Why Champion - Champion Rescue Tools

Gas prices and safety concerns have driven 5-Star crash rating criteria in new cars
To meet this criteria new car construction has changed dramatically utilizing new, harder metals and construction techniques
The next round of crash standards (2010) will be even tougher
The media has recently been reporting on the challenges these new cars present to successfully perform vehicle extrications of trapped passengers
Since the introduction of hydraulic rescue tools to the fire industry, many rescue tool companies have had very few significant technological advancements, with the marketing focus being on features such as single line hoses which have met with market success, but do not impact the tools ability to be successful on newer cars
These older generation tools are now taking much longer, or even worse failing on scene, when performing rescues - tool repairs are also at an all time high
As a result people are suffering greater injuries or dying unnecessarily
In addition, due to the increased power required, tools are also becoming a major safety concern (blades breaking and flying, hoses rupturing, etc.)
Recent media has covered incidents of fire fighter injuries in high profile markets due to the inadequacy of these tools

Materials such as boron steel, design deflection metals and the shear volume of metal being used require much higher cutting (or in some cases fracturing) force to penetrate
Cranking up the power is not the answer - most older tools are not designed to withstand it
The next generation of tools must be light enough to use, generate enough power, perform faster (better cycle times, wider openings, etc.) and contain the proper safety features

Founded 20 years ago with a focus on the commercial tool market, Champion has been engineering custom solutions for major automakers, energy companies and industrial firms
A few years back, the Company applied its collective learning to create a unique line of tools for the fire rescue industry with the goal of saving as many lives as possible (as opposed to focusing solely on corporate gain)
The resulting next generation of rescue tools engineered by Champion includes a broad range of features designed to generate more power, operate more quickly, and keep both operators and crash victims safe
These features include a much greater cutting and spreading force (2-3X more then many competitors), wider openings (to handle the posts on trucks, SUVs and other new cars) and stronger construction of the tools and blades
Over the last few years, these features have been aggressively protected through 5 major patents that include dozens of claims (all issued) and another recent group of claims in the form of both new patents and expansion of the existing works that are already applied for and due to issue in early 2009 or sooner