An International Standard to Extrication – I think not!
I was recently asked to write an article for a magazine. The question posed; should there be an international standard approach to vehicle extrication?
There is on the face of it only one answer, especially if, like me, you have a genuine passion for the subject. However, when I stopped and thought about it (for some weeks, I have to confess) it became a very complex proposition. The full article is available here so I won’t bother to rewrite it. However, this is an ideal opportunity to expand on one aspect of why I think an international standard approach would perhaps not be the best move.
I finish the article with the following question; wouldn’t a widely adopted international standard dilute discussion and therefore inhibit progress?
It is my view that a lot of development in the field of rescue has come from discussion, disagreement and the sheer willingness to develop one’s own ideas, principles and methods. Whatever the underlying reason for taking a tool and developing different ways of gaining access to a vehicle, creating space or extricating a casualty, there is no doubt that a desire to do it better has led to safer working practices and the development of new tools, which has ultimately saved lives over many years.
I therefore concluded, that having a widely adopted international standard may inhibit progress by taking the burden of progress away from operational rescuers who, let’s face it, have historically been responsible for developing most of the techniques we all use every day. Rescuers by their very nature are (generally) competitive people, they question everything and it is this trait that leads them to be innovative when it comes to getting the job done. This approach should be openly encouraged and not stifled in any way which is my gravest concern, were there to be an international standard.
From a personal point of view, the challenging of my preferred methods and concepts by rescuers means that I am constantly kept on my toes and forced to revisit, rethink and adapt my approach where I see fit. As a direct result I always question myself; can I do this another way?
In reality, there are very few international standards for anything (only commercial aviation really springs to mind) so maybe that tells us something. Although in the last 2 weeks the world has developed an international standard for pouring buckets of iced water on themselves for charity. I nominate ..... ;-)
As usual, I welcome your feedback!
Ian Dunbar