Hurst Power Rescue Tool (Jaws of Life)
date: label: date made
content: 1977
name: label: maker
content: Hurst
notes: label: Description
content: In the 1960s, George Hurst designed a 350-pound hydraulic spreader tool to help remove race car drivers from wrecks. He hired Mike Brick to market the device nationwide. Brick downsized it to 65 pounds and pitched the Hurst Power Rescue Tool to fire departments in the early 1970s as a way to free accident victims from cars. The tool was an instant success because it was faster, safer, more powerful, and easier to use than power saws, pry bars, and blow torches. It acquired the nickname “The Jaws of Life” because of a line in a promotional film. The Carlsbad, New Mexico fire department bought this tool in 1977 and used it until 2012.
label: Location
content: Currently on loan
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Warrington
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
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content: Transportation
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content: Road Transportation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of the Carlsbad Fire Department
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2012.0110.01
label: accession number
content: 2012.0110
label: catalog number
content: 2012.0110.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: rescue tool
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 34 in x 15 in x 9 in; 86.36 cm x 38.1 cm x 22.86 cm