HURST Jaws Of Life Announces The Company Has Attained NFPA 1936 2020 Compliant Status For Its EWXT And eDRAULIC 2.0 Tools

HURST Jaws of Life, an industry renowned global manufacturer of rescue tools, has earned the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 1936 2020 compliant status for HURST’s two highest-performing product lines, eDRAULIC watertight extrication tools (EWXT) and eDRAULIC 2.0 (E2) battery-powered tools.

The third-party test results also include HURST Jaws of Life earning high ratings in the NFPA’s new F Bar Cut testing for cutter performance, against the design and metal types of the ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) structures, in modern automobiles.

EWXT and E2 tools attain NFPA 1936 2020 compliance

“Our goal is to help first responders get to the patient faster and earning NFPA 1936 2020 compliant status affirms our rescue tools can achieve that goal, even in the toughest extrications,” said Bruce Johnston, the Director of Marketing and Product Management for HURST Jaws of Life.

We’re proud to provide first responders with rescue tools that can perform in these challenging environments"

Bruce Johnston adds, “The high-strength metals that keep passengers safe inside their cars, make it more difficult for first responders to get inside the vehicle, during an extrication process. We’re proud to provide first responders with rescue tools that can perform in these challenging environments.”

NFPA expands series of material category tests

NFPA standards specify performance requirements for powered rescue tools and components that are used by emergency services personnel, in order to facilitate the extrication of patients from entrapment.

In 2020, NFPA has expanded its series of material category tests from five tests to six for rating cutter and combination tools in their ability to cut high-strength metals, to now include a new ‘High Strength Materials’ test, otherwise known as the ‘F Bar Cut’ test.

F Bar Cut test

In the F Bar Cut test, cutters face an ultra-high-strength, low-alloy rectangular tube and can earn a performance level between 1 (1” X 2” X 0.065”, outside dimension by wall thickness) and 7 (2” X 4” X 0.250”).

The rectangular shape of the metal tested mimics the more common UHSS B-post in modern automobiles. By using treated 4130 ultra-high-strength steel, the F Bar test can better evaluate cutters, for current extrication challenges.

F5 and F4 ratings for HURST’s cutters and combination tools

HURST Jaws of Life earned F5 and F4 ratings for nearly a dozen cutters and combination tools

HURST Jaws of Life earned F5 and F4 ratings for nearly a dozen cutters and combination tools from its eDRAULIC collection, a battery-powered rescue tool line that revolutionized the industry, as stronger, smaller, lighter tools that require no hoses and no power units, and its new eDRAULIC watertight extrication tools (EWXT) line, which launched in 2019, to allow first responders to operate submerged in fresh water, unencumbered by hoses or power units.

“As engineering in automotive manufacturing continues to evolve, so too should the testing that ensures rescue tools are up to the task of arming first responders,” said Michael Canon, the Vice President of Sales for HURST Jaws of Life.

F Bar Cut test addition to NFPA standards

Mike Canon adds, “The new F Bar Cut is an important addition to NFPA standards, challenging tool manufacturers to put their tools to the test, in a common scenario faced by first responders, in today’s extrication rescues. First responders can rest assured that when they face that B-Post, HURST Jaws of Life cutters are going to deliver the cut they need to get to the patient.”