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5 December 2025
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Featured FRI Magazine article: Reciprocating saws – as important as hydraulic rescue tools? by Colin Deiner
Reciprocating saws must never be seen as a replacement for hydraulic rescue tools but complimentary to them
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The blade thickness is a major contributor to the effectiveness of the blade
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Cordless reciprocating saws are now produced by various manufacturers
Reciprocating saws have a wide range of applications in rescue
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A good team-approach to multi-tasking will only be successful if you practice and practice often
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https://www.frimedia.org/uploads/1/2/2/7/122743954/fri_vol_3_no_9.pdf
This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Reciprocating saws – as important as hydraulic rescue tools? Written by Colin Deiner, chief director, Disaster Management and Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government (FRI Vol 3 no 9). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.
Reciprocating saws – as important as hydraulic rescue tools?
By Colin Deiner, Chief Director, Disaster Management and Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government
Jim Gargan, author of the first authoritative text book on vehicle extrication, “Vehicle Rescue”, written with, the legendary vehicle extrication instructor Harvey Grant, often said that when you are using a tool in the fire services that was designed for another industry, you must remember that you are ‘only borrowing’ the tool and therefore need to understand its initial intention and therefore its limitations. It was, however, ‘Uncle’ Jim who played a huge part in adapting many of these tools for use in rescue. We immediately think of the rescue strut, the origin of which was in the construction industry where it was used as a stabilisation device. The original ‘JIMMIJAK’ became the blueprint for a wide range of stabilisation systems, which have become an essential part of virtually every self-respecting rescue squad in many countries. He also spent a huge amount of time with manufacturers of reciprocating saws in developing the ‘rescue blade’. His book, “BTLS Access”, provided rescuers with many solutions to dealing with victims of vehicle entrapments without having to make use of hydraulic rescue systems. The technology available to us in hydraulics is phenomenal and thousands of people owe their lives to the innovations of modern rescue tools. We can’t do without them and not for a moment would I advocate that they can be replaced by any other rescue system. By introducing a good selection of pneumatic and electric cutting tools into you arsenal of rescue equipment you can improve your rescue capability to such a high level that your extrication times can be reduced by 50 percent or more. You can also have them at hand if for whatever reason you lose the function of your hydraulics.
During the late Nineties when I was still heavily involved in the South African National Extrication Challenge, our committee decided to follow the international practice and introduce the ‘Limited Evolution’ into our competitions. The difference was, however, that we decided that, in this category we would do away with the hand-pump operated hydraulics altogether and only allow tools that were operated either by electricity, batteries, compressed air or good old elbow grease. We found that in previous ‘limited’ evolutions teams were not migrating to the fantastic options made available to them by other hand tools but would rather default to connecting their hydraulics to the hand-pump and then proceed to extricate the victim using this method. More often than not some poor team member would end up furiously operating the hand-pump for close on 20 minutes, wearing bunker gear in the heat of the day. Often we would end up with a real victim in the exercise pit and had to call on a few paramedics to exercise their ‘treatment of heat exhaustion’ skills.
It was during the 1999 extrication challenge in Cape Town that we decided to ban hydraulics from the limited evolutions and were amazed at what we saw. The proficiency of some rescue teams with air chisels and reciprocating saws was so good that they were using these tools in tandem with their hydraulics. A new world opened up for many rescuers. As is the intention with these challenges, it wasn’t long before we saw this multi-tasking on the road.
Electric to battery
Rescue services who initially acquired reciprocating saws generally opted for electrically powered saws for a number of reasons. Battery powered cordless saws in those years had a limited work duration, which meant that you often had to stop midway through a job to change batteries. This was quite laborious as the rapid battery change capability didn’t yet exist and it meant removing a bulky rescue glove to allow you to replace the battery. The electric saw obviously had the limitation of having to be close to an electrical source or needed to have a generator carted after it. Blades were also a problem in this time as they did not have the ability to cut through different materials simultaneously and frequently snapped under pressure. Changing blades was also a mission on its own and it required a separate tool to achieve this.
Fortunately the increased popularity of the reciprocating saw in the rescue fraternity brought about many improvements and adaptions to the original tool. Batteries were adapted to perform better; quick-release mechanisms on batteries allowed for rapid replacement and similarly the quick-chuck keyless design made blade replacement quicker and easier. Most importantly new blades were developed especially for rescue purposes. Reciprocating saws had ‘arrived’ as a rescue tool.
Cordless reciprocating saws are now produced by various manufacturers and commonly use an 18-volt rechargeable nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery. These batteries generally last for fifteen to twenty minutes but this could be less if they are operated under heavy-load conditions. A recently introduced 24-Volt battery increases the usable power time by about 33 percent, according to its manufacturers.
It makes a lot of sense, however, to always make sure that before starting any task that you have two or more batteries available. You can consider also carrying an electric saw on your rig as a back-up. They obviously don’t have the time limitation of the cordless saws, which is very important if you are faced with a complex rescue.
If planning to use a cordless reciprocating saw for operations, have an electric saw set up and ready to use. Even though the cordless saw performs satisfactorily, the electric saw does not have the operational time limitation of the rechargeable batteries, which is an important factor at extended operations.
Saw blades – time to specialise
Reciprocating saws have since their inception become the tool of choice for many applications in the fire and rescue environment. They get used for forcible entry, structural collapse rescue (where they are particularly effective at cutting through reinforced steel) and vehicle extrication. These applications are generally much more demanding than the standard construction-type tasks for which they are used most of the time. The first thing you should do to increase the capability of the saw is to replace the standard consumer-grade blade with a specialised bi-metal blade designed specifically for fire and rescue services.
‘Rescue-blades’ are derived from the heavy-duty bi-metal ‘demolition’ blades that were first used by professional contractors. Bi-metal blades were first introduced in the 1960s and were found to work well for rescue due to their special construction and high resistance to breaking. The demolition blades tend to bend rather than snapping or breaking off and also have a higher resistance to chipping of its cutting surface. The robustness and improved performance of demolition/rescue blades are due to their construction whereby a high-speed steel cutting edge is welded onto a flexible, spring-steel base (hence the term bi-metal).
The blade thickness is also a major contributor to the effectiveness of the blade. The standard 0,9mm blade is not effective for fire and rescue applications and therefore the broader 1,5mm blades will offer more resistance during cutting but will provide a more effective cutting operation.
The ‘tooth-per-inch’ rating of a blade is very important in determining the best blade for the application. Blades with many small teeth are used for precision cutting work and have limited use in the rescue environment. The demolition/rescue blade has a lower ‘tooth-per-inch’ rating and will offer a more robust surface which will not wear out as rapidly. When you are cutting through a car door you must appreciate that you are penetrating a number of different materials (metals, plastic, glass etc) and therefore you need a saw that can break as much as cut as fast and effectively as possible. As a result you don’t really care what the final product looks like as long as it is open and out of the way.
Cutting reinforced concrete bars (rebar) in a structural collapse scenario will sometimes require a finer toothed blade. Remember that rebar is generally constructed from waste steel and its strength may vary along any two points throughout its length. Rebar must obviously be cleared of as much concrete as possible before the bar cutting starts. I would not recommend reciprocating saws as the tool of choice for this job. A good rebar cutter or hydraulic rescue tool will be far safer, especially if you are cutting close to a victim. In any event, make sure you always have sufficient hard protection in place when cutting close to any person. Anticipate the movement of the blade and ensure that you won’t injure anyone if things go south.
How long should your blades be? Due to the versatility of a reciprocating saw, make sure that you carry a variety of lengths on your rescue rig. I have on a number of occasions used recip saws to release people trapped by machinery. In these cases you have often very little space to work with and this is where you will need the shorter, six-inch (152 mm) blade. We once responded to an incident where a young boy’s arm was caught in a washing machine. To release his arm, we needed to cut through the cylinder but due to the limited space between the cylinder and the casing we decided to cut a few inches of the end of the blade. It worked. The most important thing to remember here is to make sure that the inward stroke of the blade is still on the outside of the base.
When you are cutting broad c-pillars or the multiple layers of materials found on vehicles today, it is better to have the longer 8- or 9-inch (203mm or 228mm) blade. When attempting a ‘gull-wing’ cut you might need to opt for the 12-inch (305mm) blade. This will give you the desired ‘reach’ you need but could cause the additional hazard to the patient on the other side. Hard protection again comes into play here.
Rescue blades are generally identified by the words “Rescue” or “Fire and Rescue” printed on them. Experienced rescuers should easily identify these blades by looking at the thickness and teeth-per inch. Most known rescue kit suppliers usually provide rescue blades but in the event that you can’t get your hands on them, you can use the industrial demolition blades as a backup.
Operation – where and when
As mentioned above, reciprocating saws have a wide range of applications in rescue. The most common uses in vehicle rescue will be roof removal and relief cuts through doors and the length of the roof.
The first and most important principle when operating the saw is to ensure that the ‘shoe’ or ‘foot’ in which the blade is inserted should lie flush against the material being cut. This prevents saw slippage, reduces vibration and assists in guiding the blade as it cuts.
Many rescuers believe that the saw should be lubricated continuously during any cutting operation. Some rescue squads will use oil while most favour a soap-water mixture or dishwashing liquid. Recent research has, however, revealed that lubricating a blade has no impact on the effectiveness of the saw. Lubrication might extend the life of the blade but this should be weighed up against the option of tying a rescuer up who will have to operate the spray bottle in an already crowded confined space.
When you are cutting any materials that are in contact with a victim, you should, however, consider lubricating the material (especially metals) with water. The heat generated by the cutting activity could be conducted to the victim causing further injury.
Reciprocating saws are very effective in cutting the front windscreen by applying a line of foam (like shaving cream) to the surface before starting the cut. This helps to prevent the fine glass particles from flying all over the place and injuring rescuers and the victim. Adequate soft protection should also be put in place.
Remember to let the saw do the work. The operator’s hands should be firmly on the insulated areas and should be there to guide the saw along its path. Never force the blade onto a surface as it will slow the blades movement down compromise the cut.
Most manufacturers have variable speed settings on their saws. Ensure that your setting is best suited to the material that you need to cut. A general rule will be to cut harder metals at a slower speed. Increasing the saw’s cutting speed will not increase the speed of the cut but could cause damage to the blade itself. Ensure that saw is running before applying the blade to the surface. Make sure that you establish a small groove as a purchase point before commencing with the actual cut. Starting the cut from a ‘standing’ position might cause the blade to slip or snag onto something and momentarily cause the operator to lose control.
The friction of the cutting effort will obviously cause the blade to be quite hot and care must be taken to handle the blade with gloves if it is necessary to do so.
Multi-tasking
Reciprocating saws must never be seen as a replacement for hydraulic rescue tools but complimentary to them. The best rescue squads are those who are able to go to work on a car using both their hydraulics and a combination of reciprocating saws and air chisels.
Instead of doing a partial roof-flip on a vehicle, rather take the entire roof off by taking the A- and B-pillars off with your hydraulics while the C-pillar is removed with the recip saw. A partial roof flip will always leave a substantial column in the way of medics trying to package the patient and will definitely be in the way of the spinal board when it is time to remove the victim.
A good team-approach to multi-tasking will only be successful if you practice and practice often. Go to your local junkyard and spend lots of time with on half of your team on the hydraulics and the other on the hand-tools.
In closing
Extrication in South Africa reached a high point in the past decade when many of our rescue teams participated in international extrication challenges and performed admirably. Outside of these events we observed innovative thinking and innovation addressing a wide range of rescue topics. Those were exciting times. It is my wish that we pick up where these pioneers left off. The benefit will be seen when we are able to increase our extrication times and result in a live and viable patient.
This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Reciprocating saws – as important as hydraulic rescue tools? Written by Colin Deiner, chief director, Disaster Management and Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government (FRI Vol 3 no 9). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.
Reciprocating saws – as important as hydraulic rescue tools?
By Colin Deiner, Chief Director, Disaster Management and Fire Brigade Services, Western Cape Government
Jim Gargan, author of the first authoritative text book on vehicle extrication, “Vehicle Rescue”, written with, the legendary vehicle extrication instructor Harvey Grant, often said that when you are using a tool in the fire services that was designed for another industry, you must remember that you are ‘only borrowing’ the tool and therefore need to understand its initial intention and therefore its limitations. It was, however, ‘Uncle’ Jim who played a huge part in adapting many of these tools for use in rescue. We immediately think of the rescue strut, the origin of which was in the construction industry where it was used as a stabilisation device. The original ‘JIMMIJAK’ became the blueprint for a wide range of stabilisation systems, which have become an essential part of virtually every self-respecting rescue squad in many countries. He also spent a huge amount of time with manufacturers of reciprocating saws in developing the ‘rescue blade’. His book, “BTLS Access”, provided rescuers with many solutions to dealing with victims of vehicle entrapments without having to make use of hydraulic rescue systems. The technology available to us in hydraulics is phenomenal and thousands of people owe their lives to the innovations of modern rescue tools. We can’t do without them and not for a moment would I advocate that they can be replaced by any other rescue system. By introducing a good selection of pneumatic and electric cutting tools into you arsenal of rescue equipment you can improve your rescue capability to such a high level that your extrication times can be reduced by 50 percent or more. You can also have them at hand if for whatever reason you lose the function of your hydraulics.
During the late Nineties when I was still heavily involved in the South African National Extrication Challenge, our committee decided to follow the international practice and introduce the ‘Limited Evolution’ into our competitions. The difference was, however, that we decided that, in this category we would do away with the hand-pump operated hydraulics altogether and only allow tools that were operated either by electricity, batteries, compressed air or good old elbow grease. We found that in previous ‘limited’ evolutions teams were not migrating to the fantastic options made available to them by other hand tools but would rather default to connecting their hydraulics to the hand-pump and then proceed to extricate the victim using this method. More often than not some poor team member would end up furiously operating the hand-pump for close on 20 minutes, wearing bunker gear in the heat of the day. Often we would end up with a real victim in the exercise pit and had to call on a few paramedics to exercise their ‘treatment of heat exhaustion’ skills.
It was during the 1999 extrication challenge in Cape Town that we decided to ban hydraulics from the limited evolutions and were amazed at what we saw. The proficiency of some rescue teams with air chisels and reciprocating saws was so good that they were using these tools in tandem with their hydraulics. A new world opened up for many rescuers. As is the intention with these challenges, it wasn’t long before we saw this multi-tasking on the road.
Electric to battery
Rescue services who initially acquired reciprocating saws generally opted for electrically powered saws for a number of reasons. Battery powered cordless saws in those years had a limited work duration, which meant that you often had to stop midway through a job to change batteries. This was quite laborious as the rapid battery change capability didn’t yet exist and it meant removing a bulky rescue glove to allow you to replace the battery. The electric saw obviously had the limitation of having to be close to an electrical source or needed to have a generator carted after it. Blades were also a problem in this time as they did not have the ability to cut through different materials simultaneously and frequently snapped under pressure. Changing blades was also a mission on its own and it required a separate tool to achieve this.
Fortunately the increased popularity of the reciprocating saw in the rescue fraternity brought about many improvements and adaptions to the original tool. Batteries were adapted to perform better; quick-release mechanisms on batteries allowed for rapid replacement and similarly the quick-chuck keyless design made blade replacement quicker and easier. Most importantly new blades were developed especially for rescue purposes. Reciprocating saws had ‘arrived’ as a rescue tool.
Cordless reciprocating saws are now produced by various manufacturers and commonly use an 18-volt rechargeable nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery. These batteries generally last for fifteen to twenty minutes but this could be less if they are operated under heavy-load conditions. A recently introduced 24-Volt battery increases the usable power time by about 33 percent, according to its manufacturers.
It makes a lot of sense, however, to always make sure that before starting any task that you have two or more batteries available. You can consider also carrying an electric saw on your rig as a back-up. They obviously don’t have the time limitation of the cordless saws, which is very important if you are faced with a complex rescue.
If planning to use a cordless reciprocating saw for operations, have an electric saw set up and ready to use. Even though the cordless saw performs satisfactorily, the electric saw does not have the operational time limitation of the rechargeable batteries, which is an important factor at extended operations.
Saw blades – time to specialise
Reciprocating saws have since their inception become the tool of choice for many applications in the fire and rescue environment. They get used for forcible entry, structural collapse rescue (where they are particularly effective at cutting through reinforced steel) and vehicle extrication. These applications are generally much more demanding than the standard construction-type tasks for which they are used most of the time. The first thing you should do to increase the capability of the saw is to replace the standard consumer-grade blade with a specialised bi-metal blade designed specifically for fire and rescue services.
‘Rescue-blades’ are derived from the heavy-duty bi-metal ‘demolition’ blades that were first used by professional contractors. Bi-metal blades were first introduced in the 1960s and were found to work well for rescue due to their special construction and high resistance to breaking. The demolition blades tend to bend rather than snapping or breaking off and also have a higher resistance to chipping of its cutting surface. The robustness and improved performance of demolition/rescue blades are due to their construction whereby a high-speed steel cutting edge is welded onto a flexible, spring-steel base (hence the term bi-metal).
The blade thickness is also a major contributor to the effectiveness of the blade. The standard 0,9mm blade is not effective for fire and rescue applications and therefore the broader 1,5mm blades will offer more resistance during cutting but will provide a more effective cutting operation.
The ‘tooth-per-inch’ rating of a blade is very important in determining the best blade for the application. Blades with many small teeth are used for precision cutting work and have limited use in the rescue environment. The demolition/rescue blade has a lower ‘tooth-per-inch’ rating and will offer a more robust surface which will not wear out as rapidly. When you are cutting through a car door you must appreciate that you are penetrating a number of different materials (metals, plastic, glass etc) and therefore you need a saw that can break as much as cut as fast and effectively as possible. As a result you don’t really care what the final product looks like as long as it is open and out of the way.
Cutting reinforced concrete bars (rebar) in a structural collapse scenario will sometimes require a finer toothed blade. Remember that rebar is generally constructed from waste steel and its strength may vary along any two points throughout its length. Rebar must obviously be cleared of as much concrete as possible before the bar cutting starts. I would not recommend reciprocating saws as the tool of choice for this job. A good rebar cutter or hydraulic rescue tool will be far safer, especially if you are cutting close to a victim. In any event, make sure you always have sufficient hard protection in place when cutting close to any person. Anticipate the movement of the blade and ensure that you won’t injure anyone if things go south.
How long should your blades be? Due to the versatility of a reciprocating saw, make sure that you carry a variety of lengths on your rescue rig. I have on a number of occasions used recip saws to release people trapped by machinery. In these cases you have often very little space to work with and this is where you will need the shorter, six-inch (152 mm) blade. We once responded to an incident where a young boy’s arm was caught in a washing machine. To release his arm, we needed to cut through the cylinder but due to the limited space between the cylinder and the casing we decided to cut a few inches of the end of the blade. It worked. The most important thing to remember here is to make sure that the inward stroke of the blade is still on the outside of the base.
When you are cutting broad c-pillars or the multiple layers of materials found on vehicles today, it is better to have the longer 8- or 9-inch (203mm or 228mm) blade. When attempting a ‘gull-wing’ cut you might need to opt for the 12-inch (305mm) blade. This will give you the desired ‘reach’ you need but could cause the additional hazard to the patient on the other side. Hard protection again comes into play here.
Rescue blades are generally identified by the words “Rescue” or “Fire and Rescue” printed on them. Experienced rescuers should easily identify these blades by looking at the thickness and teeth-per inch. Most known rescue kit suppliers usually provide rescue blades but in the event that you can’t get your hands on them, you can use the industrial demolition blades as a backup.
Operation – where and when
As mentioned above, reciprocating saws have a wide range of applications in rescue. The most common uses in vehicle rescue will be roof removal and relief cuts through doors and the length of the roof.
The first and most important principle when operating the saw is to ensure that the ‘shoe’ or ‘foot’ in which the blade is inserted should lie flush against the material being cut. This prevents saw slippage, reduces vibration and assists in guiding the blade as it cuts.
Many rescuers believe that the saw should be lubricated continuously during any cutting operation. Some rescue squads will use oil while most favour a soap-water mixture or dishwashing liquid. Recent research has, however, revealed that lubricating a blade has no impact on the effectiveness of the saw. Lubrication might extend the life of the blade but this should be weighed up against the option of tying a rescuer up who will have to operate the spray bottle in an already crowded confined space.
When you are cutting any materials that are in contact with a victim, you should, however, consider lubricating the material (especially metals) with water. The heat generated by the cutting activity could be conducted to the victim causing further injury.
Reciprocating saws are very effective in cutting the front windscreen by applying a line of foam (like shaving cream) to the surface before starting the cut. This helps to prevent the fine glass particles from flying all over the place and injuring rescuers and the victim. Adequate soft protection should also be put in place.
Remember to let the saw do the work. The operator’s hands should be firmly on the insulated areas and should be there to guide the saw along its path. Never force the blade onto a surface as it will slow the blades movement down compromise the cut.
Most manufacturers have variable speed settings on their saws. Ensure that your setting is best suited to the material that you need to cut. A general rule will be to cut harder metals at a slower speed. Increasing the saw’s cutting speed will not increase the speed of the cut but could cause damage to the blade itself. Ensure that saw is running before applying the blade to the surface. Make sure that you establish a small groove as a purchase point before commencing with the actual cut. Starting the cut from a ‘standing’ position might cause the blade to slip or snag onto something and momentarily cause the operator to lose control.
The friction of the cutting effort will obviously cause the blade to be quite hot and care must be taken to handle the blade with gloves if it is necessary to do so.
Multi-tasking
Reciprocating saws must never be seen as a replacement for hydraulic rescue tools but complimentary to them. The best rescue squads are those who are able to go to work on a car using both their hydraulics and a combination of reciprocating saws and air chisels.
Instead of doing a partial roof-flip on a vehicle, rather take the entire roof off by taking the A- and B-pillars off with your hydraulics while the C-pillar is removed with the recip saw. A partial roof flip will always leave a substantial column in the way of medics trying to package the patient and will definitely be in the way of the spinal board when it is time to remove the victim.
A good team-approach to multi-tasking will only be successful if you practice and practice often. Go to your local junkyard and spend lots of time with on half of your team on the hydraulics and the other on the hand-tools.
In closing
Extrication in South Africa reached a high point in the past decade when many of our rescue teams participated in international extrication challenges and performed admirably. Outside of these events we observed innovative thinking and innovation addressing a wide range of rescue topics. Those were exciting times. It is my wish that we pick up where these pioneers left off. The benefit will be seen when we are able to increase our extrication times and result in a live and viable patient.