Extrication Cribbing

[John Moran]

Hello,

I am looking for some ideas on the construction of step cribbing for
vehicle extrication.
How long is the base, how deep is each step, what width is best, etc. Also,
how many of these do you carry per rig?

Thanks in advance,

John Moran
Benson VFD

[Web Williams]

Our department starts out with a 2 by 8 about 24 to 26 inches long.
It's not that critical- it depends on what you can fit into a
compartment. We then cut pieces of 2 by 6 starting about 18 inches
long, and 12 inches long, then put a piece of 2 by 4 on top about
6 inches long. We drill a hole in the "low" end of the step for a
piece of webbing for convenient carry. Each of our aparratus
carries two. The rest of our cribbing consists of various lengths
of 4 by 4 and 2 by 4 blocks, all have straps, and two pieces of
ladder cribbing made up of 2 by 4 about 24 inches long and held
together by fastening webbing on both sides to keep them in a (flat, wide
faced) ladder formation. Hope this helps, -Web with Myrtle Beach FD

In article <01beb0fd$54ed39c0$0901...@cobutilities.theriver.com>,
jmo...@cityofbenson.com says...

[Sprchud]

We use various sizes of step block cribbing. Our longest is 3.5 feet long in
about 5 inch intervals. We used 2x4s to make them and they have been proven
effective time and time again. Our smaller step blocks are 2 feet long at the
base and rise in 6 inch intervals. We carry a lot of cribbing because we have
the room for it and because we have had a few calls where we were running low.
We have never run out though (thank goodness).

We have about 8 of each size as far as step blocks are concerned. You can
never have too much as long as you have the space to put it on your truck.

Have fun and be safe.

CDC
FF/EMT/HMT/ B.S. FS+CJ

[Rescue 42]

I like this recipe, but might suggest you carry at least 4 so that you
can do all 4 corners. Six is even better so you can put 3 per side. On
the newer space frame vehicles, it is a good idea to do 6 point
cribbing because the rocker panels are so weak.

Tim O'Connell
Butte County Fire
Rescue 42, Inc.
Innovative tools for Extrication/Heavy Rescue
http://www.rescue42.com

On Mon, 7 Jun 1999 14:32:04 -0400, kr...@bigfoot.com (Web Williams)
wrote:

[John Smith]

Fire-Rescue Magazine has had some excellent articles on cribbing in the
past.

I'll look in my collection and see if I can find the issue I am thinking
of and mail you a copy of the article if you give me an address.

Generally, the more cribbing the better. Put as much of it on the truck
as you can. We have just recently redone our collection, and currently
carry approx. 10 step chocks, 20 4x4's, 20 3x4's, 20 2x3's, and (not
nearly enough) wedges. We could use more. The length is the depth of the
compartment, 22"

Everything new is based off the 4x4. The older step chocks had a 2x6
base with various increments of 2x4, but they are big, heavy, and waste
a lot.

The 4x4 steps are nicer and work better with the box cribbing, plus they
fit in the compartment nicer.
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|________|

Everything has a carry strap. It's nice to be able to loop your arm
through a bunch of 'em and go. Works much better than the milk crates we
used to use, where you had to bang it on the ground to get the blocks
out, and then spend a half hour trying to do the "jigsaw puzzle" to get
them to go back in just right.

You want to use a rough cut hard wood, not ordinary green lumber, and
better to use nuts and bolts, than nails or screws, counter sink the
ends. Use a bolt and washer for the webbing too, because nails/staples
rip too easily.

Our blocks are left unpainted. Some people like to paint them to make it
easier to clean off fluids, etc. There is a mild concern about the paint
making it easier for the car to slip. If wanted to paint them, I'd make
a rough slip resistant finish on them.

John

[Michael A Antos]

This may be obvious, but nobody else has mentioned it. Make sure you use a
hard wood, rather than pine. The pine wood that is so easy to get at Home
Depot and such is too soft and will compress under the weight of a vehicle.

Mike
Alexandria, VA

[Jon Schneckenburger]

USE GEORGA PINE IT IS HARD TO FIND BUT IS VERY STRONG THE PROBLEM WITH
OAK IS IT WILL SPLIT AND SHATTER WITH OUT WARNING. ALSO A SOFTER WOOD
WILL ALOW THE FRAME TO DIG IN AND NOT SLIP. WELL USED CRIBING WONT LAST
A LIFETIME SO PLAN ON REPLACING EVERY FEW YEARS. IN ADDITION WHEN
STACKING HIGH DONT BE AFRAID TO DRIVE A FEW NAILS IN TO LOCK PIESES TO
GETHER, THE MORE ROOM YOU HAVE THE MORE VRITY YOU CAN CARRY, A FEW 2'
SQUARE PIESES OF PLYWOOD CANE HELP IF YOU ARE WORKING ON SOFT GROUND.
REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT BUILDING A BRIDGE YOU ARE BUILDING A TOWER.

[Steve Fogel]

John....

We carry 2 sets (4) on our rig... the base is 18'' and decreases about
4'' per step. We have a webbed handle for carrying.

Steve