Strongsville firefighters are now using a new battery-powered extrication tool that will make it easier and faster to rescue people trapped in vehicles after crashes.
The new device replaces a hydraulic tool that was more cumbersome because it had hoses connecting it to a power source, Fire Chief Jack Draves said. 
The new tool also needs no warm-up time and, because it is untethered, allows firefighters to easily take it into wooded areas or other tight spots, said Gary Klaus, a representative of Genesis Rescue Systems, which sold the tool to the city and trained firefighters to use it in early July.
Klaus said only a few departments in the area have replaced their hydraulic extrication tools with battery-powered ones so far, but expects most to make the switch soon.
The battery lasts 25 to 30 minutes, but can be easily replaced on-scene if a rescue takes longer than that. Strongsville'e new set includes both a cutter and a spreader, capable of prying or sawing metal to reach a victim.
Draves said the new tools were purchased with a new fire engine, which went into service in June.
