Race Safety Innovations

Speedweeks are upon us once again.
Monday February 08 2010
Are you ready for the 2010 racing season? We've been busy over the winter fine tuning the Sprint Car Safety Project and more........

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What is a ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw?

The ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw is the newest, safest and easiest tool available today for the challenging rescue and extrication needs of today's motorsports safety crews and the demands of the emergency medical and fire/rescue service community.

The ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw is a flexible spiral cut steel wire saw that allows safety personnel to cut and remove the impact foam from the head and shoulder surrounds of a driver's seat in one quick and easy motion. It reduces the time needed for rescue personnel to aid you in the event of a serious crash.

FACTS AND FICTION ABOUT TRACK CREW EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Fiction: My local fire dept. was trained at the fire academy in race rescue procedures. They know what to do. We haven't had any big fires or bad wrecks in a long time. What's the big deal anyway?
Fact: There are only a few formalized training programs in the country who even recognize and train for the specialized needs of motorsports fire control and rescue procedures. It is a big deal when you're the one who is injured!

Fiction: Every ambulance or rescue squad has trained paramedics at the fire station. It only takes them a few minutes to get to the track.
Fact: Only advanced life support (ALS) rescue squads and ambulances have paramedic crews. Some fire dept's have them but most use first responders (first aid) or EMT's that do not have advanced extrication and trauma skills needed for motorsports rescue needs.

Fiction: If we have a bad accident, a helicopter can get the driver or spectator to the hospital faster than an ambulance. All they do is call 911.
Fact: Most helicopter services can only be dispatched by an ALS or paramedic crew once they get on scene. That all takes time. It's true that once you get on the helicopter it will reduce the transport time, but it's the early medical treatment that can make a difference. The "Golden Hour" means you have 1 hour from the time of the accident to get advanced medical treatment in a trauma center to save your life. If you're lucky.

THE PLAIN AND SIMPLE TRUTH IS THAT MOST TRACK SAFETY CREWS DO NOT GET THE NECESSARY FUNDING, TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT TO OPERATE COMPETENTLY AT THE ADVANCED LEVELS NEEDED FOR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AT MOTORSPORTS FACILITIES AND EVENTS.

So what does this have to do with the ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw and my race car?

Glad you asked. At RSI, we recognized a need early on in the development of the full containment seats as a result of those tragic crashes culminating with Daytona in 2001, that could pose a serious problem for track safety crews and driver rescue.

In the quest for better containment of the driver's body based on crash test data, a reactive and spinoff problem was now caused by the creation of the large foam head and shoulder surrounds restricting the driver's entry and egress in many race cars.

While it is true at the larger motorsport venues where soft walls and new car construction methods have reduced injuries at the top levels of racing, it is not so throughout the rest of the industry where concrete walls, Armco barriers, trees, guardrails and straight rail cars still exist.

The trickle down effect of the top level race teams R&D and crash test data has brought many of the full containment seats and other safety equipment improvements down to the semi pro and grass roots racers. This has reduced some injuries and generally been good for safety overall.

But, our experience has shown, in conjunction with many industry experts, that a majority of track crews have a very difficult time removing an injured driver with current tools and methods if they been in a serious accident in a full containment seat.

So, to make some of these complicated rescue situations a little easier, we reverse engineered some safety equipment and developed several new tools including the ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw to address many of these problems of the racing industry and the track safety needs at all levels.

The ZipFlex™ TrackPack™ is a dual saw belt holster kit that any track safety worker can wear or store in a tool box. The flexible wire saw cuts the impact foam away from the seat without the need for knives or blades to further injure the driver or rescuer in a difficult situation.

By removing the foam immediately, any safety worker has instantaneous access to the driver's head,neck and airway to begin life saving treatment while waiting for advanced medical help to assist.

The new ZipKit™ is the same ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw that the track safety crew uses only it's preinstalled in your seat. Wherever you go, rain or shine, 24/7, the ZipKit™ is always with you. It works right side up, upside down, on asphalt, dirt or deep in the mud.

Further rescue efforts may still be needed to address the situation and remove the driver depending on injuries, but the ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw is the quickest, easiest and safest method to gain immediate life saving access to any driver or passenger in a full containment racing seat!

Contact your seat manufacturer or RSI and purchase a ZipKit™ for installation in your racing seat for peace of mind and be prepared! The life you save may be your own! Your local track safety crew or promoter can also contact us for info or safety training with the ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw.