The Clearwater Fire Dept. is now the owner of three new life-saving tools – nicknamed the Ram, the Cutters, and the Jaws. 

The department has similar equipment they’ve utilized in the past, but the new models are easier to deploy, and they have numerous upgrades and redesigns that have made them a necessity. The new technology used in their construction increases cutting and extracting speed, saving on rescue time and helping save lives.

The department found them to be so vital that the front bumper on their new fire truck, Engine 12, was designed specifically for the new tools to be stored in. 

In a front end collision, passengers can become trapped inside the vehicle when the engine gets pushed into the passenger space. The Eforce Telescopic Ram is an extraction tool that can get them out more quickly and safely by lifting it out of the way.

Automakers are using new, lighter metals when designing their vehicles, which the fire department’s old cutters were unable to cut through. That won’t be an issue any longer, as their new 236 Eforce Cutter has titanium blades that can cut through an automobile’s doorposts with ease. 

The third tool, the S49-SL3 Eforce Jaws, or Spreader, is less cumbersome to operate and much quieter, running on batteries instead of a gasoline motor.

In fact, all three tools are powered by batteries that are commercially available versus special orders that are more expensive and take more time to receive. 

During the department’s original research the total cost for the three tools was around $50,000, however by the time they were actually purchased the price had gone down to $35,000. Two years ago the Clearwater Lions donated $25,000 to the fire department to be used specifically for purchase of the new tools, which ended up covering the majority of the cost.

“The Lions have been great benefactors to the Clearwater Fire Dept. throughout its history,” said recently retired Fire Chief Ryan Pridgeon. 

The firefighters trained with demo models of the tools a couple of times before their tools arrived. With the new year they will now have familiarity training with the actual tools, so everyone is comfortable with their use.