Jaws of Life!

Today we had Safety Awareness Day Demonstrations at Dynetics - as in sweet-ass demonstrations...

Representatives from Ansul Fire Protection (whose systems we have installed) demonstrated C6-Perfluoroketone, or trade name Novec 1230, or chemical formula CF3CF2C(O)CF(CF3)2. It's a non-toxic, environmentally-safe, and non-conductive liquid similar to water that can be used in fire extinguishing systems. They had a fully functioning computer monitor and a cell phone submersed in a tank of the stuff; and they dipped a water color picture into the tank and the paint didn't run at all. The liquid evaporates faster than alcohol, so the paper dried in a few seconds; and they let us dip our hands into the tank and it dries off as soon as you pull it out. Apparently it works by spraying the vapor into a room with valuables or electronics (which are all unaffected by the chemical) and the Novec 1230 is so dense and has such a high heat capacity that is sucks all heat out of a fire thus extinguishing it. Neat stuff.

Then, in the parking lot, a rescue squad demonstrated how they remove someone trapped in a wrecked car... with the JAWS OF LIFE! It was sweet. Of course they talked about important safety information, but us engineers just cared about the hand saw that rips through tempered glass and the hydraulic cutters that split a car in two. In a few minutes they removed the entire roof along with a couple doors. I guess the misconception is that the rescue squad works to remove a person from the vehicle; they say their job is actually to remove the vehicle from the person to prevent injury. If only my new phone had arrived in time, I would have posted some sweet pictures.

Alright, lunchtime...