A large-scale earthquake and urban search-and-rescue drill held recently featured ODE Technology hydraulic rescue equipment as a core part of the participating teams' tool inventories.
The exercise simulated a collapsed multi-story building with trapped occupants across multiple voids. Crews used ODE cutters and spreaders to breach reinforced concrete and steel elements, rams to stabilize shifted slabs, and the ZC-35 heavy support kit to shore unstable structures before victim extraction.
Drill objectives and results
- Deployment of cordless tool teams without hose lines across rubble.
- Battery rotation logistics over a four-hour continuous operation.
- Coordination between search cameras, support crews and breaching teams.
- Rapid exchange between cutting, spreading and ramming tools.
Commanders praised the speed of the cordless setup and the interoperability of the kit. ODE instructors observed the drill and provided feedback on tool handling, feeding real-world data back to the company's training and R&D teams.
Such drills are now standard preparation for earthquake-prone regions, and ODE equipment appears in national and provincial exercises throughout the year.