t from the accident”).

– Choose a side window. Side windows are still very tough tempered glass, but they are the easiest to break. With the right tool, they can be shattered in an instant. The windshield, (and oftentimes the rear window as well), contains a thin and very tough plastic laminate that’s hard to get through. It’s certainly not impossible. If for example the car is flipped, and the roof crushed down, your only choice may be to extract the victims through the windshield. It’s certainly not impossible, but when seconds count, use a side window.

– Avoid windows slightly rolled down. This provides too much “give” and dispersion of force, making it harder to break the window. Choose the lower corner of a completely rolled-up window if possible. (And if the window is rolled all the way down… well… I’m hoping I don’t have to explain that to anyone).

– Accept ugly truths: Here’s something that’s as hard to swallow as raw oysters: You simply may not be able to save anyone. The vehicle may be hopelessly ablaze. Or submerged 20-feet in murky swift water. In that case, bite your lip and steel yourself. Yes, it’s hard to stand by and watch someone die, but putting your life at risk to save another is one thing. It’s called courage. Diving into a hopeless situation without thinking is another. It’s called suicide. Know the difference. Sit down and make an agreement with yourself sometime soon about which scenarios you would or wouldn’t get involved. Could save your family a lot of grief.

The Seatbelt:

Slice N Dice.

Breaking out a window may not be enough to save anyone because there’s likely yet another major obstacle in your way… the seatbelt.

Nobody is suggesting that you don’t wear a seatbelt, but after a crash, the “release button” can (and often does) get jammed… or (in a fire) it gets too hot… or it gets blocked by accident debris and there’s simply not enough time to dig it out.

Point is, you may need to cut the belt off. (Firefighters almost always will simply cut the belt off without even looking for the release button).

A knife could work, but our own research conducted in the lab, (a lab that looked exactly like a junkyard) showed that cutting the belt, (which was damn tough, by the way) took at least 18 seconds. That’s too long. (Oh yeah, and the poor guy who conducted the test ended up slicing open his hand. So the test on knife sharpness was a big thumbs up).

So as you can imagine, using a knife to cut a seatbelt off an agitated victim could turn ugly, (literally bloody awful).

Yes, a knife is better than nothing, but a belt-cutter with a recessed blade is a much quicker and safer way to go. (With the LifeLine we were able to cut the belt in about 2 seconds without dicing up anyone).

Firefighters will slice the belt in two places — at the hip and at the shoulder, (on the side closest to the door). This completely releases the person without having to “unthread” the belt through the latch to get it off. Just two clean cuts and he’s free.

Now it’s time to get the victim out of the vehicle. Tell them your “out” plan — that you’re going out through the window or a back door or out the sunroof for that matter.

The entire process from beginning to end is often referred to as S.W.O. or “Seatbelt-Window-Out”. This makes sense if you’re getting yourself out. Rescuing someone else is more like “Window-Seatbelt-Out”.

Get yourself and the victim clear of the vehicle and away from the accident scene.

And remember: Avoid the dreaded (but awesomely named) “Crisis Blindness Syndrome”. Don’t get so focused on the immediate situation that you ignore obvious dangers.

It would be tragic to get the victim out of the car only to be run over by a rubber-necker. (It happens all the time).

There’s a LOT more. If you’re interested in a “rescue kit” (that includes a LifeLine Car Rescue Tool and additional training)… you can check it out right HERE.

Plenty of ultra-manly things coming your way, so keep your eyes peeled.

Stay Manly,

Jimbo, Editor
Man Skills

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