Aug 17, 2008

Jaws of Life Addresses New Car Technology

Cars are getting better. The use of high-strength steels has made them stronger and offered passengers inside more protection. But it has also made it more difficult for some rescuers to reach trapped victims inside cars after a collision, especially if the rescuers are using older tools. Now, Hurst Jaws of Life has announced a rebate program -- directed toward municipalities, fire departments and rescue personnel -- aimed at collecting older tools that are currently in-service.

“We’re proud of the fact that we have so many quality tools on the market that are still in-service 30, sometimes nearly 40, years,” said Bill Simmons, Hurst’s vice president of sales and marketing.

The effort is targeted toward tools more than 10 years old and also classic spreaders and cutters that were favorites of fire departments in the past. Fire and Rescue departments can get up to $1,000 in cash rebates directly from Hurst by trading in their equipment. As part of the deal, the Hurst tools must be in good operating condition and classified as in-service by a department. Hurst plans to donate the tools to charity for use in less-developed countries.

“We’re going to take some valuable classic tools off the street and turn them into goodwill worldwide,” said Simmons.

“Our goal is to make a difficult situation like an auto accident as safe as possible and more efficient with the tools available today,” said Aaron Guenther, the company’s director of marketing. “Some departments struggle with municipal budget cutbacks and old tool sets. We’re trying to reach those communities and help get newer, stronger rescue tools into service.”