Controlled Impact Rescue Tool, or CIRT, is a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

breaching tool produced by

Raytheon Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world by revenue and market capitali ...

, that is capable of providing Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) teams with the ability to penetrate a reinforced concrete wall up to four times faster than traditional methods.Raytheon Concrete-Breaching Rescue Tool Now Available to First Responders Via GSA Schedule
June 29, 2011 In development since 2007, this 38-inch long, 105-pound tool uses

blank ammunition A blank is a firearm cartridge that, when fired, does not shoot a projectile like a bullet or pellet, but generates a muzzle flash and an explosive sound ( muzzle report) like a normal gunshot would. Firearms may need to be modified to allow a bl ...

cartridges to drive a piston that generates a high-energy jolt to create a contained hole in the concrete. A series of these holes allows the creation of an area large enough to deliver vital supplies such as food, water and medicine to victims before first responders are able to get victims to safety. The force generated by CIRT is concentrated in a localized area, minimizing threats to the safety of survivors and the potential destabilization of the surrounding structure. A self-contained tool, CIRT does not require the drilling, chipping, or sawing used by traditional methods to reach survivors trapped under collapsed concrete. It does not require hoses, extension cords, or other auxiliary power equipment for operations.

References

Rescue equipment Raytheon Company products {{Industry-stub