From USA TODAY:
…Cars have changed in ways that make rescues more complicated and dangerous for first responders — from new types of steel that are tougher to cut, to high-voltage cables in hybrid-electric cars. Firefighters and other first responders now face a host of unknowns at the scene of any serious auto accident.
“They’re designing cars for consumers, not for rescuers,” instructor Greg Rudiger tells a class of first responders here at the Rio Hondo Fire Academy training center.
Automakers want to help make rescues easier but are in a bind: Consumers are demanding lighter cars with advanced powertrains that get better fuel economy without sacrificing safety. Designs that accomplish those goals and include the most desired safety features also sometimes increase injury risks for rescuers. They make it tougher to extract victims to rush them to emergency rooms in the “golden hour,” the critical 60 minutes that can decide life or death…
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