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Tools for a Purpose

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We have taught a lot of classes and trained extensively on numerous firefighter operations. One thing that always interests me is the choice of hand tools by firefighters. Each has their own preference and favorite, but in many cases when challenged as to why that specific tool is their tool of choice, the answer is not clear to them. Some are bound by the fact that they work on a truck, engine or squad.

 

Some are bound by their riding assignment based on what order they arrive on the scene. In many cases, however, they just pick what they want and what is convenient or easy to carry. This is dangerous and we encourage each firefighter to choose their tool with a purpose in mind.

When choosing your tool some things to consider are what your using it for, will it accomplish your tasks, is it durable and reliable and does it complement the tools of other members. I’m not here to tell you what tool to use, but I have some suggestions for you to consider when picking your too

l –Can you use it for forcible entry or forcible egress?

–Will it get the job your are assigned to do accomplished?

–Will it allow you to perform multiple functions with that tool? Is is versatile?

–Are you familiar and proficient with that tool? Do you train frequently with it?

–Will it complement what your team members are using?

This could be especially important for forcible entry and for being a more efficient team.

Take a look at the pictures and discuss the pros and cons of each tool. For example, I don’t like seeing guys coming off with a close hook. It is good for overhaul, but for forcible entry or breaching walls and getting out of a bad place, it’s not very useful. This is just my opinion. But, I have had firefighters pick that tool because it’s light and easy to carry. Make the tools that are preferred easy to access and train with them. Clean and inspect them on a regular basis. Take care of those tools. Get know their capabilities and their limitations. You have to get your hands on them. Discuss these options as a crew and/or company and share your thoughts. Take care and expect fire. Train hard!

Posted by on March 14, 2012 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, ladders, RIT, search, self rescue, situational awareness, Training, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Get Around

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Here are some more pictures from my A Shift buddies, Jim, Bob and Dave at Florissant Valley Fire Protection District.  These photos show the challenges of just getting into some of our buildings.  It's a lot easier to get a good look at the working mechanisms and traits of these obstacles during daylight and in non-emergent situations.

Take time to know what is behind these doors and grates.  What are they protecting and how secure are they? Is just a matter of prying bolts out of the brick and concrete or are they really seated into the building?  Now is the time to find out.

One note, the pic with the bars is actually a smoking lounge for an adjacent bar. Access is made from inside the building but it looks like a different occupancy.  Don't wait until it's smokey and dark.

Read the doors and try to identify characteristics that can indicate foricible entry challenges.  Do the doors swing out or in? Are the hinges exposed or protected? Is the jamb protected?

These are also important for RIT operations, to read the building and soften it up for interior crews if a company has not already done so.

Stay alert and get out and look around. You'll be surprised what you'll find.

Posted by on March 7, 2012 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire codes, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, mayday, rescues, RIT, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, Uncategorized, VES • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Challenges Everywhere—-But We Have to Get In to See Them

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Hey, here are some pictures sent to me by a Brother who is going out the DOING the job. The whole job.  He and his crew are getting out and checking on things.  Bob gets IT and thanks for the pics.  These are in his still area and these are buildlings that get inspected and then they go right back to doing this kind of stuff.   We have to be prepared for everything and anything.  Imagine being the RIT and forcing the back door to make access for a Mayday and dealing with the mattresses?  Look at the pictures and just imagine and discuss the challenges that you would face in those situations.  Not to mention patrons trying to evacuate a smoke filled building.

Stay sharp and get out of that chair.  This is important stuff, don't put it off.  I'm a huge proponent of training on line deployment, search, vent, and all the rest.  This is just as important.  Stay safe and keep training.

Thanks to Bob Tresch for the pics and making a difference by sharing.

Jason

 

Posted by on February 17, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, exits, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, mayday, RIT, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , ,

The Daily Drill: Part 3-Forcible Entry

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Here is another great post from my friend Lance Peeples of the Webster Groves Fire Department in St. Louis County.  Thanks Lance and now for some fire-thinking to occur.

 

Review the following videos and answer the questions:

 

 

 

1.  Who is assigned the “Irons” or “Bar” position on your first alarm assignment?

 

2.  List EVERY tool the forcible entry (FE) firefighter (FF) should carry when he dismounts the apparatus for an alarm investigation at a multiple dwelling.

 

3.  Are these tools mounted near the riding position of the FE FF?

 

4.  Who is the FF on your first alarm who is designated to use the axe to drive the halligan while the FE FF holds the halligan in place?  What tools should he or she carry?  Are they mounted immediately adjacent to that riding position for quick access?

 

5.  Will a Rabbit tool (hydraulic forcible entry HFT) work on a door with angle iron shields?

 

6.  How would you defeat an inward opening door with angle iron shields that cover the entire length of the door?  What if another piece of angle iron (or a “U” channel) was attached to the door frame and thus prevented placing the fork of the halligan between the frame and the angle iron attached to the door?

 

7.  Is it acceptable to attack the hinge side of an apartment door in a multiple dwelling?  Why or why not?

 

8.  At multiple dwelling fires is it standard practice in your department to force an adjacent apartment door before forcing the fire apartment door?  What might be an advantage of doing this?

 

 

9.  Will a Rabbit (HFT) tool work on outward opening door?  What does an outward opening door in a multiple dwelling suggest to you?

 

10.  What do bolt heads projecting through a door suggest?

 

11.  Should the fork bevel be against or away from the door?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of each position?

 

12.  Some departments order halligan tools that are longer than the standard 30” length for increased leverage.  What is a serious disadvantage of longer tools?

 

Posted by on July 28, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry • Tagged: , , , , ,

The Door to Nowhere

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We have all been taught to control the door. I have watched countless firefighters try to kick in doors, bulldoze their way through them along with every other tactic that does not include a set of irons.  Here is one reason why control in forcing doors is so important.

This door is in a city hall that my son was practicing in. The area that the door is in used to be a balcony that goes all the way around the gym with two doors that lead to the main floor of city hall.  Over the years, as they ran out of space, they began to make office space on that balcony.  

The door is almost always locked and access to this area is likely to be searched during a fire.  The hazard here is obvious, but the lesson for any situations: control.

By using proper forcible entry techniques with a set of tools, you can control the door and be cautious about what is behind it.  A fall from this door could be disasterous. We have to be ever diligent to master the basics.  A lack of basic forcible entry skills could result in a Mayday and RIT situation which makes a hazardous situation even more so.

Be smart, know your area and train hard. Master those basic skills and require it of your crew if your the boss. Stay safe and thanks for reading.

Jason

Posted by on June 12, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, mayday, rescues, RIT, self rescue, situational awareness, size up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

More Forcible Entry

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This video is from Mike Perrone from FDNY Ladder 175. Mike has developed a forcible entry door prop for firefighters and he has a long list of departments and training companies who are using the door.

He has several videos on the Multi-Force door and forcible entry techniques. There is some really great stuff on here that you should share with your crews and department.

Check out the videos and then go see Mike on his site at Firehouse Innovations.

Posted by on January 20, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, situational awareness, size up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Basement Self Rescue

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The importance of having a tool with you can’t be stressed enough.  Besides using it for forcible entry and venting windows or other operational functions, it can save your life.

It should be a habit that every time you come off of the truck for an alarm there should be a tool in your hand.  And take a tool that you can do something with.  Some of the most common tools are the Halligan and a flat head ax. You can take a pick headed ax and/or a sledge hammer, depending on what your function or task is.

One thing that you might want to consider is what are going to do with that tool?  Everyone has their favorite, but can you use each tool on your truck efficiently and successfully if needed? You should.  One tool that I am not a big fan of is the closet hook or a short hook.  We have these on our trucks and they are about 2 1/2 to 3 feet long and have a fiberglass handle.

Your not going to be able to force much with that tool. In addition, if you need to start busting stuff up to save your a#$, it has limited potential.  Choose your tool wisely.

One instance that your tool may become very handy is in a situation that you might get jammed up in a basement.  Several scenarios could play out that finds you in a basement on your own and needing to get out.  For those of you that don’t have basements in your jurisdiction, you may need to get through a wall or debris.

Most of the basement windows in our area are above head level.  The exterior of the window is at ground level.  This creates a challenge for us trying to get out of these windows, which are narrow and rectangular in dimension, in full gear and SCBA.  You can use different techniques and you would want to call for help.  But, your tool selection may be very important during this crisis.

A few months back we held a bailout class that included ladder bailouts, window bailouts with personal harnesses and basement bailouts.  One of our deputy chiefs built a prop for the basement bailout that simulated the need to get yourself out of the basement quickly.  (Thanks to Dale Pekel for assistance with the plans for the prop.)

In this drill the firefighter, wearing full PPE, used a halligan to step on to get purchase to lift himself up to the window and pushing through.  It sounded a lot easier to the guys doing it than what it was.  It is not easy to squeeze that tank and self through the small opening.  We emphasized the use of the tool and having the appropriate one for the job.

Some thought that they would be able to pull themselves up like doing a pull up. Well, it became painfully obvious that even the most fit guy would be lucky to do that with full gear on. Even if he got up to the sill, it was impossible to get through the window without losing your grip.  The tool is crucial.

It was a great learning experience and hit home the point about taking a tool every time.  They understood the different roles and functions that one tool can provide, including saving themselves.

This all boils down to mastering the basics.  Take a tool, take a tool.  It is simple, basic firefighting.  When we master the basics it all becomes habit and we don’t have to think about the basic stuff when we need to use some advanced skills.  It just comes naturally.

Stay safe and train hard!

Posted by on January 17, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, mayday, rescues, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Attack the Doors: Part 2

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Remember these doors……?

Well, since posting these doors and asking how to force them, I have been inundated with requests for a view from the inside.

When I took these pictures originally, we were training on the roof of a vacant Value City building and were not sure about permission to actually enter the building.

So, since then we were granted permission to make entry, using our Knox Box keys, and take a look around.  I found the interior side of these doors to be interesting.

This is the view from the interior of those doors from the original post.

Does this view change anything that you might have thought about doing in regards to forcible entry?

The drop bar is not in place and that is how we found it.  It looks pretty harmless from this side of the door.

But, we did take a look at another set of doors that you might be interested in and they might be more of a challenge.

Take a look at these…..

What is your first impression with this set of doors?

Concerns or difficulties that you can see?

These are not too disimilar form the other set of doors.

Here is what the inside looks like……

Okay, there you have it and let us know what you see and what you would do.

Are there any special considerations that you see or would like to share?

Again, post your comments and share your knowledge, we really appreciate it.

Stay safe and train hard.

Posted by on November 16, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forcible entry • Tagged: , ,

Attack this Door

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Not all doors are created equal.  Take a look at this door and decide how you would attack it’s integrity to force it open.  There is a lot that the characteristics of a door can tell you about how it is hung and secured.

Although this seems like a very simple skill and knowledge that everyone should know, I am continually surprised by how many don’t really understand how to use forcible entry tools.  I’m sure you have seen the guy just beating a door to death but not getting anywhere because he is attacking the door the wrong way.

Share your thoughts, experiences and techniques with all of us on how you would attack this door.  If you have photos, post them or send them and we will post them for you.

Stay safe and train hard.

Posted by on October 30, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, forcible entry, situational awareness, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , ,

Learn Something

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I debated myself on whether I should post this video or not. I don’t like to be critical of fire departments and how they handled a call. I, and many others have made poor decisions on the fire ground over the years and we will likely make unintentional mistakes in the future. After all, we are human.

But, the more I thought about it the more I believe that there is just too much to learn from here. Notice the word learn? This video is being shared as a learning tool and to show how easy it is to fall into the trap of thinking it will never happen to me.  We have all been there and done that and this video will hopefully provide as a reminder of what we need to consider on the fire ground.

So, I ask you, what is to be learned here?  What lessons would you share with your crew and fellow firefighters?  Be constructive and not critical.  Remember, you never know when the camera will be on you and I know I am not perfect.

Let’s learn something that will keep us safe and make us better and thank the guy who filmed and posted the video for the experience.

Stay safe and be careful.

Posted by on August 15, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire sprinklers, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, situational awareness, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

A Simple Move

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Exterior of door

Forcible entry is an ongoing skill that must be practiced. A huge part of that is knowing your doors and construction of entry ways.

On a recent inspection we started discussing getting into these locked doors that are pass-coded for the resident’s protection.

As you can see, this is an outward swinging door that should be reasonable easy to force with the right tools and skill.  Of course, in my experiences people aren’t spending as much time as they should practicing forcible entry techniques.

Interior of door

As a crew we started discussing how we would gain entry. One method is very simple and can be done with one tool.

Bust out the window, this one has no wire mesh, and drop the tool down to engage the panic bar.

I know this is very simple, but it can be effective if you only have one tool. You also have to have a good idea about the interior workings of the door.  Showing again the importance of getting familiar with your buildings.

Stay safe and use your time out and about wisely.

Posted by on August 11, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, situational awareness, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , ,

Some Good Forcible Entry Techniques

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This video was suggested to me by a buddy of mine.  It is a good video showing some different methods of forcing doors.  This is a skill that too often gets overlooked.  I will posting some more videos of forcible entry soon.  In the meantime, if you have a method or technique that you would like to share, post or send it to us to post.

Stay safe and happy forcing.

Posted by on June 6, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forceable entry • Tagged: , , , , ,