A Great Concept Doesn't Equal Success

Some equipment looks great in the catalog, has an awesome
concept behind it, and works like shit in the real world.  A piece of equipment I worked with that met
this definition was the build-a-board.  A
take off on the scoop stretcher, it was a four piece replacement for the short
board.  In theory, each of the four
pieces would slip under or behind the victim, snap together and lock in place,
and provide a quick and safe method for immobilizing possible back and neck
injury patients in auto accidents.  




After we received ours, we practiced and trained and
trained and practiced with it.  The
literature made it sound like it should be as easy as, well, any analogy you
could think of.   It wasn’t. 
Oh, we got rather proficient with it in our personal vehicles in the
parking lot and chairs in the squad room, but it was never as simple as the
brochure made it look.   



Finally a few days after putting it in service, we responded
on a wreck with a victim in the passenger seat needing immobilization.   With the old fashioned short board and long
board combo, we’d have gotten her out in less than ten minutes.  With our marvelous new build-a-board, we
finally got everything lined up, 
connected, and snapped together after forty minutes; not an auspicious
beginning.   



I had seen all I needed, and after that forgot about it’s
presence in the drivers side compartment. 
The short board wasn’t broken; no need to fix it.  It was a great lesson.  A terrific concept did not necessarily
guarantee real world success.