Hydraulic Rescue Tools 

Hydraulic rescue tools, also known as the Jaws of Life, are used by emergency rescue personnel to assist vehicle extrication of crash victims, as well as other rescues from small spaces. These tools include cutters, spreaders, and rams. Such devices were first used in 1963 as a tool to free race car drivers from their vehicles after crashes.

Hydraulic rescue tools are powered by a hydraulic pump, which can be hand-, foot-, or engine-powered or even built into the tool. These tools may be either single-acting, where hydraulic pressure will only move the cylinder in one direction, and the return to starting position is accomplished using a pressure-relief valve and spring setup, or dual-acting, in which hydraulic pressure is used to both open and close the hydraulic cylinder. Recently, manufacturers of these rescue tools have begun offering options for electrically-powered versions as well using simple electric rotation motors or screw pistons rather than the aforementioned setup, promising greater reliability, lower cost of ownership, lower weight and better handling, greater portability, quicker and more direct operation, and greater potential power.