What is extrication?

• A. The cutting of a vehicle away from trapped or injured patients
• B. The removal of trapped patients from vehicle or machinery
• C. The stabilization of a vehicle at a crash scene
• D. The safe containment of hazards at a scene

Answer: (B)

Extrication is the process of freeing a person who is trapped in a vehicle or machinery so they can be safely removed. In rescue work, this means not only creating access and freeing the patient from restraints or crush points, but also doing so in a way that minimizes further injury and prepares the patient for transport. Stabilizing the scene and the vehicle, carefully using tools like spreaders or cutters as needed, and then packaging the patient for removal are all parts of extrication, but the core goal is the safe removal of the trapped person.

The option describing removal of trapped patients from vehicle or machinery captures that goal. The other statements describe important but separate aspects of a rescue operation: cutting is just one technique that may be used during extrication; stabilization is a prerequisite step to prevent movement; and hazard containment focuses on keeping the scene safe, not the actual patient removal.