Southern Rescue Tools

09/14/2026

Canals, retention ponds, causeways. In this state, water is not an unusual place to find a vehicle.

And a submerged vehicle is a laminated glass problem first. A center punch is built for tempered glass. Laminated has to be cut. Inconvenient above water, mostly impossible below it.

RHYNO makes a cordless laminated cutter rated to work submerged. They call it the world's first. One of the least talked-about tools our manufacturers make.

https://rhyno.com/shop/

09/11/2026

Twenty-five years today.

343 firefighters, and everyone they were trying to reach.

No equipment on this page today.

09/10/2026

Next time you are on the rig, go look at the label on your lifting bags.

There is a date on it.

NFPA 1960 requires that label to carry the month and year of manufacture, uncoded, and a month and year of expiration. No more than fifteen years after manufacture.

It is not well known, and most truck check sheets do not ask.

Two-minute check on your next truck day.

09/09/2026

Applying for a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant?

The grant program is now using a new WizeHive application portal, so make sure your department is ready before the next application window opens.

Have your equipment needs identified, your quote ready, and ask IT to safelist [email protected].

Southern Rescue Tools can help with the equipment quote and supporting product information.

Grant help:
https://southernrescuetools.com/firehouse-grant-help/

09/08/2026

This is where a telescoping ram earns its place on the truck.

Door off. Ram positioned and supported. Relief cut at the lower A-pillar. Then it becomes controlled displacement.

Set low and drive up and forward, moving the dash away from the driver’s legs instead of trying to cut your way through everything.

Modern vehicles put a lot of strength into the occupant compartment. The A-pillar, rocker and surrounding structure are designed to manage tremendous loads. Pick the wrong place to fight that strength and you can get harder cuts, tool movement and unpredictable structural reaction.

Make the relief cut where you want the structure to move. Then let the ram create the space.

The cutter opens the car. The ram buys the room.

09/07/2026

Labor Day doesn’t mean a day off for everyone.

Most of the crews we support are working right now — because accidents don’t take holidays.

Thank you for being out there.

09/04/2026

This is Keith, our Service Manager.

An annual is not a look-over in the bay. Tools come off the truck and onto the bench. Run under load, pressure tested, blades and fittings inspected. Then a written report, tool by tool, back to the department.

Most of the value is that piece of paper. Dated proof the tool worked, before anybody needed it to.

https://southernrescuetools.com/rescue-tool-service-repair/

09/03/2026

The Firehouse Subs grant portal reopens Thursday, October 8 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

They take 600 applications a quarter, then it closes. July filled fast.

So the quote has to exist before that afternoon. Itemized, one equipment category, with accessories, freight and installation on it.

We build it at no cost. Your department reviews and submits.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Foundation. Award not guaranteed.

https://southernrescuetools.com/firehouse-grant-help/

09/02/2026

Two cutters from the same demo. Same family. Not the same job.

Left is the ESLC-29. Eight-inch opening.

Right is the ESLC-24 Cobra. About 11 pounds lighter. Smaller mouth, almost the same depth of bite.

That is why they sit next to each other.

08/28/2026