What Are the Jaws of Life?

The Jaws of Life are a set of powerful rescue tools—typically hydraulic cutters, spreaders, and rams—used by firefighters and emergency crews to quickly free people trapped in wrecked vehicles or collapsed structures; originally a HURST Jaws of Life trademark, the term is now widely used generically for similar tools. They apply immense, precisely controlled force to cut, pry, and push apart metal and other materials during time-critical rescues.

Definition and Background

“Jaws of Life” refers to a family of powered rescue tools designed for extrication—the process of removing a person from entrapment after crashes, industrial incidents, or structural collapses. The phrase became popular through HURST Jaws of Life, the pioneering brand that introduced modern hydraulic rescue tools to motorsports and public safety in the early 1970s. Today, many manufacturers produce comparable equipment, but the public often uses the original name as a catch-all term.

How They Work

Most Jaws of Life tools use hydraulic power to actuate robust metal arms or blades. When a rescuer operates the control, pressurized fluid drives a piston that multiplies force, allowing the tool to cut, spread, or push with many tons of force. Older systems commonly connect tools via hoses to a portable pump, while newer “cordless” units integrate pumps and rely on high-capacity rechargeable batteries, improving mobility and speed on scene.

Power Sources

Rescue tools are powered either by external hydraulic pumps (gasoline or electric) connected via hoses, or by compact onboard pumps in battery-powered models. Hose-based systems can support multiple tools at once and run continuously, while battery units offer faster deployment, fewer trip hazards, and better access in tight spaces. Agencies often carry both to match conditions such as weather, terrain, and rescue duration.

Primary Tool Types

Modern rescue teams carry several complementary Jaws of Life tools, each optimized for a specific task during extrication.

• Cutter: Scissor-like blades that slice through vehicle pillars, doors, and metal components, minimizing sparks and vibration compared with saws.
• Spreader: Curved arms that pry apart doors, pop latches, and create purchase points in crumpled metal to open space for patient access.
• Combination Tool (Combi): A single unit that can both spread and cut, favored for rapid response or when weight and space are limited.
• Ram: A linear pushing tool used to displace dashboards, steering columns, or structural members to move wreckage off a trapped patient.
• Accessories: Tips, chains, and specialized blades that improve grip on modern high-strength steels and varied vehicle designs.

Together, these tools let rescuers remove or move vehicle parts systematically, creating safe access and egress while protecting the patient and crew.

Common Uses

While vehicle extrication is the best-known use, Jaws of Life tools assist in many emergencies where rapid disentanglement saves lives.

• Road crashes: Removing doors, roofs, and dashboards; creating space around pinned occupants.
• Heavy vehicles and transit: Buses, trucks, and trains with reinforced structures that require high-force tools.
• Structural collapse: Displacing or cutting metal elements to reach trapped victims, alongside shoring and lifting systems.
• Aviation and marine incidents: Accessing fuselages or hull sections with minimal secondary damage.
• Natural disasters and industrial entrapments: Freeing victims from machinery or debris where speed is critical.

Across these scenarios, the tools are chosen for their ability to apply controlled force precisely, reducing the time to reach and remove a patient.

Deployment: Typical Steps

Rescuers follow a structured approach to ensure safety, stabilize the scene, and prioritize patient care during extrication.

1. Scene size-up: Identify hazards, patient condition, and access points; establish zones and command.
2. Stabilization: Secure the vehicle or debris with cribbing and struts to prevent movement.
3. Hazard control: Disable vehicle power, manage fuel and electrical risks (including hybrid/EV high-voltage systems), and control glass.
4. Access creation: Use spreaders or hand tools to open initial points for assessment and patient contact.
5. Space-making: Cut pillars, remove doors/roof, and perform dash displacement as the medical plan requires.
6. Patient disentanglement: Free limbs or body parts from entrapment, coordinating each move with medical providers.
7. Removal and transport: Package the patient with spinal precautions as indicated and transfer to EMS.

This sequence balances speed with safety, allowing medical care to proceed in parallel with tool operations.

Safety, Training, and Standards

Operating Jaws of Life demands specialized training, strict scene control, and an understanding of modern vehicle construction. Agencies align with national standards and manufacturer guidance to ensure tools are used within their ratings.

• Standards: NFPA 1936 sets performance and testing benchmarks for powered rescue tools, including cutter ratings and force metrics.
• Personal protective equipment: Helmets, eye/face protection, gloves, and hearing protection are mandatory around cutting and spreading operations.
• Vehicle technology: Identify high-strength steels, airbags, tensioners, and high-voltage cabling (typically orange in EVs) before cutting.
• Stabilization first: Prevent secondary collapse or vehicle movement to protect both victims and crews.
• Tool capability: Match the tool to material strength; ultra-high-strength steels may require specific cutter types and tactics.
• Battery/EV precautions: Power down vehicles appropriately, avoid high-voltage components, and maintain firefighting readiness for thermal events.
• Maintenance and inspection: Regular checks, blade servicing, hose integrity, and battery management preserve performance under stress.

These practices reduce the risk of tool failure, unexpected movement, or injury while ensuring the fastest safe extrication.

Myths and Misconceptions

Because the name is widely recognized, the Jaws of Life are often misunderstood in scope and capability.

• Not a single tool: The term covers multiple devices (cutters, spreaders, rams), not just one “jaw.”
• Not only for car doors: Crews also remove roofs, displace dashboards, and work in non-vehicle rescues.
• Precision over brute force: Hydraulics provide controlled, directional force; technique matters as much as power.
• For trained responders: Improper use can worsen injuries or create hazards; public use is unsafe.

Understanding what the tools can—and cannot—do helps set accurate expectations during emergencies.

Alternatives and Complementary Tools

Rescue operations rarely rely on a single tool. Teams combine the Jaws of Life with other equipment to stabilize, cut, lift, and move materials safely.

• Cribbing and struts: Stabilize vehicles or debris before force is applied.
• High- and low-pressure airbags: Lift heavy loads to relieve crush forces.
• Reciprocating and rotary saws, air chisels: Cut or breach materials unsuited to hydraulic cutters.
• Jacks, come-alongs, winches, and chains: Pull or spread where geometry favors mechanical advantage.
• Glass management tools and tarps: Control shards to protect patients and crews.

The right mix of tools depends on the incident’s hazards, vehicle construction, and patient condition.

Summary

The Jaws of Life are high-force, primarily hydraulic rescue tools—cutter, spreader, ram, and combinations—used by trained responders to rapidly and safely free trapped people after crashes and other emergencies. Originating with the HURST Jaws of Life brand and now available from multiple manufacturers, these tools work within recognized standards such as NFPA 1936. Deployed alongside stabilization, medical care, and complementary equipment, they remain a cornerstone of modern extrication, where seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

What are the 4 types of Jaws of Life?

What are the four types of Jaws of Life tools? There are four main types of Jaws of Life tools: spreaders, cutters, rams and combination tools. Each serves a vital function in the extrication process.

What does “jaws of life

The “Jaws of Life” refers to hydraulic rescue tools, like cutters, spreaders, and rams, used by emergency responders to extract people from crushed vehicles or other hazardous situations, providing incredible power to bend, cut, and force apart metal. These tools revolutionized rescue operations in the 1960s by being safer, faster, and more powerful than previous methods like saws and blowtorches.
 
This video demonstrates how the Jaws of Life work in a car extraction scenario: 1mCity of Bloomington, Minnesota YouTube · Apr 23, 2014
Types of Jaws of Life Tools

• Cutters: Opens in new tabHydraulically powered shears that cut through a vehicle’s metal structures, such as the roof or doors. 
• Spreaders: Opens in new tabTools with arms that open to create space by spreading apart compressed metal. 
• Rams: Opens in new tabUsed to push metal outward, exposing parts of a vehicle that are otherwise inaccessible. 
• Combination Tools: Opens in new tabA single device that can both cut and spread, improving extraction speed. 

How They Work

• Hydraulic Systems: In a closed hydraulic system, fluid is pumped to power a piston, which drives linkages to operate the tool’s arms or blades. 
• Power Sources: Early hydraulic tools required an external power unit, but newer battery-powered versions are smaller, lighter, and more portable, requiring no hoses or power units. 

Benefits

• Safety: Eliminates the sparks and dangers associated with older tools like saws. 
• Speed: Allows for much faster victim extrication compared to previous methods. 
• Power: Provides the force needed to deal with the strong, durable frames of modern vehicles, which are designed to protect occupants in a crash. 

Why are they called the jaws of life?

The “Jaws of Life” got its name because the hydraulic rescue tools effectively “snatch” accident victims from the “jaws of death,” a phrase used to describe being trapped in a life-threatening situation like a vehicle wreck. The original Hurst Power Tool, patented by George Hurst, gained this nickname because it revolutionized vehicle extrication by quickly and safely freeing people from crashed cars, a feat that was previously difficult and dangerous.
 
Origin of the Name

• “Jaws of Death”: The term originated from people describing how the new hydraulic tools quickly and effectively rescued people who were trapped in dangerous, life-threatening situations, such as a crashed car. 
• Hurst’s Innovation: George Hurst, the inventor of the hydraulic rescue tool, adopted this common phrase and trademarked it for his product, coining the name “Jaws of Life”. 

How the Tools Got Their Name

• Revolutionary Technology: Opens in new tabBefore the Jaws of Life, rescuers used slow and dangerous tools like circular saws to cut people out of vehicles. The hydraulic tools offered a faster, safer, and more powerful way to rescue victims. 
• Quick Extrication: Opens in new tabThe speed at which these tools could open a wrecked car’s doors or spread apart metal saved precious seconds, which could be the difference between life and death for a trapped person. 

The Term Today

• Brand and Generic Use: While “Jaws of Life” is a trademark for Hurst tools, the term is now used colloquially to refer to many brands of hydraulic rescue tools used by emergency services. 
• Impact: The Jaws of Life tool, and the name it inspired, has become synonymous with saving lives and is now a vital piece of equipment in rescue operations worldwide. 

What are the four facts about the jaws of life?

Jaws of Life come in four different styles. Three of them function as separate tools while the last works as a combination of the three. Regardless of which tool you have, they are all crucial to the safe removal of trapped victims. The four types are spreaders, cutters, rams and combination.