A
lifesaving rescue device invented by a trio of
veteran firefighters from Long Island has been
accepted by officials at the Statue of Liberty
and is to be available for emergencies now that
Lady Liberty's crown is open.
The device, which one of the firefighters said
Friday looks "something like a Taco Bell shell,"
weighs about 6 pounds and is called a Rapid
Intervention Tactical Evacuator.
The three firefighters - two of whom are retired
and the third still active - provided one of the
devices to statue officials for use in the
narrow stairways to the crown, which opened
Saturday for the first time since the Sept. 11,
2001, terror attacks.
The three are negotiating with manufacturers to
produce more of the devices.
"Being New York
City firemen, this place [the statue] means a
lot to us," said one of the three, Frank
Haskell, 50, of West Islip, who retired from
Engine Co. 276 in Brooklyn.
Eugene Kuziw, supervisory park ranger at the
statue, confirmed that one of the rescue devices
has been accepted for emergency use.
Haskell, Michael Harty, 55, of West Islip, also
a retired firefighter, and Thomas Fee, 43, of
West Hempstead, who works for the department in
Queens, came up with the idea for the rescue
device while they were conducting training
sessions in how to rescue unconscious
firefighters. A way was needed to quickly slide
an injured firefighter out of harm's way and up
flights of stairs, if necessary.
"We started experimenting," said Haskell. "We
investigated the concept of something like a
Taco Bell shell."
The device is made of nylon webbing and contains
straps to keep the victim securely in place. It
is about 4 feet long and 3 feet wide.
The three firefighters unexpectedly got a chance
to put the device to use in 2007 on a flight
that was to go from Kennedy Airport to Atlanta,
Haskell said. They were able to revive a
passenger who appeared to have had a heart
attack and then put him into the rescue device
and slid him down a flight of stairs to waiting
paramedics on the tarmac.
"It worked like a charm," Haskell said.
related...
Crowning Moment For Lady Liberty: Park Ranger Determined to Reopen the Crown ABC Nightly News 7/4/09
