A remote-controlled crane with a tine grab. This is the solution to one of the most dangerous tasks facing firemen. "Making holes in a roof to release the hot combustion gases from a burning building is a dangerous and difficult job," says Sven-Olov Hansson, assistant head of rescue operations at the emergency services in Sundsvall-Timrå in Sweden. "Now we can accomplish this significantly more safely."
The new solution is the result of cooperation between Sundsvall-Timrå emergency services and Hiab. "It was Bo Elgenström at the emergency services and I who contributed our viewpoints and ideas in a cooperation effort with Hiab," explains Sven-Olov Hansson. "Then Laxo Mekan constructed our solution." The result was a radio-controlled HIAB XS 477 with six hydraulic arms and a Jib 100 mounted on a demountable platform.
"We already had three demountable vehicles that could carry the new platform, so we did not need to invest in an additional vehicle," explains Sven-Olov Hansson. "This kept the cost down."
The importance of being able to quickly make holes and release combustion gases was accentuated in the spring of 2005 when an entire block of old buildings in central Sundsvall burned down. "In that case, we were unable to release the combustion gases quickly enough, with unfortunate consequences in terms of spreading of the fire."
On that occasion, the fire spread rapidly through the old buildings via recesses in walls with additional insulation and attic spaces. If the new crane had already been in use, the damage could probably have been significantly limited.
In the future, holes will be made right from the start when fighting fires, as a matter of course and as a preventative measure. "Even if only the bottom floor is burning. Our experience is that a fire can spread very quickly once it has established itself."
Quick evacuation of combustion gases also improves visibility inside a burning building and simplifies the job of extinguishing the fire by making it easier to find the source of the fire. Accordingly, firefighting is made quicker and easier.
The new crane can be maneuvered via radio control by one person in a crane basket. From this safe distance, the crane can be precisely maneuvered to crush roofing material with the tine grab and to create holes through which uncombusted combustion gases can be released. The crane extends 30 meters straight up or 26 meters sideways. Thanks to the eight-meter-long jib, it is even possible to reach some distance in over flat roofs. "Because of the size of the crane, it easily reaches onto the roofs of eight-story buildings," explains Sven-Olov Hansson.
Previously, this work needed to be performed manually by the firemen. In addition to the risks connected with chopping holes in roofs above the seats of fires, the task often involved balancing on snowy, slippery roofs high above the ground. That in itself made clear that the operation was extremely dangerous.
The crane will also be used in many other situations. "Only our imaginations set the boundaries," says Sven-Olov Hansson. "We will be able to use it during storms to deal with roofing panels about to be blown away, large road signs that have blown down or trees that have fallen over, among other situations."
Even now, as three men per shift are being trained to operate the crane, other hydraulic tools are being considered to equip it for other tasks. Clearly, the new addition entails an enhancement of both safety and efficiency for the emergency services in Sundsvall-Timrå.