Introduction 8/27/01 3:11 PM Page i

TOOLS
OF THE
TRADE
Firefighting
Hand Tools
and
Their Use

Richard A. Fritz

TRAINING THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 122 YEARS

 Disclaimer
The recommendations, advice, descriptions, and methods in this book are presented
solely for educational purposes. The author and publisher assume no liability
whatsoever for any loss or damage that results from the use of any of the material in
this book. Use of the material in this book is solely at the risk of the user.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect
those of Fire Engineering or PennWell Publishing Company.

Copyright © 1997 by Fire Engineering Books & Videos,

a Division of PennWell Publishing Company.

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used
in any form by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
taping, or information storage and retrieval systems—without prior written permission of the
publisher.

Published by Fire Engineering Books & Videos

A Division of PennWell Publishing Company
Park 80 West, Plaza 2
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663
United States of America

Edited by John J. Napolitano

Book Design by Max Design
Photos by Richard A. Fritz
Cover Design and Illustration by Steve Hetzel

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fritz, Richard A., 1957-

Tools of the trade : firefighting hand tools and their use /
Richard A. Fritz.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-912212-62-4
ISBN 978-0-912212-62-3
1. Fire extinction--Equipment and supplies. I. Title.
TH9360.F75 1997 97-3661
628.9’25--dc21 CIP
2 3 4 5 6 12 11 10 09 08

ii

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Introduction 8/27/01 3:11 PM Page iii

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

■ Rick Fritz has always wanted to be a

firefighter. In 1973, he was one of the
original members of the Fire Explorer Post
organized with the Penfield (NY)
Volunteer Fire Company. In 1976, he
enlisted in the Illinois National Guard as a
crash-rescue firefighter. A year later, he
became a career firefighter with the
Muscatine (IA) Fire Department and
subsequently moved to the Davenport (IA)
Fire Department in 1981. In 1985, he
completed his Fire Science Management
degree through Southern Illinois Uni-
versity. In 1990, he left the fire service to pursue a teaching career at Scott
Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa, where he was the department coordinator
for the Hazardous Materials Technology program. In 1993, he returned to the fire
service as a full-time staff member of the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute
in Champaign, Illinois. Rick is very active in fire service training. He develops and
delivers firefighter training throughout the State of Illinois. He serves on both
IFSTA and NFPA committees, as well as various statewide training committees.

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my parents and to my wife, Cathy.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the following fire service professionals for their
assistance. Without their help, this project would have been impossible:
Bradley G. Bone, lieutenant, R.N., Champaign (IL) Fire Department; Michael
N. Ciampo, firefighter, FDNY Ladder Co. 44; David F. Clark, firefighter,
M.Ed., lllinois Fire Service Institute; Robert E. Farrell, Fire Hooks Unlimited
Inc.; Andrew A. Fredericks, firefighter, FDNY Engine Co. 48; David Fulmer,
Illinois Fire Service Institute and captain, Savoy (IL) Fire Department; John P.
Grasso, firefighter, FDNY Engine Co. 48; Gary Gula, firefighter, Champaign
(IL) Fire Department; Craig A. Haigh, chief of department, King, NC; Robert
Hianik, Lt., Itasca (IL) Fire Department; Ray Hoff, battalion chief, Chicago
(IL) Fire Department; Robert Hoff, battalion chief, Chicago (IL) Fire
Department; Rick Kolomay, lieutenant, Schaumburg (IL) Fire Department,
and Ladder Company 26, Ladder Company 36, Ladder Company 56 of the
FDNY; William R. McGinn, lieutenant, FDNY Engine Co. 48; Robert
McKee, battalion chief, Chicago (IL) Fire Department; Andrew O’Donnell,
director of training, Chicago Fire Department; Ray Palczynski, lieutenant,
Davenport (IA) Fire Department, Savoy (IL) Fire Department; Mark Trujillo,
firefighter, Denver (CO) Fire Department & T-N-T Tools, University of
Illinois Fire Department; Marty Vitale, president, Iowa-American Firefighting
Tools; Victor Vitale, battalion chief (ret.), FDNY, consultant, Iowa American
Firefighting Tools; Barry Wagner, facilities manager, Illinois Fire Service
Institute; Matt Weber, battalion chief, Urbana (IL) Fire Department; Jeff
Welch, lieutenant, Urbana (IL) Fire Department; Mark N. Wesseldine,
firefighter, FDNY Ladder Co. 58. Also, a thanks to Dwight Hart, captain,
Davenport (IA) Fire Department, wherever you are.

A very special thanks to Craig A. Haigh, Ray Palczynski, and Dave Fulmer
for all the reading and assistance!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION xi
CHAPTER 1: CUTTING TOOLS 1
Six-Pound Pickhead Axe 2
Eight-Pound Pickhead Axe 5
Bolt Cutters 12

CHAPTER 2: CUTTING/STRIKING TOOLS 15

Six-Pound Flathead Axe 15
Eight-Pound Flathead Axe 17
Eight-Pound Splitting Maul 19

CHAPTER 3: PRYING TOOLS 23

Pry Bar 24
Detroit Door Opener 27
Claw Tool 31
Kelly Tool 35
San Francisco Bar 38
Chicago Patrol Bar 40
Halligan Bar 43

CHAPTER 4: STRIKING TOOLS 51

Long-Handled Sledgehammers 52
Custom Short-Handled Sledgehammers 54

CHAPTER 5: POLES 57
Pike Poles 57
National Pike Pole 67
Plaster Hook 68
Chicago Pike Pole 69
New York Pike Pole 71
San Francisco Pike Pole 73
Halligan Hook Pike Pole (aka Multipurpose Hook) 75
Roofman’s Hook 77
Multifunction Hook 79
Drywall Hook 81
EK Hook (aka Ekert Hook) 84
Boston Rake 87
Clemens Hook™ 89
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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

L.A. Trash Hook (aka Arson-Trash Hook) 91

Arrow Hook 94
Gatorback Hook 95
Dragonslayer™ 96

CHAPTER 6: PERSONAL TOOLS 99

Officer’s Halligan Hook 99
Officer’s Tool (aka O Tool) 101
Mini-Halligan Bar 102
Truckman’s Tool (aka Truckie Tool) 105
Fencer’s Pliers 107

CHAPTER 7: SEVERAL-IN-ONE TOOLS 109

T-N-T Tool, Formerly the Denver Tool 109
Cincinnati Tool 111
Pry Axe 112
Hux Bar 114

CHAPTER 8: SPECIAL-PURPOSE TOOLS 117

Bam-Bam Tool 117
Hockey Puck Lock Breaker 120
A Tool 123
J Tool 125
K Tool 126
Duck-Billed Lock Breaker 128
Rabbit Tool 130
Roof Cutter 134
Shove Knives 135
Vise Grips and Chain 136
Battering Ram 138
Combination Punch and Chisel 140
Hammerheaded Pick 141
Rebar Window Breaker 143

CHAPTER 9: TOOL MAINTENANCE 145

Cutting Tool Heads 146
Cutting/Striking Tool Heads 147
Striking Tool Heads 148
Handles 148
Prying Tools 149
Pike Poles 153
Pike Pole Heads 153
Personal Tools 157
Several-in-One Tools 158
Special-Purpose Tools 158
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 10: TOOL COMBINATIONS 161

The Irons 162
Lock-Breaking Combinations 164
To the Roof 164
Forcing Your Way In or Out 166
Overhaul 167
S.W.A.T. 169

CHAPTER 11: TOOLS ON FIRE APPARATUS 171

Engine Companies 171
Truck Companies 174
Squad Companies 175
The Chief’s Buggy 176

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INTRODUCTION

“Some guys are so busy learning the tricks of the trade, they forget to take
the time to learn the trade.”
—Anonymous

A
sign with those words hangs in a friend’s office. I read that sign and
realized that I was one of those guys. I was always looking for
a shortcut; something to make the job quicker and easier, although
not always better. I thought about what that sign said, and it changed my
attitude about a lot of things that I had been doing as a firefighter and a
training instructor.
Firefighting is dirty, backbreaking work. We have been combating fires since
the beginning of time. While the job has changed a lot in several thousand
years, in many ways it has stayed the same.
Much like the military, the fire service has made great technological
advances in the past 50 years. Better machines, computers, materials—all sorts
of things make our fighting forces more powerful. Like the military, it all still
boils down to one fundamental element: the fighter on the
line. The military depends on the infantry soldier; your
department depends on you.
To be an effective firefighter, you must know how and
when to use the tools of your trade. These tools are as
important to a firefighter as weaponry is to a soldier.
Without them, the enemy is going to kill you.
Our tools may be similar to the tools of other trades, but
they are used differently and must meet different standards.
Consider this: Painters use ladders, but would you use a
painter’s ladder? I thought I knew how to use the tools of
my trade. In researching and writing this book, I found out
Hand tools are critical to all companies on the fireground.
how little I really did know. I talked to firefighters all over
the country about tools and how they should be used.
As you will notice in your reading, the most efficient
tools available to the fire service have been designed by
firefighters—those who know the trade and what we need
to accomplish.
Neither reading this book nor watching a video nor
buying all the best tools will make you a better firefighter.
You always have to practice what you learn. You must
know how to use your tools, how to maintain them, and
what their capabilities are in the event that you have to
push them past their limits. Getting dirty is the only way Practicing with hand tools is the only way to become proficient in their
to learn this trade. use.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

Allowing apparatus manufacturers or salespeople to specify and equip your

apparatus is insane. Tools and tool specifications should be as critical a factor
in designing and buying apparatus as the pump, tires, aerial, or any other part.
Don’t underestimate yourself or your abilities. Who knows better than you
what tools you need?
Firefighting is all about size-up. Size-up must include what tasks are to be
performed on the fireground and the best methods of getting those tasks
accomplished. Size up your own department first. It’s a waste of effort for
firefighters to work with tools designed specifically for plaster and lath in
response areas where there is only gypsum board. Know your response areas
and what tools you need to have. We do this all the time now, but we seem to
quit when it gets to hand tools. Hose layouts, crosslays, fittings, adapters—all
are planned and specified to the nth degree. When we get to hand tools, we are
happy just to transfer them from the old rig or the storeroom to the new rig
without really giving a second thought to their capabilities or importance.

WHO SHOULD USE THIS BOOK

Firefighters. I wrote this book for several reasons. First and foremost, I
wrote it to pass on information I have learned from firefighters to other
firefighters. Traditionally, firefighting skills have always been passed along
from older, more experienced members to the next generation beginning
their careers. Somewhere along the line, that has stopped happening. Veteran
firefighters are leaving their jobs and taking their skills and knowledge with
them. Younger firefighters are unable to learn from them. The number of
fires is down, and there isn’t a text, film, or video that can teach the next
generation these unique skills.
This book was written to help you learn new skills or hone the ones you
already have. It is not an absolute authority; the techniques and methods that I
describe are not the only ways to use these tools. They are, however, the best
methods I could find based on the experiences of many firefighters, not just my
own experiences or opinions.
Company officers. Yesterday you were on the operating end of the tool;
today you’re telling others what needs to be accomplished. Many departments
do not adequately prepare company officers for the critical role they play
within their organization. I wrote this book to help you pass on the skills and
knowledge you have, combined with the skills and knowledge of some of the
best firefighters I know.
Chief officers. During an exhausting training session one afternoon, a
comment was made by a chief officer who was watching the drill. The
comment struck a nerve with all of the training instructors who heard him
make it. As we watched firefighters making an attack on the fire, including
throwing ladders, stretching lines, and making hydrants, the chief officer
turned to a group of us standing outside the building.

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INTRODUCTION

“Ya know,” he said, “I’m glad I came down and watched this. Sometimes I
forget how long it takes to throw a 35-foot ladder.”
Sometimes we all forget. Firefighters are working their hardest to accomplish
the most that they possibly can, as fast and efficiently as they can. As chief
officers, you need to stay current with the job. It’s tough because there are so
many other commitments, but this one needs to be at the top of your list. You
must continue to support the line firefighters, providing them with every
possible advantage.
Trustees, city managers, mayors. Providing fire protection to your
constituents is a costly affair—you need to get the most for your dollar.
Firefighters can’t stand by and let buildings burn or people suffer. They give
you everything they have; they’ve given you their lives. Buying them the
most expensive modern tools isn’t always what they need; buying them tools
that work is!

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CHAPTER 1:
CUTTING TOOLS

M
anual cutting. It’s a very basic skill—a task repeated over
and over in recruit school and seldom practiced again once
we get on the line. Think about your own community. How
many times have you been asked to make a cut? To cut someone out of
a car, to cut a chain or padlock, to cut through a wall or fence, to cut
into a roof, to cut debris out of the way? Cutting and cutting tools are
and always have been closely associated with the fire service and
firefighters. Our reliance on power tools has caused our manual cutting
skills to deteriorate to a deplorable state. In many cases, our cutting
skills are bad because we weren’t really taught correctly in the first
place, or it was just assumed that we knew how to use an axe.
In this chapter, we will look at some basic cutting tools and cutting
techniques. Nothing fancy—no roaring motors, no screaming hydraulic
pumps, and no hissing compressors. The discussion will be limited to
hand tools driven by your muscle. Hand tools are highly efficient when
maintained and used properly. Also, hand tools always start.

Power tools have their place on the fireground, but they should always be backed up by hand tools. Unlike power tools, hand tools
always start when they are needed.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

SIX-POUND PICKHEAD AXE

“I don’t know!” cried the distressed citizen. “They came from all
over the place! Funny-looking hats, sooty faces, and they all had
axes!”
Heard it before? It’s the standard firefighter joke—a fireman with an axe.
There is no other tool so closely associated with our trade as the six-pound
pickhead axe. It has been a part of the fire service for centuries, and next to
the pike pole or battering ram, it’s probably the oldest tool we have.

Six-pound pickhead axe.

The six-pound pickhead axe, ancient and venerable, is the most

inefficient tool that we currently maintain in our inventory. Six pounds
is just not enough weight to get the maximum efficiency from your
swing with any kind of measurable result. Firefighters tire more readily
with the six-pounder than with a heavier tool. Take those six-pounders
off the rig and give them away at retirement dinners, or clean them up
and use them for musters and parades. Just in case that isn’t possible,
let’s look at the standard use of the tool.

Standard Use
The pickhead axe was originally designed for use on wooden sailing
ships. Sailors used it for fighting fires as well as enemies. The blade
would cut through decking, exposing hidden fires, and the pick could
be used to start a hole. Lines could be severed, and tangled rigging
could be hooked and dragged away. It was also used as a weapon,
commonly referred to as a boarding axe. With the advent of the steel-
hulled ship, navies worldwide gave away these tools by the thousands
to local fire companies. It made sense to clear the storerooms of a tool
that was intentionally designed for one thing: fighting fires.
The pickhead axe is primarily a cutting tool, and a cutting tool only.
It is used for opening up a burning structure for entry, rescue, and
ventilation. Its effectiveness depends on proper maintenance and how
good the operator is at swinging it.

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CHAPTER 1: CUTTING TOOLS

To cut properly with a pickhead axe takes practice—lots of practice.

A fire axe is different from the wood-cutting axe out in the shed. You
must hold it differently, swing it differently, and be safety-minded in
the extreme. The accuracy of your swing is important. The more times
you can hit exactly where your previous swing landed, the less time
you will spend completing the entire operation.
Practice holding the axe and getting a proper stance. Your stance will
depend on the type of footing that you are able to get. You’ll hold the
axe with a different stance if you’re on the ground, on a ladder or a
roof, in the bucket of a platform, or swinging away inside a structure.
Most often, try to get a stance with your feet apart and your body
weight centered. Hinge your knees just a little to give you some
flexibility. Hold the axe handle where it feels comfortable, but not up
close to the head. Your stance should give you balance, and it should
feel natural. You must be capable of rocking back and forth on your
feet while swinging, at all times maintaining your balance against
gravity, the force of the wind, bad weather conditions, and most
importantly, any changing fire or structural conditions.
To swing your axe, always remember that you are not Paul Bunyan
trying to deforest Oregon. Axe swings should be no higher than your
shoulders. Swing the axe in an over-the-head motion, but maintain
control of it. On the backswing, the head of the axe should come to a
point just slightly behind your head. In most cases, you should be able
to see it in your peripheral vision. As you swing downward, slide your
upper hand along the handle to meet your other hand, which is firmly
grasping the bottom of the handle. Don’t try to push the axe or you will
tire quickly—allow the weight of the tool to do the work. Let the axe
head drop into place at a slight angle to the work being cut.
Concentrate on accuracy; it is very important that you angle the blade
to the surface, because a dead-on strike may bounce back at you and
drive the pick between your eyes.
If you encounter a hard surface, flip the axe over and use the pick to
get a good purchase. Just as with the blade side, do not swing the pick
over your shoulders. Let it fall accurately and penetrate the surface on
its own. If the pick should get stuck, carefully push or pull the handle
to the left or right. The pick is designed to free itself if you twist it 15
degrees or more in either direction. The same holds true for the blade.
If it gets stuck, don’t pull on it or you’ll fall. Flex the handle sideways,
then rock it up and down to free the blade.
Practice swinging the axe both left- and right-handed. Fireground
conditions may not allow you to swing it the way you normally
would. Be prepared to swing on your weaker side. Set up an old
telephone pole behind the firehouse. Practice batting lefty.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

Special Uses
The six-pound pickhead axe’s special uses are really pretty limited.
It can perform several functions other than cutting, but as we will
discuss in later chapters, there are other hand tools that are better
suited for multipurpose use.

Its legitimate uses include:

• To force inward- and out-
ward-swinging doors past
their latches.
• To force double-hung win-
dows open by prying them in
their centers and pulling the
lock screws out of the wood.
• To break glass.
• To make a purchase point in
automobiles for hydraulic
tools by prying or poking
holes in the sheet metal.
• For searching.
• To remove moldings, base-
This six-pound axe is too light for the job. The
boards, and other trim during firefighter must swing harder and more often to
overhaul. accomplish his task.

In-House Modifications
There isn’t too much you can do for the six-pound pickhead axes. They
are too light to be really effective. If you must use them, see the section
under Eight-Pound Pickhead Axe to learn about modifications you can
make to the handles to help them be more effective and efficient.

Limitations
Throughout this section, we have discussed the limitations of the six-
pound pickhead axe. To review, those limitations are:
• It’s too light.
• It cannot be used as a striking tool.
• It is more tiring than a heavier version.
• It’s an inefficient cutting tool.

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CHAPTER 1: CUTTING TOOLS

EIGHT-POUND PICKHEAD AXE

Okay, so what’s the big deal? A whole new section on the same axe,
except it’s two pounds heavier? Yes! Two pounds of weight added to
the head of a pickhead axe makes all the difference! From reports I have
received from firefighters across the country who use the eight-pound
pickhead axe, this is an axe! If you don’t think that two pounds can
make a difference, take the firehouse challenge. Next time you’re at the
station, sit down in the kitchen and eat six pounds of ice cream. If you
are still conscious after six, eat two more pounds! I think you see my
point!

Standard Use
The standard use of the eight-pound pickhead axe is very similar to
that of the six-pounder, with one major exception: It’s two pounds
heavier and therefore requires some slight changes in your stance. It
also offers more flexibility in cutting.
Unlike the six-pounder, the eight-pound pickhead can be used very
effectively while you are sitting on your butt. A unique technique for
opening a pitched roof safely is a technique called the zipper cut. Most

Eight-pound pickhead axe.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

firefighters do not enjoy working on pitched roofs, especially in bad

weather.
Get an eight-pound pickhead and get on the roof. Move to the ridge
beam. Once you have selected the proper location for the hole, straddle
the ridge. Sit with one leg on the side you are going to cut, extended
straight out at an angle to the roof ridge. Tuck your other leg as if you
were riding a horse. To make the cut, swing the axe along the line
made by your extended leg. Cut away from your leg. Once you’ve
made about a two-foot-long cut (that is, two feet from the ridge line
down the roof), slide backward along the ridge and make a cut parallel
to the ridge, two feet down from it as you go. Look where you’re going
when you move backward. When the second cut is about eight feet
long, extending from your original, make another cut like the first
along your leg. Slide back along the ridge a little farther and use a pike
pole or trash hook (minimum length of 12 feet) to pull the debris out of
the hole. Reverse the pole and push down the ceiling. You’ve never
had to stand up, further reducing the chance of a fall.
The stance and swing when using an eight-pound pickhead axe are
almost identical to that of the six-pounder. Just be aware that the added
two pounds of weight have increased the size of the axe head, making it
swing differently from a six-pounder or that old wood cutter in the shed.
Be prepared to shift your weight around to accommodate the heavier

Roof operations should be performed by experienced personnel.

head. Pleasantly, you will find, this axe does the work. As before,
accuracy is the key. Avoid those Paul Bunyan strokes. Shoulder high,
allow your upper hand to slide down the handle to meet your other
hand, which has a firm grip on the bottom of the handle. Allow the
weight of the tool to do the work. When it gets stuck, free it the same as
you would a six-pounder. Push or pull the handle to the right or left to
enlarge the cut a little, then rock it free. Pulling will cause you to lose

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CHAPTER 1: CUTTING TOOLS

your balance and fall. Practice. Swing both right- and left-handed.
Practice flipping the axe around and driving the pick into the surface to
be cut. Always swing so that the head strikes the surface at a slight
angle. Dead-on strikes are dangerous and a waste of your valuable
energy. If the axe bounces, it could spoil your good looks.
A two-firefighter axe team is a very effective and efficient method of
creating vent holes. Armed with two eight-pound axes, the firefighters
mark out the area to be cut and then begin their work at opposite corners
of the marked-off area, working toward each other. When working in
this manner, team members can complete the hole faster and can
continually see each other, allowing for safer operations.
The eight-pound pickhead axe is a very effective and efficient tool
when used correctly. In a strictly technical sense, it is a limited-use tool,
designed primarily to be a cutting tool. It does have other limited uses,
however, that make it somewhat versatile if it happens to be the only
tool in your possession when certain tasks must be performed.

Special Uses
The eight-pound pickhead axe can be used effectively in certain
forcible entry situations and overhaul operations. It can also be used
to some extent at automobile fires and accidents.
In forcible entry situations, the axe can be used as a wedge to try to
force a wooden, outward-swinging door in a wood frame to slide past
its catch and pop open. By inserting the blade of the axe into the small

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

space between the door and jamb and then using the pick as a handle,
you can apply pressure to spread the door away from the jamb.
Hopefully, it will pop out of the latch and open. Be careful about any
pressure you exert on the handle of the tool while prying. Even a well-
maintained tool may snap if inappropriate pressure is applied sideways
to the handle. The axe is designed to take straight-on, not lateral,
pressure. It is really embarrassing to come out to the rig for another
tool holding a broken handle in one hand and the axe head in the other.
This is harder to do with fiberglass handles but still possible. During
most forcible entry applications, the pickhead axe is a poor choice. It is
not a striking tool. Never attempt to strike the back of a pickhead axe
with another tool to drive it in. Get a cutting/striking tool for this.
A quick access method of forcible entry is to try to pry open a
double-hung window that has the standard swivel lock mechanism in
the center of the sashes. Insert the blade of the axe beneath the center
of the bottom sash. (You may have to remove the storm windows first.
If so, remove them all. Do not allow any glass shards or framing
material to remain.) Pry the handle of the axe upward. The window
will begin to open, pulling the wood screws out of the lock, allowing
the window to open normally. Be very careful: If the window is not in
good condition, the sash will distort and the pane may break,
showering you with glass.
The axe can also be used to breach wooden walls, of course, but the
heavier eight-pounder can also smash its way through cinder block
very effectively. Start the breach by using the pick end to disintegrate
some of the block. You may find that the pick is all you need. Swing
the axe like a golf club as much as possible to conserve your energy. If
you need to use the blade side for a wider striking surface, use it.
You’ll have to recondition the tool afterward, but that is not an
important issue during an emergency. Note: Using the axe in this
manner is misusing the tool. Do so if it is an emergency—it will save
your life! If it isn’t an emergency, you are better off selecting a more
appropriate tool.
During overhaul, the axe can be good for opening walls, floors, and
so on. The blade is a very effective tool for sliding behind baseboards,
door trim, and moldings. The pickhead will not allow you to pry off
the baseboards easily because its curvature is too great. To use the
pickhead to remove baseboard, let the axe slide down across the
surface of the wall. Nine times out of 10, the axe blade will wedge
itself behind the baseboard. If you let it slide hard enough, it may
knock the baseboard right off altogether. The amount of pressure
required to remove it will depend on how well it was installed, but
generally you will be able to get it off with the axe. Remember, you are

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CHAPTER 1: CUTTING TOOLS

applying unnatural force to the axe handle when prying. If whatever

you are trying to remove resists, move the tool to a new purchase
point. Overapplying pressure may snap the handle of a wooden tool,
and if you’re into something really tough, you could even break a
fiberglass handle.
The pickhead axe is very efficient at removing standard doors from
their frames. In most residential and light commercial structures, doors
are only attached to their frames by hinges screwed into a wooden stud.
To remove a door with little or no damage to either the door or frame,
insert the blade of the axe between them, either just above or just below
the top hinge. Shut the door. Exert slight pressure on the handle and pry
the door away from the frame. The screws will pull out. Open the door,
flip the axe around, and repeat the process at the bottom hinge. The
door can easily be removed. If there is a center hinge, remove it last,
since the door will be less likely to get stuck that way. This is an
excellent method for getting doors out of the way during firefighting
operations and overhaul. Once removed, a door can be used to cover
holes in floors. Little damage is inflicted on either the door or frame.
If you have well-maintained tools, the handle of your eight-pounder
is also effective for removing lots of plaster and lath in a short time.
While overhauling, open up a decent-size hole three to five feet off
the floor. Insert the handle of the axe into the bay. Grasp the blade
and pick and pull toward you. The handle will pull large amounts of
plaster and lath from the wall. Do this only with a well-maintained
tool. If not—snap, no handle.
Even though the eight-pound pickhead axe is really a limited-use tool
when compared with other hand tools, it does have a variety of uses.
The key consideration in using and sometimes misusing the tool is
what task you must accomplish. Is it an emergency, or would you be
better off waiting for a more appropriate tool? What condition is the
tool in? Size-up is important, not just in overall strategies on the
fireground but also for simple tasks such as using tools.

In-House Modifications
We’ll consider both the six-pound and eight-pound pickhead axes
in this section, since these modifications can be done to both tools to
make them more efficient. Keep in mind that the eight-pound
pickhead is preferred. It is difficult for even the handiest firefighter to
come up with modifications for the pickhead axe. It has basically
remained unchanged for more than 300 years, but there are some
little things you can do to improve it.
The first and foremost in-house modification you can make is good

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

maintenance. Refer to Chapter 9, Tool Maintenance, for suggestions.

At this point, we will discuss nonmaintenance changes to the tool.
The axe is designed to be a cutting tool. To be effective, it must be able
to cut through material without binding. Paint on the head will cause it to
bind, so remove all the paint from the head of the axe. Either sandpaper
or a wire wheel will do this. Polish the surface smooth and shiny. If you
really want to go overboard, you can polish the head to a high sheen, but
that isn’t really necessary. Get a good, smooth surface on the axe, and
keep it well oiled with either light motor oil or machine oil.
Protect the handle of the axe with overstrike protection. Some
fiberglass handles come with a rubber bumper that slides up the handle
to act as a collar just below the head. These are great, but there is an
alternative method that works as well and can be more easily replaced
if it gets worn or damaged.
Using either 12- or 14-gauge wire, wrap the handle from just below
the axe head down about four or five inches. Make the wraps tight.
Once the wire is in place, wrap it with black electrician’s tape;
otherwise, use colored plastic tape if you want to color code the tool.
The tape will help hold the wire in place, and it looks good. You can
place a second wire wrapping over the top of the first wrap, coming
down from the head about half the distance of the first wrap for double
overstrike protection. This simple, inexpensive modification will
provide more than adequate protection for the handle and help to
prevent those embarrassing and potentially dangerous axe-breaking
incidents. The overstrike protection is easily changed when worn out
and doesn’t interfere with the performance of the tool.
Tape fingerholds can be added to the handle to help you get a better
grasp when using the tool to pry off trim and other moldings during
overhaul. Using an axe as a prying tool is technically a misuse of it.
Prying can be done, but you must be careful to work within the limits
of the tool and the handle. These finger grips will also help you define
the position of your hand in relation to your swing. The tape will help
you gauge how high you are swinging.
To measure where to put the tape, hold the tool in a position as
though you were going to pry off some molding about waist-high.
Look at your hand closest to the axe head. Where your hand wraps
around the handle is where you want to put four wraps of friction tape.
This will make separators for your fingers, helping to prevent your wet
gloved hands from sliding down or off the handle. Make sure the
distance between the tape wraps is large enough for a gloved hand.
Wrap the tape several times, making it fairly thick. Use friction tape
rather than plastic tape, since the idea here is grip, not looks. In
general, the fingerholds will probably be about one-third of the way

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CHAPTER 1: CUTTING TOOLS

down the handle from the head. These may need to be changed often.
Another modification that can be made is to improve the grip on the
axe handle. The idea is to create a grip that will give you something to
hang on to with wet firefighting gloves. One way is to wrap the handle
with French hitching. This is a spiral-type grip that will give an
improved hold. It has been used in navies all over the world for
centuries to improve grip on ships wheels, handrails, stanchions, and
the like. There are several ways of doing this.
The first method is the most time-consuming. It involves a few yards
of cord (thin clothesline, twine, or small sash cord), friction tape, and
several hours. First, measure how high up you want the grip to be. It
should be at least 18 inches from the bottom of the handle up toward
the head. Wrap the handle of the axe in friction tape. This will hold the
cord in place. Next, secure the end of the cord to the bottom of the
handle with a wrap of plastic tape. Make it tight so it won’t pull out.
From there, begin making a series of tight half hitches around the
handle, one right after the other. Continue this, ensuring that all of the
half hitches are made in the same direction. After about three inches or
so, you will see the spiral beginning to appear. Keep tying those half
hitches! Tie them the entire 18 or more inches until the handle is
completely wrapped and the spiral hitching is apparent. It will take you
several hours and a few yards of cord to accomplish this. Once done,
secure the end of the cord with plastic tape. Now, wrap the entire area
you just corded with friction tape, pulling tightly and pressing the tape
in place over the cord and spiral. This will actually create the sticky
surface of the grip. The big drawback to this method is the time it takes
to wrap (and unwrap any mistakes made during the process). It is a
major task to replace this type of grip when it wears out. It looks great,
so you might want to add it to the grips of those six-pounders you’re
having chromed. Forget that last wrapping of friction tape—just leave
the knots showing. This looks great for parades.
An easier and more effective method of producing the same result
is to use electrical cord, sash cord, small-diameter rope, or 14-gauge
wire, plus friction tape. Measure out the size of the grip you want as
before. Wrap the handle with friction tape. Secure one end of the
material to the handle with plastic tape. Make sure it is tight.
Carefully wind whatever material you are using (cord, wire) around
the handle in an even spiral, like a barber pole. Press it onto the
friction tape as you go along. The friction tape will help hold it in
place. Secure the other end to the handle with plastic tape when the
wrap is finished. Wrap the entire spiral with friction tape, pressing it
into place. Tuck it in, over, and around the spiral. It’s done. You may
want to wrap it twice with the friction tape. Try holding the axe with

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

gloves on. If it doesn’t seem to be enough, use a thicker material for

the spiral material, or wrap it a couple more times with friction tape.
Now you have an axe that has been modified to help you use it more
efficiently. Don’t forget to read the chapter on tool maintenance. It’s
one thing for the tool to look nice, but it must be sound!

Limitations
The eight-pound pickhead axe is truly a limited-use tool. In your
inventory of tools there should be others that can do what the
pickhead axe can do, plus more. It is a good tool, but recognize its
limitations, which are:
• It is heavy.
• Its primary function is to cut.
• It cannot be used as a striking tool.

Because of the weight and size of its head, its value as a forcible
entry wedge-type tool may be limited.

BOLT CUTTERS
Standard Uses
Bolt cutters are another tool available to the firefighter for cutting
purposes. Designed primarily for industrial use, these provide a quick
and relatively easy method of cutting through various materials.
Much like the pickhead axes, there are a variety of other tools
available to the firefighter for cutting materials such as chain, lock
shackles, fencing, and other such items. Bolt cutters, however, are
relatively cheap to purchase. When used
properly, they are fast and efficient.
The most important factor in using bolt cutters
on the fireground is to have the right set for the
material you want to cut. It may be necessary to
have different types on the apparatus to cut
different-strength materials. The cutting surface
may not be suitable for case-hardened material
like certain chains and lock shackles but will be
good at cutting fencing, light locks, or small
cable.
Do a survey of your response area. Is it high-
security? Are there lots of chain-link fences?
How and what are people using to secure their
Bolt cutters.
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CHAPTER 1: CUTTING TOOLS

residences and commercial buildings? Answering these questions will

help you select the right type of bolt cutter, or bolt cutters, to carry on
the apparatus. The size of the cutter, as well as its cutting capacity, is
very important. Long-handled cutters provide better leverage for the
firefighter doing the cutting. Buying a set of cutters just because it fits
into a storage compartment doesn’t make good sense.
Don’t waste money buying dielectric bolt cutters or wire cutters.
Firefighters don’t cut power lines, period. The bolt cutters should be of
high-quality carbon steel, with long, powerful, preferably fiberglass
handles with rubber grips. They should have handles long enough that
the cutting process is made easy. The shorter the handles, the less
leverage you have for cutting.
When using the bolt cutter, size up the material to be cut. Ensure that
you have a proper set of bolt cutters capable of biting into and cutting
completely through it. Make sure you wear eye protection! Cutting
with bolt cutters may launch the cut-off end of chain, bolt head, or
whatever else you’re working on. Protect yourself from flying debris.
Never intentionally cut something that is a loose end. When cutting
cable or some other material, make sure of the end result before you
cut. Cutting cables or cords may release an object being held up or in
tension, such as a garage door spring.
In forcible entry, when cutting lock shackles, cut high up on the
shackle. Cutting too close to the lock itself may jam it if you don’t cut
all the way through or if the cutters twist in the process. Cutting high
on the shackle gives you another place to get a purchase if you can’t
get the leverage for the first cut. Bolt cutters are not designed to cut
case-hardened material as is found on high-security padlocks. Using
two firefighters, one on each handle, is a dangerous proposition. The
bolt-cutter blades may dimple, or even shatter, and the hinge
mechanism of the bolt cutter itself may break apart under the
tremendous pressure being applied. If you encounter case-hardened
materials, select another tool!

Special Uses
Bolt cutters can be used to remove wire lath or mesh during
overhaul. Sometimes this is the only method to remove such material.
The bolt cutter can be used in conjunction with a hook. With the hook,
knock the plaster loose. With the bolt cutters, cut the staple that holds
the mesh to the wall, then peel back the loosened mesh with the hook.
The bolt cutter can also be used to twist off, not cut, battery cables
on cars and trucks. Do not cut or break the posts off the battery; just
twist the cables off. Breaking battery posts is hazardous because it

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

destroys the battery casing and allows battery acid to escape.

Regarding using bolt cutters to cut energized wires: I will not discuss
that in this book. Leave cutting electrical wires to power companies.
Firefighters don’t cut power lines.

In-House Modifications
There are no recommended in-house improvements that can be made
to the bolt cutter. They come from the manufacturer ready to use, with
good grips on the handles and solid cutting surfaces. Don’t be cheap.
Buy good cutters.
The French hitching wrap (described for the eight-pound pickhead
axe) using cord and tape may improve the grip a little, but it isn’t really
necessary. It will look different, yes, but there is no practical advantage
to be gained.

Limitations
The bolt cutter is a limited-use tool. It is designed to cut materials,
and whatever materials it can cut depends on the type and quality of
bolt cutter you purchase. Bolt cutters in general do not work well in
tight areas. The handles must spread out far enough to allow the jaws
to sufficiently clench the material. If you are working high or low, it
may be difficult to get the leverage to bite down. Some materials are
very tough, and you need a great deal of upper-body strength to pull
the cutter closed and chomp through.
Bolt cutters are best used on light locks and chain, fencing material,
shackles and hasps, and plastic-coated cable. When faced with a
heavier material, it may be wise to choose another tool.

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CHAPTER 2:
CUTTING/STRIKING
TOOLS

D
on’t skip this chapter! Although you may think that the tools
discussed here are the same as those described in Chapter 1,
they are not!
In this chapter, we will look at some basic cutting tools that have
the additional capability of performing striking operations. The
ability to strike another tool or an object is essential for many
forcible entry procedures, ventilation techniques, and other
multifunction tasks that we are required to perform on the fireground.
The cutting/striking tools will be the first half of some cardinal tool
sets that we will discuss in later chapters.

SIX-POUND FLATHEAD AXE

When fire departments first began buying equipment, they bought
what was readily available to them. They still do. The availability of a
tool doesn’t make it the right tool for the job, and this particularly
applies to the six-pound flathead axe. It is much too light to be an
effective tool. The firefighter wielding it must do so with great strength
to make the strike effective, making him dangerous to be around if he
misses his mark.

Standard Uses
The six-pound flathead axe was designed for wood cutting,
whether at home or in the forests of Oregon. With a razor-sharp
blade, it is a great tool for felling trees. However, it has very little use
on the fireground due to its light weight.

Six-pound flathead axe.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

The flathead axe is primarily a cutting tool, but you also have the
option of using the reverse side of the head as a striking tool. It is not
a misuse of this tool to use it as a hammer, since it was intentionally
designed for driving wedges into trees and logs in the lumber
industry. When compared with the pickhead axe, the flathead axe is
more versatile, although the fire service has been somewhat slow in
recognizing that. In a lot of departments, there are far more pickhead
axes than flatheads.
As with all tools, you must practice using the flathead axe to be
effective. As always, the effectiveness of the tool is limited by the skill
of its operator. A flathead axe is different from the lumberjack’s axe.
You must hold and swing it differently. The accuracy of your swing is
important. The more times you can hit your target exactly where your
previous swing landed, the less time you will spend completing the
entire operation.
Take a proper stance. Always remember to use short strokes and to
swing no higher than your shoulders. Use the weight of the tool; don’t
push it down. You will be ineffective if you become tired. Accuracy is
key. As always, angle your strikes—a dead-on bounce will flatten your
nose or, worse, break your SCBA face piece.
When you encounter a hard surface, you may need to use another
tool to help make a good purchase point. Otherwise, flip the axe over
and try smashing the material. Just like using the blade side, do not
swing the axe over your shoulders. Let it fall accurately, and try to
strike repeatedly in the same area. Weighing only six pounds, this axe
will not make a dent in many materials without your having to exert
great force on your swing. Don’t do that. Instead, find a more
suitable tool—perhaps the pickhead axe—for doing the job.
Otherwise, use a halligan or other tool in combination. If the blade
gets stuck, don’t pull or you’ll fall. Jiggle it left and right, then up and
down to free it.

Special Uses
The six-pound flathead axe’s special uses are really pretty limited,
more so because of its limited weight than its design. It can perform
several functions other than cutting, but as we will discuss in other
chapters, there are other hand tools better suited for multipurpose use.
Here are some of the better uses of the six-pound axe:
• To force inward- and outward-swinging doors past their latches.
• To force double-hung windows open by prying them in their
centers and pulling the lock screws out of the wood.
• To break glass.

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CHAPTER 2: CUTTING/STRIKING TOOLS

• To make a purchase point in automobiles for hydraulic tools by

prying or poking holes in the sheet metal.
• As a search tool.
• To remove moldings, baseboards, and other trim during overhaul.
• In a limited capacity, to drive/strike another tool.
• To smash ventilation holes in walls and roofs.

In-House Modifications
There isn’t too much you can do for the six-pound flathead axe. It’s
too light to be really effective. If you must use it, see the section
“Eight-Pound Pickhead Axe” to learn about modifications you can
make to the handle to help it be more effective and efficient.
If you do use the six-pound flathead, grooves can be cut into the
side of the tool head to make it marry together more easily with a
halligan or similar forked bar.

Limitations
The six-pound flathead axe has the same limitations as its pickhead
counterpart. They are:
• It’s too light.
• It’s ineffective as a striking tool.
• Firefighters will tire more quickly than they will using the eight-
pound version.
• It’s inefficient.

EIGHT-POUND FLATHEAD AXE

If ever there was a tool that should be designated the workhorse of
hand tools, this would be it. The eight-pound flathead axe is an
extremely versatile tool that
can be used by itself or in
conjunction with other hand
tools to perform a multitude
of tasks on the fireground.
Simply by increasing the
weight of the tool by two
pounds, firefighters now
have a serious implement.
The added weight and
corresponding increase in
head size give you an Eight-pound flathead axe.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

advantage over the six-pound flathead to cut or strike, but especially to

strike.

Standard Use
Swing the axe head as you would an eight-pound pickhead. Always
rely on its weight, especially when using it as a striking tool. It isn’t
necessary to swing it in a full arc to get its benefit as a striking tool.
Hold it at waist level. Line up the flat striking surface against the tool
or object that you are going to hit. Don’t move that other tool! Arrange
your stance so that you can
strongly and effectively
pivot your hips, hitting the
spot you want. By putting
your body weight behind
it, the axe will efficiently
strike and drive whatever
tool you’re aiming for.
It is especially important
to practice this skill when
there is no emergency.
Using the axe as a striking
tool is a two-firefighter
operation. It must be done
carefully, safely, and—
most importantly—pre-
The eight-pound flathead axe is an efficient roof-cutting tool. cisely!

Special Uses
The eight-pound flathead axe is used effectively in many forcible
entry situations, overhaul operations, and rescues. It can be used at
automobile fires and accidents, building collapses, and other nonfire
emergencies.
In forcible entry situations, the axe is used to drive the halligan or
similar tool through the door and jamb to force the latch from its
keeper. It is one-half of the irons discussed in a later chapter. The axe
can be used as an effective prying tool in itself but is more effective
when used with a prying tool. Be very careful about any pressure you
exert on the handle while prying. During most forcible entry
applications, the flathead axe will be part of a tool set.
This axe can also breach walls. It can efficiently cut through them, or
its opposite head can strike through them. When using the eight-pound

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CHAPTER 2: CUTTING/STRIKING TOOLS

flathead axe as a striking tool, remember your stance and energy-

saving golf swing. When using the striking surface of the axe, the
cutting edge is hurtling through the air on your backswing. Hitting
another firefighter with the cutting edge of your axe because you didn’t
look before you swung will cause you to be permanently removed
from that firefighter’s Christmas card list. Be careful when swinging
for either striking or cutting!
This tool, too, can be effective for opening walls and floors during
overhaul. The amount of pressure you will need to remove building
material will depend on how well it was installed, but generally you
will be able to disassemble it with the axe.

In-House Modifications
See Chapter 1 for overstrike protection, handle modifications, and
finger grips. Grinding two grooves into the head of an eight-pound
flathead axe will marry it to a halligan more easily. Match the curve
and angle of the halligan to the axe. The groove will help to prevent
them from slipping apart.

Limitations
The eight-pound flathead axe is a most versatile tool. Its limitations,
by now, should be apparent:
• It is heavy.
• Its primary function is to cut; striking is secondary.
• Its bigger size and weight restrict its use as a wedge during
forcible entry.
• It is dangerous when used as a striking tool due to the fact that
the cutting edge is moving on the backswing.

EIGHT-POUND SPLITTING MAUL

The fire service has recently discovered that the common,
everyday, backyard, oak-splitting, beat-up, cheap-to-buy splitting
maul is a very effective tool for many tasks on the fireground.
When was it first introduced? I don’t know and couldn’t find out.
Many fire departments are now using this tool to replace the flathead
axe in many forcible entry situations, and it is extremely popular with
departments responding to newer residential structures that have strand
board or simple plywood sheeting as roofing material. Its weight is
effective; it provides both a cutting and striking surface, and it is
inexpensive and readily available.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

Eight-pound splitting maul.

Standard Uses
For a tool that is relatively new to the fire service, it has quite a wide
range of standard uses. First and foremost, it is an excellent ventilation
tool for opening up roofs. Like the flathead axe, the splitting maul will
both cut and smash. Unlike the flathead, the main purpose of the maul
is to destroy wood by splitting it apart, not to cut it.
Many suburban and rural departments have taken to them because
they make short work of roof ventilation. Once the site for the vent
hole has been selected, the firefighter smashes a hole through the
roofing material rather than cuts it. The splitting maul makes short
work of oriented strand board (OSB), particle board sheeting, and even
plywood. No shingles have to be pulled, and because of the shape of
the head, a simple twist of the handle to the right or left will free it.
Using the tool is much like using an axe. You must take a proper
stance to swing it properly. Hold it in the same fashion as you would
an axe. It is a little more off balance because the bulk of the weight is
to the rear of the tool head. When using the cutting edge, the maul has
a tendency to invert to the striking side. Hold the handle tightly and
prevent it from flipping around in your hands when you swing and

Practice swinging mauls and axes both right- and left-handed.

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CHAPTER 2: CUTTING/STRIKING TOOLS

strike. Be prepared to shift your weight around to accommodate the

off-balance head. As with every cutting or striking tool we have
discussed so far, accuracy is critical. Do not swing with giant strokes—
no more than shoulder-high, allowing your upper hand to slide down
the handle to meet your lower. Allow the weight of the tool to do the
work. When it gets stuck, free it by twisting the handle to the right or
left about 15 degrees. Pulling will cause you to lose your balance.
Practice is critical for swinging both right- and left-handed. Always
swing the cutting side of the maul so that the head strikes the surface at
a slight angle. Straight strikes may bury the tool head. Remember, the
maul is designed to split wood, not cut it like an axe. A heavy, deep
stroke may bury it into the material being cut and make it very difficult
to get out. As a striking implement, use the maul as you would an
eight-pound flathead axe.

Special Uses
The eight-pound splitting maul can be used as efficiently as a
flathead axe in many situations. As an overhaul tool, it is a bit
cumbersome and usually by the overhaul stage of the fire you are too
tired to do much swinging with this heavy tool. It is designed to
destroy wood, and there are far more effective and efficient overhaul
tools.
Use it in combination with a halligan for forcible entry. Although not
quite the same as a flathead, the splitting maul can be part of a set of
irons. The splitting maul is not an effective prying tool in itself but is
more efficient when used with a prying tool.
The splitting maul is more efficient as a wall-breaching tool than the
flathead axe. It can be used to cut through walls expediently or, by
flipping it over and using the striking end, to smash through them.
When using the splitting maul as a striking tool, the cutting surface is
hurtling through the air on the backswing. Don’t hit anyone! Always
clear the area around you before swinging. Use your golf swing, and
remember that a good understanding of building construction is
essential before you breach any walls.
During overhaul, take the maul back to the rig and get a more
effective overhaul tool. The splitting maul is a behemoth designed to
destroy intact wood or concrete. Wood or other materials that have been
burned are no match for this tool. You will also become tired. Swinging
this tool to open a wall or partition that has been burned may surprise
any firefighter on the other side as the head cleanly passes through the
wall. Put it away during overhaul and salvage.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

In-House Modifications
The modifications you can make to the eight-pound splitting maul
are the same as those for the axes, outlined in Chapter 1, with a few
minor exceptions.
When making the overstrike protection for the eight-pound splitting
maul, make sure you use the double wrap. The head of this tool is
oddly shaped (because it is designed to split wood), and overstrikes are
a very common problem. Additionally, when using this tool to smash
ventilation holes in roofs, the neck of the handle, just below the head,
takes a real beating. Take the time to double-wire-wrap the handle at
the head for overstrike protection. Granted, this is a very inexpensive
tool, but snapping off the head while trying to vent a fire is dangerous
(let alone embarrassing), and you don’t have time to run down to the
hardware store to get another. Just because it is inexpensive doesn’t
mean it deserves less care.
For French hitching, consider using larger-diameter rope. For some
reason, this tool has more of a tendency to want to slide out of gloved
hands. Increase the size of the wrap and ensure that you have a full,
comfortable grip. Finger grips aren’t necessary on this tool.

Limitations
The eight-pound splitting maul is an extremely versatile tool. If,
however, there were such a thing as one tool that does it all, I wouldn’t
have written this book. Even the splitting maul has its limitations.
• It is heavy.
• Its primary function is to split wood; its secondary use is as a
striking tool.
• It is unsuitable as a separate prying tool.
• When used to smash vent holes, it does not allow the use of
roofing material as a shield. Smoke and fire may belch from the
hole while it is being made and before the ceiling is punched.
The vent hole may be limited in size due to dangerous conditions
on the roof.
• It is dangerous when used as a striking tool because the cutting
edge is moving where you can’t see it on the backswing.
• It has limited, if any, use during overhaul.

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CHAPTER 3:
PRYING TOOLS
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum strong enough, and
single-handedly I can move the world.”
—Archimedes

A
rchimedes could have been thinking about firefighters when
he made the above statement in the third century before
Christ. His work with tools and the principle of the lever are
key to the firefighters’ use and understanding of prying tools. Without
a basic understanding of leverage, you will not be successful in using
any prying tool. All prying tools—regardless of manufacturer, style, or
doodads—are levers and use that principle to accomplish a given task.
What is a lever? A lever is a bar that is free to pivot, or turn, about a
fixed point. Pry bars, halligan bars, pinch bars, halligan-type bars, and
many other tools used in the fire service are levers—simple levers. By
applying force to one end (effort) and having a strong, fixed point to
pivot against (fulcrum), a mechanical advantage is gained over
whatever object (resistance) you are trying to move. The proper use of
leverage is the basic principle behind using fire department prying
tools. This chapter will examine several different types of prying tools
and their uses. Remember that no tool will function properly if the
operator fails to apply the principle of leverage correctly. When
leverage is improperly used, the tool will usually slip and the object
will remain quite unmoved.

Prying tools may be needed on the roof.

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PRY BAR
Standard Uses
Almost every piece of fire apparatus I have ever seen carries at least
one pry bar. These tools are the ultimate in simplicity because they are
true levers. There are two types of bars: the pinch bar and the wedge-
point bar, the difference between them being the point on the tool.
Pinch bars have only one beveled side. These bars range in size,
dimension, and weight. The smaller size is usually three feet long by
one inch square, weighing six pounds. The sizes of the bars continue to
increase, reaching a massive size of 51⁄2 feet long, 11⁄2 inches square,
and a weight of about 26 pounds! As can be seen in the photo below,
the pinch bar is flat on the bottom and has a sloping, chisel-like bevel.

Pry bars.

The wedge-point bar has a bevel on both sides of the bar, forming a
wedge point, hence its name. These bars also come in various lengths and
weights, although not as varied as the pinch bar. The wedge-point bar
ranges in size from three feet long, one inch square, and a weight of six
pounds to five feet long, 11⁄4 inches square, and a weight of 18 pounds.
Both bars are limited-use tools because the fire service has invented
many others that will do the work more efficiently. However, these
tools should not be removed from service! By taking a little time to
learn how to use them, a firefighter will be better equipped to handle
many different situations. These bars are the ultimate levers, and they
are inexpensive. Their value in collapse situations, heavy rescue, and
even in some applications during confined-space rescues in some
industrial settings cannot be matched by any other tool. A pinch bar
and a wedge-point bar should be carried on at least one of your rigs.
They won’t get much use, but when you need them they will work!
These tools can be used in conventional forcible entry to open doors,
windows, and so on. However, they should not be your first choice for
forcible entry. The wedge-point bar has a slight advantage over the
pinch bar in conventional forcible entry. When combined with a striking
tool, the wedge point of the bar can be driven into a door or window
frame. The wedge shape allows the tool to slip into the recessed areas
readily, its spreading force being applied in both directions. Once the
tool has been driven deeply into the door or window frame, force can be

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applied, and the door or window will open. There are better tools to use
for forcible entry, but pry bars will work.
The advantages that these tools have over all others are their length
and narrow profile. They can be used, with a proper fulcrum, to raise
collapsed material, machine parts, automobiles, trees, and other fallen
debris. Pry bars operate in the mud, snow, rain, smoke, and all the
other environments that firefighters must work in.
Both pinch and wedge-point pry bars are the best tools when heavy
objects must be lifted or moved. Their length and size adds to the
amount of force they can convey. Using a pry bar when stabilizing a
car with cribbing will make work easier. By using the cribbing as a
fulcrum, firefighters can gently move or lift a vehicle to slip additional
cribbing underneath the frame.
During overhaul operations in plaster and lath fire buildings,
firefighters can insert the pry bar into the bay of the wall and make fast
work of opening it. The entire length of the tool is then used, and there
is no chance of snapping it as there is when doing the same procedure
with an axe handle. Pinch bars are excellent tools for prying up
wooden floors. By inserting the tool into the seam of the floor, bevel
side up, the tool can be driven in, lifting the first piece of flooring.
Then, using the tool as designed, leverage can be applied and the
flooring will come up. Two firefighters, each armed with a pry bar, will
make fast work of removing many floor surfaces. Once the first piece
is removed, the rest will follow easily.
Baseboards, moldings, and portal frames are also easily removed
with a pry bar. Often you will not even have to bend down to insert it.
Simply allow the pry bar to slide along
the face of the wall. Nine times out of 10,
both wedge-point bars and pinch bars
will find the joint between the wall and
the baseboard. Pry outward, and the
baseboard or molding will pop off.
Pry bars are relatively inexpensive and
can be purchased at a local hardware or
farm supply store. Their availability and
low cost make them the preferred choice
as tools that may have to be sacrificed to
a fire. Pry bars can be used as chocks to
hold doors open during firefighting
operations. They are especially valuable
for heavy-duty doors, doors with self-
closures, and roll-down doors.
There is no real trick to their standard For difficult prying jobs, use a pry bar.

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use. Find a good purchase point on the object to be moved, and locate
the fulcrum as far down the shaft as possible. Both of these bars are
basic levers. If you understand leverage, you will use these tools
effectively.

Special Uses
The pry bar has a variety of special uses, none of which have to do
with using the tool as it was designed!
Besides being used as a door chock as already mentioned, the pry bar
has several other unconventional uses on the fireground. Technically,
these abuse the tool; however, such techniques work, and in the long
run no significant damage is done to it.
The first special use of the tool is as a securing post for ground
monitors or deck guns. The pry bar can be driven into the ground like a
fence post and the monitor secured to the pry bar to prevent it from
walking away. The pry bar must be driven in deep and may be difficult
to remove after the fire is out, but it does provide a secure post for
lashing a gun.
Pry bars can also be used for securing ladders to windows. Place a
long pry bar horizontally across the inside of a window and tie a
ladder rung or beam to it using a rope. Apply sufficient tension on the
rope to pull the pry bar up tight against the interior window framing or
walls. Note: The pry bar should be substantially wider than the
window!
Pry bars also make good handles for carrying basket stretchers or
other heavy objects. Properly lashed, the bar provides handles for
several firefighters to grab at once.
In heavy search and rescue or collapse situations, pry bars can be
used to move very heavy objects, such as machinery. They can also be
used to break up concrete and rocks. In trench rescue, they can serve as
digging bars.

In-House Modifications
There are no specific in-house modifications that should be made
either to the pinch bar or the wedge-point bar. The bevels of both tools
should be kept crisp and clean. Using a pry bar with wet hands is a
problem because the bars are steel and therefore get cold and slippery.
Wrap the handles with friction tape or hockey stick tape. Also, bicycle
hand grips (remove the streamers) can be added to the handle end to
enhance your grip.
Some departments have added opposing handles so that two

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firefighters can manipulate the bar while standing opposite each other.

Limitations
When used properly, the lever is a fantastic tool. In bygone days,
railroad men known as gandy dancers would use pry bars in a
rhythmic motion to straighten sections of rail, ties, and ballast. With a
proper fulcrum, these simple levers may be the solution to the
fireground problem you are facing. Don’t overlook these tools. Their
limitations include:
• They are heavy.
• They have limited uses.
• Due to their length, they are difficult to use in tight spaces.
• They take up compartment space.
• They are best used in pairs.

DETROIT DOOR OPENER

Standard Uses
From the Motor City comes this venerable fire service tool that saw
wide use in departments worldwide. Today, this tool is usually
relegated to a running board bracket on a reserve truck, and most
firefighters have no idea what it is or how it is used. It has been (and
should be) replaced by smaller, more powerful hydraulic tools or more
efficiently designed pry bars. This is an ignominious end for a veteran
fire tool.
The Detroit door opener is a curious contraption that is actually a
lever system capable of delivering tremendous force when used
correctly. The opener provides its own fulcrum and is adjustable to
different positions to deliver maximum force. Although an old tool, the
Detroit door opener still functions well when used correctly and will
have devastating effects on today’s standard locks and door closures.
The tool consists of several simple parts. The first and main part of
the tool is the lever part. It looks like a pry bar (which it basically is)
with a narrow handle on one end and a wide point at the other. The
wider, slightly thicker curved end is the fulcrum of the tool. Force will
be applied to this part of the tool.
Attached to the fulcrum end is a pivoting joint that connects the
extending bar to the main part of the tool. This extending bar will
receive the effort from the main bar and transfer it. Force will be
transferred to the third part of the tool: the clawed swivel pad at the end
of the bar. The swivel pad is attached to the portion of the extending

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Detroit door opener.

bar that pulls out after the adjusting pin is removed. The bar is
extendable to allow for different types of door assemblies and to allow
the firefighter to set up the tool to achieve maximum force. The overall
length of a standard Detroit door opener, when folded, is about 50
inches. Fully retracted, the extension arm is 39 inches, and it extends
outward to approximately 66 inches. The tool is made of forged steel
and weighs 23 pounds.
The Detroit door opener will require an operator with good upper-
body strength when it is used on steel doors set in steel frames; doors
that have high-security locks, padlocks, or hasps; or doors held closed
with magnetic locks. The fact is, the Detroit door opener will probably
not work in these situations no matter how strong the operator is. The
tool was originally designed before security became a real issue in the
United States. The Detroit door opener is usually unstoppable in
standard residential situations, apartments, and hotels/motels. The key
is understanding the lock mechanism you face, the type of door, and
the use of the tool.

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The Detroit door opener, when used properly, exerts extreme force on a locked door.

Working with the Detroit door opener is simple—there are two

methods that you can use. The first method is recommended if you are
not familiar with the tool or are poor at judging distances by eye. First,
size up the door you are going to force. Ensure that it is not a high-
security door held closed with sophisticated locks or high-security
devices.
Place the fully closed tool vertically against the door, with the
fulcrum end resting on the doorsill or floor. Use a piece of chalk (You
do carry a piece of sidewalk chalk in your pocket for marking searched
rooms, don’t you?) or your hand to mark the position on the tool that
corresponds to the height of the lock on the door. If there are two locks,
mark whatever position on the tool falls between them.
Next, lay the tool down on the floor in front of the door,
perpendicular to it. If you didn’t mark the tool with chalk, maintain
your hand position. Now, mark the spot on the floor. Repeated training
with this tool will make you a good judge of what distance is needed.
Slide the tool toward you, stand it up, and place the fulcrum on the
marked spot. Place the clawed footpad directly on the lock or between
the locks. A quick jerk on the lever handle will help set the footpad into
the surface of the door. Once the tool is set, apply force on the lever
handle toward the door. Some firefighters recommend a quick
backward motion, but the overwhelming majority of firefighters who
are familiar with this tool recommend a slow, even, increasing
pressure. A fast motion may throw you off balance, the tool may slip
from your hand, or some other malfunction may cause you to be
injured. Slow and steady does it. This tool is a true lever, and the force
you are exerting on the door lock assembly is tremendous. Continue to
apply more force on the main lever handle until the door lock gives in
to the pressure.

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The second method of using the tool is simply to judge the distance
out from the door, set the fulcrum in position, and place the footpad on
the door, making the adjustments required. This method is a little
quicker, but handling the tool can be clumsy. With practice, this will
probably be your preferred method.
Although not readily available on the commercial market today, the
Detroit door opener remains in the inventory of many departments. It
should not be the primary choice for forcible entry situations, but it
shouldn’t be overlooked, either. The Detroit door opener will do the job,
and it is much faster to use this tool than it is to wait for another set of
irons or some other forcible entry tool set. In an emergency situation,
knowledge of how to use the opener may mean the difference between
getting into the fire building and a delay and worsening of the situation.

Special Uses
The Detroit door opener has no special uses. It is an extremely
limited-use tool, designed only to force open doors.

In-House Modifications
The only modifications that should be made to this tool are
sharpening the fulcrum point and wrapping the handle for a better grip.
The Detroit door opener was engineered for a specific task. Any
modification to the tool may be hazardous to your health.
One exception to that is to keep the fulcrum point of the tool well
dressed and sharpened (not razor sharp) to facilitate its bite into the
floor during initial setup. The tool must not be driven into the floor,
since the fulcrum must pivot as force is applied.
Another exception would be to add a wrapping of friction tape,
hockey stick tape, or possibly a smaller French wrapping similar to that
added to the handles of the cutting tools. The steel bar can become
very slippery, and the addition of tape or a French wrap will help
toward maintaining control of the handle.
A neat trick with the tool is to mark estimated door sizes on the
handle—that is, take the tool to various buildings in your area and
premeasure it against residential doors, commercial doors, interior doors,
and so on. This will save you a step in the initial use of the tool and is
more accurate than using chalk or your finger to mark the distance.

Limitations
As with any tool, practice will make you more proficient. The Detroit

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door opener has one use: It is solely designed to force open lightly or
moderately secured, inward-swinging doors. That’s all. Its other
limitations include:
• It is heavy.
• If you’re not careful, it will pinch you.
• It is clumsy and hard to carry.
• It may not work against high-security locks.
• It won’t work well on steel doors in steel frames.
• It requires a lot of practice to master.
• The firefighter using the tool needs good upper-body strength.
• Setting up the tool is time-consuming.
• Using it in the dark or in smoke-filled areas is dangerous.
• It’s difficult to maintain control of the door if the tool is being used
by a lone firefighter.
• It has been replaced by hydraulic tools and efficiently designed pry
bars.

CLAW TOOL
Standard Uses
This veteran fire service tool has several names. Usually the first
name of the tool is the city that either claims its development or was a
heavy user of it; hence, the city name became synonymous with the
tool.
Commonly, the claw tool is called the L.A. claw tool, the Hayward
claw tool, or the New York claw tool. No matter who developed it or
where it was developed, the claw tool is a functional and durable item

Claw tool.

Original-type claw tool.

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for use in the fire service. There are other prying tools that are superior
to it, but as with all the other implements in this book, you should learn
to use what you have!
The standard claw tool is approximately 423⁄4 inches long and weighs
around 141⁄4 pounds. There are some shorter versions and a couple that
are slightly longer. On one end of the tool is a slightly curved, beveled
fork. On the opposite end is a hook, much like a shepherd’s crook,
which tapers down to a sharp point. Just about where the hook curve
begins to form, there is a square knot of steel, which is to be used
either as a striking surface or as a fulcrum when prying.
The claw tool is a step up from the previous prying tools we have
discussed. It is a multipurpose prying tool and, although not extremely
versatile, it can perform a great many tasks on the fireground when
used correctly.
Forcible entry procedures can be performed easily with the claw tool.
The biggest disadvantage is that it has no striking surface at the end of
the hook that might be used to drive the fork into place. The striking
surface is on the opposite side of the hook and is used for driving the
hook.
When combined with a striking tool, the claw tool can be driven in
and conventional forcible entry techniques used. The fork can be
placed between the door and frame to pry the lock bolt out of its keeper
on inward-swinging doors. To do this, place the fork of the claw tool
about six inches above or below the lock with the bevel side against
the door and the claw tool slightly angled toward the floor or ceiling.
Strike the claw tool with the back of a flathead axe, driving the forked
end past the interior doorjamb. Be extremely careful! The claw tool
does not have an engineered striking surface. The blows should be
sufficient to drive the tool in—neither wild swings nor muscleman
swings! Easy does it. As you strike the tool, slowly move it
perpendicular to the door to prevent the fork from penetrating the
interior doorjamb. Exert pressure on the claw toward the door, forcing
it open. You must practice this technique. The hook end of the tool
does not present a large target for striking, and the hook point is
pointing toward the door and the firefighter holding the tool. Outward-
swinging doors can be opened as well. Modify the technique by
applying force to the tool away from the door and at the same time
prying outward to get the lock bolt out of its catch so that the door will
open toward you.
The tool’s length makes it a great lever, but at more than 42 inches
long it is a tight fit in narrow hallways and rooms. This tool is sharp at
both ends! When using the fork, pay attention to the hook end. If the
claw tool is not well set and happens to slip, the point of the hook end

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can rip open skin, tear off face pieces, and generally do lots of nasty
damage.
The claw tool can also be used to open windows. The beveled ends
of the fork, if they are well dressed and maintained, can easily be slid
between the bottom rail of the window and the sill. Keeping in mind
the principle of leverage, set the fork well. Once you slide the fork in
as far as you can get it, pry down on the bar. The screws holding the
window lock should pull out.
You can also use the fork end to shut off residential and light-
commercial and industrial gas valves. The distance between the tines
of the fork is sufficient to allow a good bite on the gas valve.
You can twist off padlocks by sliding both sides of the shackle into
the fork and twisting or prying downward with a sharp motion. Proper
size-up is key during this, however. If the hasp or other device that the
lock is attached to is not of a good, strong material, do not twist off the
lock! The hasp metal will twist, and although the shackles will break
off, the metal of the hasp or other device may be so twisted that the
door still won’t open.
Flip the claw tool over and use the hook end for breaking padlocks.
This tool makes short work of most of them, and the striking surface of
the tool can be used, making this technique much safer than twisting.
Insert the hook point of the tool in the shackles of the lock. Slide the
hook down until it is firmly wedged. Strike the claw tool sharply with
the back of a flathead axe or sledgehammer. Continue to strike the
tool, driving the hook in. The shackles will break and the lock will fall
off as you force the widening steel of the claw tool through the
shackles. The curve of the hook end allows you to slip in the claw tool
behind the entire hasp assembly. Applying force will tear the lock,
staple, and hasp right off the building or door. This works well for
wood framing, but do a good size-up of the lock assembly before
trying it on steel framing or masonry. You may make more of a mess
and screw up the hasp assembly so much that you’ll need a power
saw to get in.
The claw tool makes an excellent overhaul tool as well as a forcible
entry tool. Here its length is an advantage, since the firefighter doesn’t
have to bend so much when using it to remove baseboards and
flooring. The hook works well for prying up flooring and subflooring,
and the striking knot will act as an effective fulcrum when you rock the
tool back to apply force to the floorboards. You can also slide the fork
under the floorboards and easily pull up the flooring. The 42-inch
length is a great mechanical advantage for heavy-duty work like
overhaul. The claw tool is not a tool you want to work with over your
head for very long: Fourteen pounds is a lot of weight to hold aloft to

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remove upper window casings and door trim. The tool is best when
used at waist level or below.

Special Uses
The claw tool has some special uses, but they are limited. The hook
end is an effective ripper for getting a firm bite into ductwork and other
light metal surfaces. When inserted, the knot of steel that had been
used as a striking surface becomes a great fulcrum, and the ductwork
or metal can easily be removed.
The curve of the hook end is a great handle when using the claw tool
to open walls. Once a hole is created in the wall, slide the tool, forked
end down, into the hole. Grasp the hook end and pull toward you, and
the entire length of the tool will be pulled through the plaster and lath
or wallboard.
Some tool manufacturers have added two lugs on one side of the
hook. These lugs can be used to assist the firefighter in opening
standpipe valves. They can be inserted into the spokes of the standpipe
handwheel. The claw tool then becomes a cheater bar for the firefighter
to open the stuck valve. Take extra caution, however. Some of these
handwheels may be pot metal rather than steel (despite what the codes
say) and will shatter under force. Use the tool with finesse to coax the
valve open. Make sure you are turning it in the right direction. Extreme
force may break the wheel, or the tool may slip and you’ll fall flat on
your face. Take a balanced stance, and apply slow, even pressure to the
tool. Have a pair of channel locks or vise grips with you just in case.
During vehicle extrication, the hook end can be driven into the sheet
metal and used to peel it back. This is especially useful when trying to
get into the hood of a burning car.

In-House Modifications
One modification that can be made to improve the grip on the claw
tool handle is to make a French hitching wrap of it, between the fork and
the striking knot, as described on pages 11-12. The wrapping should start
about two inches up from where the fork joins the bar and end about the
same distance below the striking knot. As mentioned earlier, lugs can be
added to the curve of the fork for opening standpipe valves.

Limitations
The claw tool is a multipurpose tool. When used correctly, it is an
effective forcible entry and overhaul tool. It does, however, have

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limitations, which include:

• It’s generally too long (423⁄4 inches).
• It’s heavy (141⁄4 pounds).
• It’s sharp at both ends.
• The striking surfaces available are limited.
• It’s not as efficient as a halligan bar.

KELLY TOOL
Standard Uses
The kelly tool was a difficult tool to research—the fire service has
about five to eight different implements that are called kelly tools.
Some are standard construction pry bars, modified flat bars, crowbars,
and other types of tools. In this section, we will look at the real kelly
tool, which is a forerunner of the modern halligan bar. Its invention is
credited to Captain John F. Kelly of Hook & Ladder 163, FDNY.
The real kelly tool is a steel tool, approximately 27 inches long and
weighing about 123⁄4 pounds. The ones I have seen have all been
painted. On one end of the tool is an adze-type head. The adze is flat
and about two inches wide. The edge of it is beveled, and the top of it
can function as a striking surface.
On the other end of the tool is a large, heavy-duty chisel. The blade is
about three inches wide, slightly tapered, and sharp. It is set at a 90-
degree angle to the adze end. The chisel has no curve to it. At the top of
the chisel where it joins the bar is a heavy steel collar or ring, which
prevents the tool from being driven into a surface too far. The kelly
tool is 153⁄4 inches shorter than the claw tool, which makes it nice for
tight hallways, but at 27 inches it’s just a little short to be a real
effective lever.
Properly used, the kelly tool is a very effective forcible entry
instrument. This is the first tool we have looked at in this section that
has an effective adze end. The adze end can be used, in combination
with a striking tool, for a quick and effective means of forcible entry.

The original kelly tool, still in service at the University of Illinois Fire Department. Note the relationship of
the adze end to the chisel end.

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Perform a proper size-up of the door. If it must be forced, take the

kelly tool and a striking tool. Slide the adze of the kelly tool in
between the door and jamb about six inches above or below the lock.
If there are two locks, place the adze between the locks (for inward-
swinging doors). With the striking tool, drive the adze into the
doorjamb. Strike the back of the adze (do not strike the chisel end).
The kelly tool adze has no curve to it, so you are going to drive it into
the door frame. That’s the way this tool works: The adze will split the
door frame. Drive the adze deep, and ensure that you have a good
fulcrum. Once you set the tool, you can apply pressure in two ways.
Either push on the bar toward the door, splitting the door frame and
forcing the door open, or push down on the bar and twist the adze
from the flat position to its wide position. By twisting the adze in this
manner, the door will be spread away from the door frame the width
of the adze. That is generally enough to get the door to open. You may
have to apply quite a bit of force to make the tool work. Be careful.
Make sure you have good footing and, most importantly, maintain
control of the door. Balance yourself so that, when the door does
open, you don’t follow through and end up in the room. Not real
healthy if the room is full of fire.
The chisel end of the tool can also be used to force doors. It is most
effective on inward-swinging doors but will work on outward-
swinging ones as well. The steel collar of the tool does get in the way,
and the fact that the chisel end has absolutely no curve to it makes
using it a messy operation. Without a doubt, you are going to split the
door frame.
To use the chisel end, place the chisel about six inches above or
below the lock, the kelly tool slightly angled toward the floor or
ceiling. Drive it as you would a claw tool. As before, try not to
penetrate the interior doorjamb. This will be tough, but do your best. It
makes a difference. Exert pressure on the kelly tool toward the door,
forcing it open. Chances are pretty good that the chisel end will be
driven into the interior doorjamb and split it. Oh well, the door will be
open and you can continue with the task. Just because this tool is a
little on the destructive side shouldn’t prevent you from using it. It was
designed as a forcible entry tool, and it’s a good one.
You can also use the kelly tool to open windows just like the claw
tool. Keep the bevel of the adze end and the chisel end well dressed
and maintain the bevel. Insert the chisel end of the tool between the
bottom rail of the window and the sill. Prying on the bar should pull
the screws out of the window lock. You can also slip the adze end
under the window frame. Once the adze is well set, rotate the tool 90
degrees in either direction. The window lock will pop.

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Special Uses
The kelly tool is a multipurpose forcible entry tool. Because of
its design, it has no real special purposes other than functioning
as a pry bar. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any special uses—
just that there aren’t any that the kelly tool performs
exceptionally well.

In-House Modifications
The kelly tool can be modified to become a more modern type of
tool. The problem is that, if you don’t have access to a good machine
shop, there isn’t too much you can do to it. Some of the modifications
may actually reduce its efficiency or weaken it.
One modification that can be made is to machine an A tool into
the adze end of the bar. This will increase its functionality by
making it suitable for both conventional and through-the-lock
forcible entry. It is recommended that you take the tool to a
professional machine shop to have this done. Bevels, edges, and
curves are all important issues when making an effective A tool.
Also, you don’t want to weaken the adze end. By removing steel to
cut the A tool, the adze may become too weak to depend on during
heavy prying situations.
On the other end of the tool, a V can be cut into the chisel to be
used as a gas shutoff, a nail puller, or whatever else you have the
greatest need for. Just as with the adze end, the tool may be
weakened.
A chain link can be welded onto it as a snap hook attachment for
easy hoisting. The link can also be used to attach a snap hook and
utility rope to allow firefighters to vent windows from the roofs of
buildings, wrecking ball-style.
The grip on the kelly tool can be improved by adding friction tape
and French hitching as described earlier.

Limitations
The kelly tool is an excellent tool compared with the standard pry bar
or the claw tool. It does have several limitations, however, including:
• It’s too short for good leverage.
• It’s heavy (123⁄4 pounds).
• There is no curve to the adze end.
• The chisel end is not curved or forked.
• There is no point or hook on the adze end.
• The tool has been replaced by the halligan bar.

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SAN FRANCISCO BAR

Standard Uses
The San Francisco bar was developed and originally manufactured
by the San Francisco Fire Department shops. Modeled after the kelly
tool, the original implement was welded together from heavy steel and
weighed about 16 to 18 pounds, depending on its length. The biggest
complaints about the original tool were its length and weight.
The San Francisco bar of today is similar to the original bar but has
more of the characteristics of the Chicago patrol bar and the halligan
bar.
The modern San Francisco bar is of forged steel, with an adze on one
end and a curved fork at the other. The adze end of the tool is at a 90-
degree angle to the fork. There is no pike or pick point on the tool. At
30 inches long, it is a powerful lever.
A unique feature of the tool is at the fork end. On the back side of it, at
the top, where the hexagonal bar joins the fork, there is an added half-
rounded piece of steel. This half round gives the fork a built-in fulcrum
and makes this tool very effective in forcible entry and overhaul
situations. The tool, depending on the manufacturer, also comes with an
added ring at the fork to attach to a utility rope for hoisting or dropping
over the edge of a roof to ventilate upper-floor windows. The fork is
approximately six inches long and has a gentle curve. Each fork has a
beveled edge, with the bevel on the top side (concave side) of it.
The adze end is at 90 degrees to the fork and does not have a point or
pick. It, too, is gently curved and has a flared-out beveled adze that
widens from the tool head to the adze end. The beveled edge is on the
bottom side of the adze. The bar itself is of 15⁄16-inch hexagonal steel
and weighs approximately nine pounds.
The reengineering of this bar from its original version has produced a
lighter, better-balanced tool as compared with the original. It is an
outstanding multiuse pry bar for conventional forcible entry and
standard overhaul techniques.
For forcible entry, there are several ways to use the San Francisco
bar. To open an inward-swinging door, place the fork about six inches
above or below the lock with the bevel side against the door, the tool
slightly canted as you would a claw tool. Strike the top surface of the
adze, in line with the bar as much as possible. Use a flathead axe or
other striking tool to drive the forked end of the San Francisco bar past
the interior doorjamb. Swing the striking tool just hard enough to drive
the tool in. Use caution—the adze end of the tool is at 90 degrees to the
fork. The bar man must be aware of the location of the sharp end of the
adze so that he doesn’t walk into it or have the bar slip and hit him.

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Exert pressure on the San Francisco bar toward the door, forcing it
open. The adze end can also be used very effectively to open inward-
swinging doors. Place the adze end of the San Francisco bar six inches
above or below the lock. Drive the adze into place with a striking tool.
Make sure the adze has a good, deep purchase in the door frame. Pry
downward with the forked end of the San Francisco bar.
For doors that open outward, place the concave side of the fork
toward the door and cant the tool slightly toward the floor or ceiling to
get a better purchase. Drive the tool using a flathead axe or other
striking tool. As the tool is driven, move it perpendicular to the door to
prevent driving the fork into the jamb. When the tool has spread the
door as far as possible, force the adze end of the San Francisco bar
away from the door.
Using the adze method for outward-swinging doors is also effective
with the San Francisco bar. Place the adze of the tool six inches above
or below the lock. Drive the adze into the space between the door and
the jamb. When you are sure the adze is sufficiently into the space, pry
down and outward with the fork end of the San Francisco bar.
The fork end of the San Francisco bar can used to open windows.
The offset adze end of the tool makes a great handle, allowing you to
move out far on the bar, increasing your leverage. The adze end can
also be used for prying. Once the adze is well set, rotate the tool 90
degrees in either direction. This will pop the window lock.
The San Francisco bar can be used for breaking padlocks. This tool
makes short work of most standard padlocks, but the twisting
technique must be used since the tool has no pick or point to drive
through the shackles to shatter the lock. Size up the lock that must be
removed. If there is no way to attack the attachment itself (that is, pry
off the hasp or the entire assembly), the fork can be slipped over both
sides of the lock shackle to twist it off. This method can only be used
on locks attached to heavy-duty staples or locking assemblies.
Lightweight metal may twist, and even when the lock shackle breaks,
the remaining metal may be so twisted that you won’t be able to open
the door. The adze may be forced behind the hasp on wood-frame
doors. A severely damaged lock assembly will probably require the use
of a power saw or hydraulic tool to get through.
The San Francisco bar makes an excellent overhaul tool as well as a
forcible entry tool. Either the adze end or fork end can remove
baseboards, casings, moldings, and flooring. The added half round of
steel on the fork end is outstanding for prying up flooring and
subflooring. The half round is a very effective fulcrum when you rock
the tool backward to apply force to the floorboards. You can also slide
the adze under the floorboards and easily pull up the flooring.

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As with all prying tools, do not try to lever more than the tool can
handle. The tool will bend if it is used on extremely heavy materials or
materials that are well attached or supported. Granted, it will take
tremendous force to bend this tool, but it can happen and has
happened. Don’t overtax it.

Special Uses
In its modern configuration, the San Francisco bar is an excellent pry
bar. The half round at the fork end gives this implement a little bit
more versatility than a straight pry bar or other similar tool. Because it
was originally designed by firefighters for fireground use, the San
Francisco bar is extremely effective for forcible entry and exit,
ventilation, overhaul, and rescue.
There are no true outstanding special uses that are unique to the San
Francisco bar. It is an effective, well-balanced pry bar and a great tool
if you carry one on your apparatus.

In-House Modifications
You might have an A tool machined into the adze end, as you would
to a kelly tool. Welding a chain link to it as a rope attachment is also
helpful.

Limitations
The San Francisco bar is a very efficient and effective prying tool—if
it had been anything else, it would have disappeared into fire
department tool history by now. Like any other tool, though, the bar
does have its limitations. These include:
• It’s very heavy (original bar only).
• It lacks a pick point or hook.
• It’s too long (original bar only).
• It’s sharp at both ends.
• The offset adze end can get in the way when using the fork end.
• It is ineffective for through-the-lock entry (without modification).
• It is not as efficient as a halligan bar.

CHICAGO PATROL BAR

Standard Uses
The Chicago patrol bar was developed and used by the Chicago

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insurance patrols. The original bars were manufactured by a company

whose name has been lost to history. The bars found their way into the
Chicago Fire Department from the patrol and can still be found on
some Chicago fire apparatus. This is a well-built, massive tool. The
biggest firefighter complaints about it were its original length and
weight.

Chicago patrol bar.

The true Chicago bar is actually a form of the claw tool. The original
bar had a forked end and a curved hook tapered to a point. Today’s
Chicago patrol bar is actually a modified halligan-style item that has
maintained the original patrol bar’s hammerhead configuration on the
adze end of the tool.
The modern Chicago patrol bar is of forged steel, with a
hammerhead adze on one end and a curved fork on the other. The adze
end of the tool is at a 90-degree angle to the fork, although I found a
modern patrol bar on one Chicago Fire Department truck company
that didn’t have the offset tool ends. There is no pike or pick point on
the tool. The bar is 30 to 35 inches long and weighs nine to 11 pounds.
The patrol bar, depending on the manufacturer, may be designed with
an added ring at the fork to attach a utility rope for hoisting or dropping
over the edge of a roof to ventilate upper-floor windows.
The fork is approximately six inches long and has a gentle curve to it.
Each fork tine has a beveled edge, with the bevel on the top side
(concave side) of it.

The original manufacturer of the Chicago patrol bar has been lost to history, but the tool lives on in the
Windy City.
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The adze end resembles that of the San Francisco model, and the bar
is also of 15⁄16-inch hex steel. The hammerhead on the adze was
designed to allow the patrol bar to be used as a striking tool as well as a
pry bar. The original idea was to have a firefighter carry two patrol bars
rather than a more limited-use flathead axe or sledgehammer. One bar
would be the pry bar; the other would be the striking tool. Firefighters
would then have two pry bars for extreme rescue situations requiring
heavy prying or a prying and striking tool.
The modern bar is better balanced than the original and much lighter.
It is an outstanding multiuse pry bar for conventional forcible entry and
standard overhaul techniques. With its redesign, which combined the
best of the original patrol bar and the halligan bar, the advantage of
having a hammerhead was lost. The tool is too light to be an effective
striking tool—nine pounds overall. With its improved prying
capabilities, the mass required for easily driving another tool has been
traded off.
For forcible entry, there are several techniques for using the Chicago
patrol bar. To open an inward-swinging door, drive the forked end past
the interior doorjamb. Try to keep the striking tool level with your hips,
and swing using your hips rather than just your arms. The same
cautions and methods that apply to the adze end of the San Francisco
bar also apply here. Outward-swinging doors are opened in virtually
the same manner as with the San Francisco bar. Refer also to the earlier
sections on the claw tool and San Francisco bar regarding opening
windows, breaking padlocks, levering, and effecting forcible entry.

Special Uses
Because the tool was originally designed by the Chicago Fire
Department for use in situations common to the Windy City, it is
effective for all phases of firefighting. The tool has enough strength
built into it that it can be used during heavy rescue operations.
In talking to many Chicago firefighters, I have found that they like
the tool and that both the modern and original versions are retained in
Chicago firehouses. The tool comes up just a little short in some
situations, making it somewhat of a limited-use tool when compared
with others.

In-House Modifications
Machine an A tool into the adze, and weld on a chain link. See
modifications relevant to the kelly tool, page 37.

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Limitations
In general, this is an efficient and effective prying tool. Both the
original, shop-made version and the modern design are still in use.
Most firefighters opt for the halligan-style tool, but some make good
use of the patrol bar and love it. Closely resembling the San Francisco
bar, it does have its limitations. These include:
• It’s very heavy (original bar only).
• It lacks a pick point or hook.
• It’s too long (original bar only).
• It’s sharp at both ends.
• The offset adze end can get in the way when using the fork end.
• It is ineffective for through-the-lock entry (without modification).
• Although it has a built-in hammerhead, it is too light to be an
effective striking tool.

HALLIGAN BAR
Standard Uses
If you’re wondering why the halligan bar is the very last prying tool
in this chapter, the answer is because the halligan tool is the newest of
all the firefighter’s prying tools to be put in service!
The true halligan bar was developed by Deputy Chief Hugh Halligan
of FDNY during the 1940s. Chief Halligan had seen several other tools
used by the fire department, both alone and in conjunction with other
tools. Combining the very best features of the claw tool and the kelly

The original halligan bar. Chief Halligan’s signature is on the top tine of the fork pictured. These halligans
were hand-made.

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Halligan-style bars come in many varieties. Some types are more efficient than others.

tool, Chief Halligan designed and developed his own implement. The
bar was much lighter (81⁄2 pounds) and shorter than the claw tool yet
longer than the kelly tool; it had a sweeping adze and a redesigned
fork. Chief Halligan also added the pick point or hook to his tool, a
remnant of the curved hook found on the claw tool.
After a lot of research and testing, the original halligan bars were
made, each one requiring more than 18 man-hours to produce. Chief
Halligan’s signature appeared on every one.
Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, when large U.S. cities
were under heavy fire duty, the halligan bar was the mainstay forcible
entry tool, used not only by FDNY, but also by the Boston, Philadelphia,
and other large urban departments that needed a substantial, dependable
tool.
Chief Halligan died in 1987 at the age of 92. His patent has long since
run out on his forcible entry tool. Its continued use by the fire service
has led a variety of tool manufacturers to produce “halligan” bars. Some
are sweet; some should be used as boat anchors. This section will cover
the best and most-used version, based on its design and use, not its
manufacturer. Although pry bars based on the halligan design are
readily found throughout the fire service, some are inferior to the real
item in quality and design. They may not produce the same effect as a

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true halligan bar, and may be difficult to use in many forcible entry
situations. When making your purchasing decision, consider the
curvature of the tool ends, the thickness of the metal, and whether or not
the item is forged.
There is a lot of confusion about the difference between the different
brands of halligan bars. Why aren’t they all called halligans? The
answer is money. Patent rights, royalties, lawyers in three-piece suits—
all of that. These issues are a long way from the fireground where we
need to know how to use the tool in our hand to force open the door or
force our way out. We’ll let somebody else worry about the money.
The uses of the halligan tool have been obtained from line
firefighters. This section of the chapter will describe applications
preferred by firefighters who use the tool a lot and who taught me how
to use it.
Working with the halligan bar is still a matter of leverage, just like
every other prying tool discussed so far. The design of it allows for
multiple functions being contained in one tool, but leverage is the key.
Halligans are available from 20 inches to 42 inches long. Its use will
dictate what length you need. A 30-inch halligan is the best bar for use
on a day-to-day basis for conventional forcible entry, ventilation,
overhaul, and other standard fireground activities. Shorter bars have
their place, as do longer bars, but optimize your tool selection with a
30-inch version. Weight is also a consideration, and the 30-inch bar
weighs only nine pounds.
The tool should be a single piece of forged steel. Tools that have
heads welded or pinned on don’t function as well as the forged item.
The tool has areas susceptible to failure should it have to be placed
under extreme stress, or if it has been poorly maintained and becomes
corroded. Tubular shafts are also substantially weaker than a solid
piece of steel.
The adze end should gently curve and
flare out slightly from the tool shaft to the

The halligan bar is efficient at forcing inward-swinging doors.

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tip. The adze should be beveled, with the bevel on the bottom side of the
adze. At a 90-degree angle to the adze is a hook point or pick. Wide at
the base where it joins the tool, the pick should also taper and curve,
ending in a relatively sharp point. The head of the tool also has two
striking surfaces. The top of the tool (on top of the adze) and the side
opposite the pick are both striking surfaces that have been designed to
receive heavy blows from a striking tool.
The shaft of the tool is usually at least 15⁄16-inch hexagonal steel. The
hexagonal shape adds strength and rigidity, and the many faces
improve your grip when holding the tool.
The fork is broad and tapered. It should be at a minimum six inches
long and taper into two well-beveled tines. The bevels are located on
top of the tines. The spacing between the tines allows gas valves,
padlock hasps, and other objects to be levered by the tool. The bottom
side of the fork is called the beveled side, and the top, dished side is the
concave side. There are no striking surfaces on the fork. Depending on
the manufacturer, the tool may or may not have a ring attached just
above the fork for snapping on a utility rope for hoisting and
ventilation purposes.
The standard 30-inch halligan will perform numerous functions when
used properly. It is an excellent bar to use in conventional forcible entry.
For inward-swinging doors, two firefighters can make quick work of
even a well-secured door. The irons man (the guy holding the bar)
places the fork of the halligan about six inches above or below the
lock. The bevel side of the fork should be against the door. If it is a
steel or metal-clad door, you may need to flip the bar over and put the
concave side against the door. Angle the bar slightly toward the floor or
ceiling. The second firefighter strikes the halligan with the back of a
flathead axe when the irons man tells him to. His intention is to drive
the forked end of the
halligan past the interior
doorjamb, not to
Timbuktu. As the bar is
struck, the irons man
slowly moves the bar
perpendicular to the door
being forced to pre-vent
the fork from pen-etrating
the interior door-jamb. The
irons man will probably
really have to lean on the
bar to get it to move after

The halligan will also work efficiently on outward-swinging doors.

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CHAPTER 3: PRYING TOOLS

each strike. Once you are sure that the tool is sufficiently set, and the
halligan is really fully perpendicular to the door, apply pressure on the
bar toward the door, forcing it open. Make sure you can maintain
control of the door.
Another method for inward-swinging doors is to drive the hook of
the halligan completely into the doorjamb six inches above or below
the lock. Push the halligan bar down and the door will open. It is very
important to push down. In trying all the different methods, I
discovered that you work twice as hard physically when you pry
upward, and the door doesn’t usually open! Use leverage to your
advantage, especially in this case. Pushing down to lever the door open
is much easier than pulling up! Pulling up may not open it at all.
Outward-swinging doors are another story. Flush-fitting doors can be
forced using either the adze end or the fork end of the halligan. The
fork-end technique is very effective. Drive the tool in the same manner
as discussed above. The adze end is similiarly useful for outward-
swinging doors. Drive the adze deep. The bar should stand out by itself
perpendicular to the door when you’re finished driving it in. When you
are sure the adze is sufficiently into the space, pry down and out with
the fork end of the halligan.
Another possible method to open an outward-swinging door is to
insert the adze end of the bar underneath the door. Pull back on the
halligan. You may be able to get a good purchase point and enough
leverage to open the door with this technique.
If you run across recessed doors or those with a wall next to the lock
side of the door, use the adze end of the tool. Place the adze end of the
halligan six inches above or below the lock. Drive the adze into place.
Pry downward and outward with the forked end of the halligan. This
operation is a bit clumsy. Be extremely careful when driving the tool
into place. One firefighter can do it, but not too gracefully. Two
firefighters are needed; don’t hurt each other. Work as a team, and
always remember that the irons man calls for the strikes.
An advantage of the halligan bar is its ability to be used as a lever
to remove burglar bars and screens from windows. This is a new
technique for the halligan bar. It requires that you have a small length
of chain and a heavy-duty hook. The hook is attached to the burglar
bar, close to the attachment point. The halligan is placed up against
the building in a three-legged stance. Use the adze end of the tool,
and create a triangle up against the building with the adze and pick.
Drop one of the chain links over the pick so that the chain is as tight
as possible. Pry down on the end of the halligan. The force should
pull the attachment device, screw, or bolt out of the wall and loosen
the burglar bar. A cable setup for this purpose is also available from a

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

fire tool manufacturer. The halligan must be modified for the cable
setup. The modification is a simple notch machined into the tool.
The halligan will easily remove child-safety window gates. To
perform this, strike the vertical supports of the child gate where it
attaches to the window frame. Use the adze of the halligan to remove
the screws from the window frame. Pry upward if possible to pull the
screws out and down.
During roof operations, the pick or hook of the halligan can be driven
into and through the roofing material to determine whether fire is
below you at that location. If you do find fire, don’t stand at that spot
too long.
The halligan bar also makes an excellent safety step on roofs. Hold
the halligan so that the pick is against the roof surface. Drive the pick
into the roof with a striking tool. The halligan is now a step to use
when operating power saws or swinging an axe on a roof.
The tool can also be used as a step-up for parapet walls or other areas
that are just too high for a normal step, especially when you are
wearing bunker pants. Set the tool down fork-end first. Turn the adze
end toward the wall or strong surface. Tap the fork down into the roof
or floor. Then tap the halligan head, and set the corner of the adze and
the point of the pick into the wall material. You can step on the tool to
get up to the next level. Reach down and recover the tool.
The halligan bar also makes an excellent ladder brace. The pick or
hook of the tool can be driven into a porch roof or even the ground and
used to foot the ladder if a second firefighter is unavailable to do so.
The tool can also be used to level a ground ladder. Lay it on the ground
so that the adze and pick or hook form an inverted V. Level the ladder
on the tool.
During venting or rescue operations, firefighters often encounter
chain-link fences. The pick or hook of the halligan can be used to
break the wire attachments that hold the chain link to the fence posts.
Be careful! When you release the fencing, it will roll up and may take
you with it. As you break the wires, hang on to the fencing and assist it
as it rolls up.
The bar can also be used to ventilate upper-floor windows from the
roof. Some tools are manufactured with a small ring on the shaft, just
above the fork. Attach a utility rope to the ring. Lower the halligan over
the edge of the roof. Lean over and look. Center the tool in the window
below. Mark the utility rope. Hoist the tool back to the roof. Holding on
to the marked spot on the utility rope, toss the halligan off the roof. Arc
it out so that it swings back and breaks the window below. For
thermopane windows, you may have to toss it more than once.
The halligan is a great tool to use during overhaul. This tool will do

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Halligans can be purchased with snap rings, or a large chain link can be welded onto the shaft, just
above the fork and opposite the pick.

ten times more work than a closet hook. It is capable of pulling trim,
molding, baseboard, framing, gypsum board, and plaster and lath.
Together with a striking tool, a firefighter will be able to dismantle an
entire room.
The halligan bar is also good at opening windows and padlocks. The
easiest way to open a padlock with this tool is to use the pick like a
duck-billed lock breaker. Insert the pick of the bar through the
shackles. Using a striking tool, drive the pick deep into the shackles
until the lock breaks. This technique may not work on high-security
padlocks, but it does work on most standard types.

Special Uses
The fork of the halligan can be used to “cut” the glass out of
automobiles. First, pierce the glass with the halligan; then, grip the
edge of the glass with the fork. Rocking the tool up and down in a
scissorlike motion will cut the laminated glass from the car. This same
technique will allow the tool to cut some light sheet metal. The adze
end of the halligan is an extremely versatile tool. It can be used very
efficiently as a bolt-head cutter when married up with a sufficiently
weighted striking tool. Bolt heads can be sheared off and the object can
be removed. This is a very effective and efficient way to remove wire
mesh screens from schools and factory windows. The pick or hook on
a halligan bar also makes it an excellent tool for lifting manhole
covers. By inserting the pick, then lifting up on the tool, the manhole
cover can be levered off or back into place. A last special technique
that the halligan bar can be used for is self-defense. Burglar alarms,
fences, and razor wire are not the only security systems that people
use. Guard dogs are a threat to your life. They don’t recognize you as a
firefighters—only as intruders. The halligan bar will give you the reach
and deadly force needed to kill a threatening animal.

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In-House Modifications
If your tool was not manufactured with a snap ring on it, a heavy-
duty chain link can be welded on. Weld the link just above the fork on
the side opposite the pick. By installing it opposite the pick, the tool
will dangle with the pick pointed toward the window when using it to
ventilate windows from the roof.
The tool can be made even more versatile by having an A tool
machined into the adze end. This technique will cause you to lose quite
a bit of adze mass and may ruin the adze for cutting bolt heads. In most
cases, however, the overall effect is an improvement in the tool rather
than a detriment.
See the section “Eight-Pound Pickhead Axe” for instructions on
French hitching a halligan bar.

Limitations
There are few, if any, limitations to a true halligan bar.

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CHAPTER 4:
STRIKING TOOLS

T
his chapter was going to be the quickest and easiest chapter to research
and write ... or so I thought. What is a striking tool? What do you call
it? If it can be used to strike another tool, does it fit into this section?
Nationwide, the fire service has terms and terminology that are either
universally used in the business or are specific to one department. A prime
example of this is for striking tools. Is it a maul or a sledgehammer? What is
the difference?
Going to the dictionary was no help at all. Webster’s New World College
Dictionary defines “maul” as coming from the Latin malleus, meaning
hammer. It describes it to be a “very heavy hammer or mallet, often of wood,
for driving stakes, wedges, etc.” The dictionary defines “sledgehammer” as “a
long, heavy hammer, usually held with both hands.”
We’re still nowhere toward defining what these striking tools are and which
is which. Quite a debate raged and, finally, a conclusion was reached. Based on
modern industrial definitions and descriptions, the difference between the tools
described in this book is as follows:
Sledgehammer—A heavy, long-handled hammer with striking surfaces
located on opposing sides of the tool head.
Maul—A heavy, long-handled hammer with a striking surface on one side of
the tool head and another type of surface, such as a splitting wedge or pick, on
the other side.
Using these definitions, this chapter will be dedicated to sledgehammers.
Other striking tools can be found in Chapter 2, Cutting/Striking Tools.
While the sledgehammer is the mainstay striking tool for many trades other
than just the fire service, it is used for one standard purpose and one purpose
alone: to strike an object or another tool.
Okay, so it seems to be too simplistic, but it is an important and true
statement. There are very few tools available to the firefighter that are designed
to strike other tools. The flathead axe and the eight-pound splitting maul are
the only two that come to mind. Remember, most of the tools discussed (with
the exception of cutting tools) are designed to be striking surfaces, not tools we
use to strike with. As mentioned in Chapter 3, the San Francisco bar, Chicago
patrol bar, and halligan bar can be used as striking tools, but they are not as
efficient as a tool that was so designed. What else do you have available to you
that will be capable of performing the task of driving a halligan bar into a
doorjamb or knocking a steel high-security door off its hinges? If your
department performs collapse rescue, what fire service tool is available to drive
stakes and large nails to build cribbing and shoring?

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The sledgehammer is the thing to have available when a heavy hammer is

needed. They’re broken down into two major categories (long-handled and
short-handled sledgehammers), then into weight and use classifications.

LONG-HANDLED SLEDGEHAMMERS
Standard Uses
The first category of sledgehammer is the standard hardware or builder
supply-type of hammer. The standard model has a 36-inch handle made of
pine, hickory, ash, or fiberglass. It is also available with a 32-inch handle. Stay
with the 36-inch handle for the standard sledgehammer handle.

16-pound long-handled sledgehammer.

Physics plays a role here also. When using sledgehammers, we need to be

aware of two of Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws. Newton’s second law of motion
states that Force = Acceleration  Mass. This shows how much force (push or
pull) there is on an object. The amount of force depends on how much mass
the sledgehammer has and its acceleration as we swing it.
Newton’s third law of motion predicts how objects will interact. The law
may be stated either in terms of action and reaction or in terms of opposing
forces: For every force there is an equal and opposite force. For every action
there is an equal and opposite reaction.
This means that when a force is put on an object, a reaction will occur of the
same strength but in a manner opposite that of the force. What all this boils
down to is this: When you select a sledgehammer to use as a striking tool, the
weight of the tool is important. For you as a firefighter to accomplish a given
task, like driving a stake into the ground to hold a deluge gun in place or
striking a halligan bar to break a lock, Newton’s Laws come into play, and they
determine how hard you have to swing to get the job accomplished. If you
have to swing too hard to accomplish the job, get a heavier hammer!
Weight is the key. In the fire service, sledgehammers should be in the weight
range of eight pounds, 10 pounds, 12 pounds, and 16 pounds. No more or less
than that. The mass of the tool determines how effective it is, as well as your
ability to swing and strike effectively and accurately. The old adage “Let the
tool do the work” is important here.

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CHAPTER 4: STRIKING TOOLS

Eight-pound sledgehammer—This weight category is the most effective

for using the long-handled sledgehammer for forcible entry techniques such as
striking pry bars, duck-billed lock breakers, hammerheaded picks, and other
similar tools. At eight pounds, there is enough mass, and you will be able to
swing it with enough controlled velocity to be extremely effective. Anything
less than eight pounds must be swung too hard to be effective.
Ten-pound sledgehammer—This weight is an intermediate size. Forcible
entry techniques involving striking the pry bars, duck-billed lock breakers,
hammerheaded picks, and other items are still possible, but it is quite a bit
more difficult to do them accurately. A miss with an eight-pound
sledgehammer can do great bodily harm, and a 10-pound sledge will definitely
ruin your day and spoil your good looks.
The 10-pound sledgehammer will quickly and effectively open doors by
knocking them off their hinges. It will shatter locks and breach walls. It is more
difficult to swing accurately, and the firefighter swinging it will tire very
quickly, especially under heat and smoke conditions or while wearing full
protective clothing.
Twelve-pound sledgehammer—The 12-pound sledgehammer is the first
weight that should be reserved for situations requiring heavy force. It is too
heavy to be used as a tool to strike another tool in forcible entry. The mass of
this tool and the tremendous blows it will deliver with little effort make it ideal
for breaching walls, breaking concrete, driving stakes, and other heavy jobs.
The 12-pound hammer is an excellent tool to have available, but it will be a
very limited-use tool. It is extremely difficult for the average firefighter to
swing accurately without tremendous amounts of practice.
Sixteen-pound sledgehammer—This is a tool of mass destruction. The
mass of this tool makes it very difficult to swing, impossible to swing
accurately without practice, and a very tiring experience. This is the very best
tool to use when something blocking your way must be destroyed. In
researching this tool, I used a 16-pounder on a locked door in an old motel
complex that was being demolished. In four moderate swings, I knocked the
entire door assembly out of the wall—door, frame, everything fell into the
room. It was impressive but impractical. The idea had been to open the door. If
this had been real, and there were a victim just inside, he or she would have
been crushed by a 125-pound steel door assembly.
A special note must be made about swinging a long-handled sledgehammer,
regardless of its weight. As a firefighter, there is no need for you to swing a
sledgehammer over your head and out of sight. Control of the tool is
paramount for your safety and the safety of others.
Newton’s Laws will help you if you keep them in mind. If you find yourself
swinging the tool into a position out of your peripheral vision field, change to a
heavier sledgehammer. There should never be an instance where you will lose
sight of the tool due to your swing. Not over-the-head or way-around-sidearm,

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off behind you. Keep the tool head in sight, and maintain good hand-eye
coordination to deliver the maximum effective blows on target. Missed blows
mean just that many more strikes you’ll have to make to accomplish the job.

Special Uses
There are no special uses for the long-handled sledgehammer. It is a hammer
and should only be used as such.

In-House Modifications
It is hard for even the handiest firefighter to come up with modifications for
it. The sledge is designed to be a striking tool. The striking surface should be
clean and free of any burrs, flaking metal, or rust. Use sandpaper or a wire
wheel to remove any rust or flaked metal. Its striking surface should be
smooth, and its head should be oiled to forestall rust. Add overstrike protection.
French hitching is also useful. These modifications are both described in the
section “Eight-Pound Pickhead Axes,” Chapter 1.

Limitations
The very same design that makes the long-handled sledgehammer an
effective tool is its biggest drawback: weight. Sledgehammers are heavy. They
need to be heavy to be effective, but you don’t want to have to tote them
around throughout the fire.
Their other limitations include:
• Long handles make sledgehammers difficult to use in tight areas such as
hallways and closets.
• Sledgehammers are limited-use tools; they function solely as striking
instruments.
• When used improperly, sledgehammers are dangerous.
• In certain instances and uses, sledgehammers create flying debris.

CUSTOM SHORT-HANDLED
SLEDGEHAMMERS
Standard Uses
This tool is not available from any manufacturer (yet). A popular diversion in
the Chicago Fire Department and many of the surrounding departments is to
make a custom short-handled sledgehammer from a long-handled one. I
believe this idea also came from FDNY. I can’t verify that, but it doesn’t really
matter, either.

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To make a custom or cut-down sledgehammer, you need either an eight- or

10-pound, long-handled sledgehammer with a wooden handle. Do not use a
tool with a fiberglass handle! The eight-pound sledge is preferred.
The idea is to customize the length of the tool, fitted to your size. Measure
the tool and cut the wooden handle to make the entire tool length, head
included, between 30 and 33 inches. After making the cut, sand the end of the
tool handle smooth.

A custom short-handled sledgehammer.

Wrap the handle in French hitching as described earlier. Add overstrike

protection and an extra wrapping at the handle end to form a knob that will
prevent the tool from slipping out of your hands. You now have a custom short-
handled eight-pound sledgehammer.
The short-handled sledgehammer will do all the functions of the long-
handled sledgehammer, especially in tight areas such as hallways and
stairwells, although with less velocity.
Newton’s Laws cannot be forgotten. By cutting down the handle, you will
not be able to swing the short-handled sledgehammer the same as you would a
long-handled one. You are giving up some velocity for more accurate swings
and more control. That’s fine, but don’t try to use the short-handled
sledgehammer in instances where a long-handled tool is needed.

Special Uses
The short-handled sledgehammer has a variety of uses that would be
considered special when compared with the long-handled one. The short-
handled version can be carried with a halligan or other pry bar. This modified
set of irons can be used in areas of high security—on steel doors and buildings
where it may be simpler to breach the wall rather than force open the door. Its
reduced length makes it an easier tool to use in two-man forcible entry
situations, and it is much safer than using a flathead axe in most cases, since
there is no cutting surface to dodge.
The custom short-handled sledgehammers are a matter of personal
preference. They are inexpensive to make, and they don’t take up much room
on the apparatus. You can never have too many tools.

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In-House Modifications
The whole tool is an in-house modification!

Limitations
As with most tools, the custom short-handled sledgehammer has its
limitations. These include:
• It functions only as a striking tool; there is no cutting surface.
• Firefighters may have a tendency to swing it too hard to make up for the
shortened handle and consequent loss of velocity.

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CHAPTER 5:
POLES

T
his chapter will cover all of the different tools mounted on poles that
are used in the fire service today. Like the pickhead axe, the pike pole
is actually a very ancient tool that has its origins as a military weapon.
Pikes were long poles with metal spearheads at their tips. The spearheads
weren’t arrow-shaped as you might think but instead were long and narrow
and often triangular in shape. Entire armies were made of pikemen.
Various navies also used them—you have probably heard of the term
boarding pike. It was basically the same tool used by armies, only shortened to
fit aboard ship. Sailors would use these pole arms to repel boarders or to make
boarding raids or would use them in defense onshore.
Along with the pikes, navies also had hooks. Boat hooks were very common
and are still used today. The boat hook retrieves material dropped overboard,
captures small boats as they move alongside, and keeps your bass boat from
leaving the dock without you.
Like many other tools discarded by the military, the fire service found a
tremendous need for these tools. Early hook and ladder companies, so called
because they only carried hooks and ladders, would arrive at the scene of a fire
and proceed to tear down the two adjoining structures with their hooks to
prevent the spread of fire.
Early colonial firefighting consisted of whatever tools were readily available.
Because the colonists had arrived here aboard ship, the only firefighting tools
on hand were naval boarding axes, pikes, and hooks.
This chapter is organized a little differently from the other chapters in the
book. To save your eyes from reading the same material over and over again
for each of the poles described, the standard uses of pike poles will be
discussed in general, independent of the style of tool head. Then, each type of
pike pole tool head will be separately discussed, outlining their special uses
and limitations.

PIKE POLES
Pole Materials
The pike pole (just the pole, not the tool head) is available to the fire service
in three basic materials: wood, metal, and fiberglass. These materials are
standard fare when ordering pike poles. The shape of the pole can be round,
oval, or I-beam. Wooden handles can be pine, hickory, or ash; fiberglass
handles can be solid round or oval, hollow core, or solid I-beam; and metal

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handles can be stainless steel, plain steel, or aircraft steel.

Pike pole lengths vary from three feet up to 16 feet and longer. The types of
poles outlined in this book are the six-foot, eight-foot, 10-foot, 12-foot, 14-
foot, and 16-foot pike pole.
The material your poles are made of, their shape, and their length are really
dictated by your department. As a general rule, all pike poles are very
serviceable or can be made serviceable. The biggest problem encountered with
poles is their diameter. There are some pike poles that have diameters of 11⁄2
inches or larger, made of fiberglass. These poles are extremely difficult to work
with because they don’t fit in your hand, are very slippery when wet, and are a
pain to stow on the apparatus.
Length is somewhat important also. So-called closet hooks look neat on the
apparatus and are easy to carry but really serve little function on the fireground.
To use a closet hook that is anywhere from 21⁄2 feet long to four feet long
usually means you have to be in the closet to use it, and you end up pulling all
the stuff down on top of you.
Short poles—that is, shorter than six feet—also require you to work with
your hands up over your shoulders to pull trim, open ceilings, and so on. This
is very tiring, and you will not be as effective. I’ve seen firefighters jumping up
and down to sink their three-foot closet hooks into the ceiling of a standard
residential bedroom. If the idea had been to conserve your energy by carrying a
lightweight tool, does it make any sense to have to work three times as hard to
get the tool to function properly? Nah! That’s silly! A halligan bar is a far
superior tool to have with you; it will outperform a closet hook every time.

Pole Selection by Size

Pole length should be dependent on the type of structure you are working in.
Just as you would select the proper size wrench to fix the plumbing on a sink,
you need to select the proper
length pole for the type of
structure you are working in.
Six-foot pole—Consider
making the fire service stan-
dard six-foot pole the minimum
length of pole carried for basic
firefighting operations. A six-
foot pole will easily reach most
ceilings, trim, windows, and
other parts of a residential
structure that you will need to
get to. It can be carried into and
out of the structure safely and Pike poles allow you to vent windows from a distance.

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CHAPTER 5: POLES

maneuvered easily inside. A six-foot minimum length will allow you to work
with the pole out in front of you, so that materials will drop out and away from
you rather than on your head. It also allows you to work with your arms in a
low position, which is less tiring.
Eight-foot pole—The eight-foot pole is even better than the six-footer for
allowing you to work with the tool out in front of you rather than to stand in
the drop zone of overhead material. That extra two feet also allows you to
work with your arms at about waist level, and you will be able to work more
effectively and be less fatigued. An eight-foot pole can also be maneuvered in
standard residential structures, although a bit more care should be taken. The
eight-footer should be the minimum-length pole taken into a commercial
structure or light industrial building.
Ten-foot pole—Okay, this pole is not suitable for the standard residential
home ... or is it? Do you have any of those new, 5,000-square-foot homes in
your jurisdiction? Large homes often have atriums, high cathedral ceilings,
balconies, and many other building features that may make the use of a 10-foot
pole mandatory.
This pole is a bit cumbersome in standard residences, or it just plain won’t fit.
You need to have one available, though, not only for overhauling large houses
and commercial structures but also for ventilation operations. The 10-foot pole
would be the most useful pole for you in commercial buildings and light
industrial buildings.
An additional problem begins to show up with poles starting at the 10-foot
length and longer: The pole material becomes a factor. Some poles become
extremely flexible at 10 feet—most notably the oval fiberglass one. It’s like
trying to work with a fishing pole! The tool head end bends and wobbles and is
a real pain. For 10-foot poles or longer, consider solid wood or round
fiberglass. The best handle for long poles is probably the fiberglass I-beam,
which gives you the most strength with the least amount of flex. Such poles are
heavier but are more solid and easier to work with.
Twelve-foot pole—The 12-footer is too long a pole to use in a residence.
There may be special circumstances where it is needed in a standard residence,
but those will probably be rare. The 12-foot pole should, however, be the
minimum-length pole you take to the roof of any structure—residential,
commercial, industrial, or otherwise. The 12-foot pole will allow you to reach
into your vent hole to push down ceilings and stay out of the smoke and
possible roaring fire that may push out of the hole.
This length is probably the standard pole to take with you in malls, department
stores, and other large commercial and industrial structures. Most stores have at
least 12-foot ceilings, and they may be as high as 14 or 20 feet. Know your
jurisdiction and compare that with the lengths of poles available to you.
Sixteen-foot pole—This length pole is usually used in large commercial
structures and industrial facilities. It is very heavy and cumbersome and takes

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practice to use. Although the use of the 16-footer is seldom called for, make
sure that you have some available, especially for commercial and industrial
occupancies.
Adjustable-length poles—These poles are weaker than solid poles and thus
less effective, no matter what tool head is on the working end. Adjustable poles
aren’t worth it.

Handles on Poles
Many manufacturers provide (and fire departments can add) different types
of handles or knobs on the end of the pole opposite the working tool head.
Some of these handles, listed below, can be used as tools.
D handles—D handles are available on many poles. They make the most
sense on six- and eight-foot poles, but you can get them on any length pole or
go to the hardware store and add your own.
The addition of a D
handle makes the tool
somewhat easier to use.
When using the tool on the
roof to push down ceilings,
insert the D handle into the
vent hole. It will spread the
force to a larger area when
you push the pole down,
opening up a greater
amount of material each
time you apply the pole.
The D handle on the pole
should be rounded, with no
edges that will catch on
things in the hole. The
opening in the handle Although helpful on the downstroke, a D handle on a pike pole should
should be large enough to never be used to push or to strike.
accommodate a gloved
hand. When using the tool to open walls or ceilings, use the tool head—your
hand should not be inserted into the handle during this operation. The D handle
should be used only when pulling on the tool. Inserting your hand into the
handle and then driving the working end of the tool into a ceiling, wall, or floor
is a good way to break your wrist, pull ligaments, or otherwise tear yourself up.
Do not use the D handle when pushing with the pole!
Under certain conditions, D handles can be detrimental. Your pole is not as
versatile because the smaller, rounded end of the pole is not available to make
initial holes for purchase points. D-handled tools are also harder to stow on the rig.

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CHAPTER 5: POLES

Ram knobs—Some poles have a

metal ram knob on the bottom. This little
knob can be used as a mini-battering ram
on shorter poles. It is effective for
opening some doors but is most efficient
when used to start holes in walls or
ceilings. The knob end is also useful in
Gas shutoffs can be added to poles.
determining where the end of the pole is
so that your hands don’t slip off when
pulling or pushing.
Gas shutoff—Slots are cut into the end
of the pole to turn gas valves in
residential or commercial buildings. It’s a
nice feature, because you’re at least six
feet away when you do it, rather than on
top of the meter with standard gas
D handles have become popular for pole handles.
wrenches or spanner wrenches with
shutoff slots.
Prying ends—One type of pole that will be discussed later in this chapter
has a prying end for opening vents, hatches, doors, and so on. The tool is a
roofman’s hook and was designed by FDNY for use by the roofman in his
operations. The prying end is broad and curved. It can easily be driven into
areas to get a good purchase to lever open a variety of materials and fixtures.
Pike poles are not levers, however. The prying end of the roofman’s hook is
part of an all-metal hook. The roofman’s hook was designed for prying. The
standard pike pole wasn’t.
Double-headed poles—Poles with working heads at both ends are
available. What may seem to be a great idea—two poles at once—isn’t really
practical.
Fire service pike poles are direct descendants of military arms. Most often
there have been no modifications to the tool design itself. The pole doesn’t
know it’s not in the military anymore. It is an instrument of destruction and
not something that you as a firefighter want to have close to your body when
it is being used.
By putting a tool at each end of the pole, both ends become dangerous. At
the end where you are standing and working, you are pushing or pulling a
sharp, pointed tool. If the tool slips, if you fall, or if a variety of other
mishaps occur, the pole will revert to its ancestry and tear your guts out.

Poles with heads at both ends may look neat, but they are dangerous to carry and use.
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Double-headed tools look neat, but for your own safety, stick with a pole
with a tool head at one end and a knob, gas shutoff, or other nonlethal
appurtenance at the other.

Grips and Miscellaneous Features

Grips—Many poles now come from the manufacturer with some form of
foam grip already installed. It usually starts four or five inches up from the
bottom of the pole and runs anywhere between 24 and 28 inches up toward the
head. These grips are nice but don’t last too long under heavy use. They often
peel off and really make the tool look ugly. Not that looks are so important—
it’s just that you lose grip on the tool.
Grips can be added to the pole in the firehouse. Most often these grips will be
a little better because you can actually place them in exactly the right position
for your hands. French hitching is recommended, as is its simpler counterpart,
using friction tape plus rope or wire.
Hook indicator—When using a pole, no matter what type of tool head it
has, you always want to be aware of which way the working surface is facing.
Once the tool has been pushed through the ceiling, do you know how the hook
or pulling surface is oriented? A quick way to solve this problem is to add a
hook indicator.
For wooden poles, use a rasp and a file to notch the pole on the side of the
hook, down toward the bottom. Make the notches deep enough that you can
feel them with gloved hands. Don’t make the notches so deep that you ruin the
integrity of the pole! Make about four notches, one for each finger. Do not
notch fiberglass poles!

Look closely at the notches in this wooden pike pole handle. They indicate both the location of the hook and the
company’s signature. This hook belongs to Truck 19, Chicago.

For fiberglass and metal poles, the best way to install hook indicators is to
use a radiator hose clamp. Wrap some friction tape around the pole at the
location where you want the hook indicator to be. The friction tape helps keep

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CHAPTER 5: POLES

the radiator hose clamp in place. Put the clamp on the pole with the screw
assembly on the same side as the hook. Tighten the clamp very tight. Cut off
the excess. Wrap the whole thing in electrician’s tape to seal it up as best you
can. Once installed, you will be able to feel the bump of the hose clamp on the
pole and know which way the hook is facing.

Removing and Carrying Poles

Pike poles are dangerous. They can injure firefighters and civilians quickly
and severely. There is a specific way that they should be removed from the
apparatus and then carried.
Removing from apparatus—Most pike poles are carried in tubes on the
fire apparatus, allowing them to be slid in or out with relative ease. It may be
the only way that the longer poles can be carried. Some rigs employ a ring
and snap bracket, while others will carry a pole upright in a tubular bracket
on the running board. No matter how it is carried, a pike must be removed
from the apparatus safely.

Poles may be carried in slide tubes on apparatus. Note the selection of hooks available above the ladders of Ladder
10, FDNY.

If your poles are carried in a slide tube, remove them by grasping them by
their tops. No matter what type of tool head a pole has, cover the sharp
working end with your gloved hand, then slowly and carefully slide it out.
Keep a gloved hand over the end of the tool at all times. Be aware of what is
around you, and look for anyone in the vicinity. Once the pole clears the tube,
immediately invert it so that its working head is pointed toward the ground.
If your poles are carried in a spring-loaded snap bracket and ring, grasp the
tool at the top, making sure that your hand covers all the sharp points of the

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

tool head. Lift the tool out of the spring-loaded snap section, then slide the tool
out of the ring holder. Always keep the working end of the tool covered with a
gloved hand. Once the tool is free of the brackets, invert it and point its
working end toward the ground.
If your poles are carried in an upright bracket, grasp the pole about
midlength. Raise it straight up into the air until the bottom clears the holder. Set
the tool straight down onto the bottom of the pole. Make sure the area is clear,
then invert the tool to point the working tool head toward the ground.
Carrying poles—A very natural and comfortable way to carry a pole is to
invert it, with the tool head pointing toward the ground and the pole up under
your arm, closely tucked into your body.
To carry a pole upstairs, carry the tool head in your hand, your gloved hand
covering the sharp points. Keep your arm crooked and the tool head in close to
your body, the pole lying out behind you. Drag the pole up the steps, your hand
still covering the sharp points. Keep the pole along the wall as you climb the
stairs.

Standard Uses
Opening ceilings—There are two basic ways to open a ceiling using any
pike pole: the poke method and the throw method.
To execute the poke method, locate the area of the ceiling you are going to
start opening. Make sure the area around you is clear, and invert the tool so that
the pike head is pointed up. Hold the pole at waist level or slightly higher if you
didn’t bring a long enough pole. Keep the head of the pole out in front of you
with the hook facing away. Don’t stand directly underneath the area you are
going to open up. With a quick jabbing
stroke, drive the tool head completely into
the ceiling.
The throw method for getting the first
purchase into a ceiling is sometimes easier
on your arms, shoulders, and back,
especially in plaster and lath ceilings.
Ensure that the area you are working in is
clear. Lay the head of the tool out in front
of you, with the hook facing up. On tools
with two hooks, have the straightest hook
facing up. Place one hand underneath the
pole in front of you and your other hand on
top of the pole, near the handle end. In a
quick jerking motion, like a weight lifter,
bend slightly at the knees, push down hard The poke method is very tiring, especially in
with the hand that is on the top side of the plaster and lath ceilings.

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1 2

Use the throw method to sink the pike pole head into
heavy plaster and lath.
3

pole handle, and pull up with the hand

that is underneath the pole. The
objective is to throw the tool head with
a force great enough to drive it all the
way through the ceiling into the ceiling
bay.
Whichever method you choose will
work. The throw method isn’t really
required on ceilings you know to be
gypsum board or drop-ceiling panels.
Once the tool head is in the ceiling,
maintain a solid stance. Turn the hook
90 degrees in either direction and pull
down. By turning the hook, you make
it grab the ceiling material as you pull;
if you don’t turn the hook, the head
will simply come out of the hole you just made.
Special note: Be very careful when you encounter wire lath ceilings. Falling
wire lath ceilings can kill you. It is not uncommon for an entire ceiling area to
fall when a firefighter tries to open it. Do not stand underneath wire lath
ceilings. Use at least an eight-foot hook, and begin working while standing in a
doorway or archway. Work until you’ve gotten a safe area opened up, then
move into the room.
Now, look up at the hole you just made. Try to locate the ceiling joist. Once
you’ve located the beam, go to work by reinserting the pike pole into the

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ceiling, then work the tool along the beam with short, sharp strokes. By
following the beam, you shouldn’t have to look up to see what is going on.
Follow the joist until you get to the wall. Turn around and repeat the process
until the area you need is opened.
Opening walls—Wall openings can be started in much the same way as
ceilings, either by using the poke method or the throw method.
When using the throw method for opening holes high on walls, the pole does
not have to be laid on the floor. Hold it so that the head is even with the wall
area you want to drive into. Make sure the area around you is clear. Bring the
head of the tool backward, the hook facing the wall you are about to strike.
Slam the tool head into the wall with sufficient force to drive it through the
material and into the wall bay.
Once the initial purchase has been made, the tool head can be inserted into
the hole. The tool head style will then dictate whether the material can be raked
out, levered out, or pulled down.
For holes that have to be made low on a wall, hold the tool as if you were
spear fishing or throwing a javelin. Jab the tool firmly into the wall to get the
initial purchase.
Once the hole is made, insert the pole into the hole, lowering the entire tool
head down until the pike either rests on the bottom sill plate of the wall or the
pole is at an angle such that the pick is up against the wall material of the
adjoining room. Pull back toward you on the pole. The wall material will be
removed by prying in short strokes. Do not force the pole, especially in plaster
and wire lath. Forcing the pole may break it. Remove all of the material.
Opening floors—Don’t use a pike pole—use a prying tool. The pike pole is
designed to be a push/pull tool. Floors are made of materials that are just too
strong to use pike poles to get them open. Axes and prying tools are far
superior to the pike pole for this task. Although some of the tool heads we will
discuss can be used to pry open floors, always back up the pike pole with a
substantial prying tool.
Roof operations—Pike poles are a must during roof operations. Consider
taking as a minimum length a 12-foot pole. There will be some roofs that the
pole won’t fit on, so take an eight-footer. Six-foot poles are of limited use on
roofs. They’re fine for opening shafts, scuttles, and bulkheads but are too short
to push ceilings when a vent hole is cut open. When selecting a pole to take to
the roof, know beforehand what job has to be performed. Select a pole that is
able to get a firm grab for pulling back the roof material after the cuts are made
for the vent hole.
When using a pole to push open ceilings, insert the butt end of the tool, not
the working end. More force will be distributed on the ceiling and bigger
chunks of the material will fall. By inserting the tool head, you run a greater
risk of having the hooks or pulling surfaces snag on rafters, wiring, conduit,
or other materials. You won’t get the hook out easily, and you may fall into

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the vent hole if you’re pulling too hard on the tool and lose your balance.
There are some exceptions to that rule. Some tool heads are less likely to get
caught on material and will perform better than if you insert the butt.

Pike Pole Tool Heads

There are many tasks that certain pike pole heads can do better than the other
styles. As each type of tool head is discussed, specialty information about how
to use it will be added to supplement the standard uses discussed above.

NATIONAL PIKE POLE

Standard Uses
A better name for the national pike pole may be the universal pike pole. This
design is truly ancient, dating back to the 14th century, possibly earlier. The
head is a standard boat hook shape, with a straight point and a sharply curved
hook. The tool head is very flat steel and often has two steel knobs located just
above the start of the hook and below the pike point to prevent the head from
being driven in too far. Almost every piece of fire apparatus I have ever seen
has one or more examples of this type of pike pole.
This style of head is very limited in its capabilities. The tool is designed to
actually hook on to the material you are trying to pull. Its very narrow profile
makes it the worst tool for pulling gypsum board. The limited dimension of the
hook surface penetrates through the gypsum board easily, but rather than
grabbing and pulling big chunks, it slices through like a knife. Firefighters
must work twice as hard to pull material using this implement. The hook is
very sharply curved and makes this tool difficult to use for pulling trim and
baseboards. If there isn’t much space in the bays with plaster and lath walls or
ceilings, the hook will be ineffective.
Don’t stop using this pole if this is what you have to work with! By following the
steps outlined at the beginning of this chapter, and with practice, you can be very
effective with this tool.
The national pike pole is
a very effective tool for
overhaul, ventilation,
salvage, and other uses
indigenous to the fire
service. There are other
tool heads that are more
effective, but that should
not discourage training
with and using this tool. National pike pole.

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Learn to be skillful with the tools you have at hand. The national pike pole is a
good tool to take to the roof with you. When pushing ceilings, however, insert the
butt end of the pole.

Limitations
• The tool head is thin and will not grab large amounts of material.
• The hook is very sharply curved and requires that it be driven in very
deeply to grab material.
• It is more difficult to use this tool during overhaul due to the shape of the hook.
• Due to the size and shape of the tool head, it is difficult to use in
structures that have limited void spaces behind the walls and ceilings.

PLASTER HOOK
Standard Uses
The plaster hook is another venerable fire service tool. It was the first
modification made to a standard pike pole in an attempt to make that tool more
efficient for a specific purpose or type of material.
For a good part of this country’s building history, plaster and lath was the
normal interior finish applied to buildings, both residential and commercial. It
proved to be a tough job to remove this material during and after a fire.
The plaster hook is a modified standard pike pole. It has an upright pike,
narrow and pointed. Just down from the head, fitted into two slots in the
wooden handle, are two collapsible triangular-shaped heads or wings.
When the tool is inserted into the ceiling or wall, the wings retract as they
pass through the material. Once inside the bay, the wings snap back out toggle
bolt-style, enlarging the pulling area of the tool. The wings are sharpened and
bite into the lath on the downstroke, providing good pulling power and
removing large amounts of material.
While the tool is very effective, it is outdated. Hook improvements have made
it all but obsolete. If you have one of these hooks but no other types, learn to use
it. You cannot use the throw method for inserting this hook—its design defeats
that. The poke method will allow the tool to function as designed.
You need to notch the handle on this pole to indicate the direction of the
wings. I’ve only seen wooden-handled plaster hooks, so it shouldn’t be a
problem to make notches. Always know where those wings are to prevent
pulling material down on top of yourself.
This tool is for ceilings and walls made of plaster and lath. It is not intended
for any other use. It has no prying surfaces to use for removing trim or
moldings. It cannot be used to pry because of its wooden handle and its age.

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Special Uses
There are no special uses for the plaster hook.

In-House Modifications
If you have anyone in your department who is handy at woodworking,
consider replacing the tool’s original pole handle with new wood.
Other than that, there are no modifications you can make to this tool. It was
designed to pull plaster, which it does, period.

Limitations
There are many tools that are more efficient than this one. Consider retiring
it. Put it on the wall above the hux bar.

CHICAGO PIKE POLE

Standard Uses
This tool comes from Chicago and is currently still in wide use by the
department there. Originally manufactured in the department shops, the
Chicago pike pole is a heavy-duty tool, capable of very heavy fire duty.
The pike head itself is a bit difficult to describe. Here, a picture truly is worth a
thousand words. The pike is an obelisk shape. An obelisk is a four-sided object
topped with a pyramidal shape. This obelisk shape gives the pike tremendous
strength and power, and it will penetrate most materials easily.
The hook is also an obelisk shape, at a 90-degree angle to the pike. The hook
stays relatively straight along its length, but the pyramid-shaped point angles
downward sharply at the end to make an excellent prying and pulling tool.
The tool head attaches to the pole by heavy metal straps that are a forged part
of the tool head, rather than a socket. (This is the same way the original pole
arms were attached.) The pole is tapered to fit between the straps and then
attached to the tool head with screws. This attachment feature makes the tool
much stronger when used as a
lever for prying, since the
stress is more evenly distrib-
uted to the pole than by a
typical socket attachment.
Still, a pike pole is not a strong
lever and should be used to
lever only light materials
during overhaul and other
operations. Chicago pike pole.

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The 90-degree hook is relatively broad and will grab and pull a lot of
material, especially plaster and lath. After this tool head is inserted into a wall
or ceiling, turn it at an angle to the material so that the hook will be able to grab
as much as possible. The length and width of the hook will distribute your
pulling action to a greater area, and more material can be removed in a shorter
period of time.
Always be aware of which direction the hook is facing, and keep it angled or
turned to pull the most amount of material with each downstroke. Never work
with the hook facing you, which will pull material down on top of you. Keep
the hook facing left, right, or forward. Also, keep the working end of the tool
out and away from you. The size of this tool head makes it easy to follow
along a joist.
To remove baseboards, use the pike. If you can, find the area where the last
baseboard was installed in the room, which will be the easiest section to
remove. Facing the wall, turn the pike pole 90 degrees to your foot. Carefully
jam the pike behind the baseboard where the baseboard meets the wall. Start
in the corner if you cannot identify the last piece that was installed. Once the
pike is well set, pull the pole toward you like a lever. This should remove the
baseboard. Sometimes the baseboard is stronger than the wall, and the pike
will crush and penetrate into the wall surface, leaving you no fulcrum to pry
against. In that event, move the tool along the wall and find a stud. Use the
stud to back up the prying action of the tool. If you can’t relocate the tool,
slide an axe head in between the wall and the pole to give you something to
pry against. Remember, the pike on this tool is rather large. Once a little bit of
the baseboard has been pried away, reset the tool deeper behind the wood.
This is especially true for older-style baseboards that are four inches tall or
more.
The angled, pyramid-shaped pulling point on the end of the hook makes fast
and easy work of window trim, door trim, and other casings and molding.
Baseboards are a little tough with this tool.
To remove window moldings, door trim, and other materials, drive the
prying hook down and behind the molding. Pull the pole toward you. The 90-
degree hook-to-pike arrangement will make an exceptional fulcrum if needed,
but usually the trim will give way once the pole is inserted and pulled.
The use of the tool changes completely when it is turned upside down. You
can still use the prying hook to remove finish work, but you will have to be
more careful. You will be setting the hook by pulling up and toward you rather
than down and away. Don’t get overexcited, or you may hook something very
near and dear to you if that hook should slip.
With its limited curved hook, the Chicago pike pole should not be taken to
the roof by inexperienced firefighters. It works well, but the hook may slip.
When using this tool to push down ceilings, insert the butt end of the pole.

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Special Uses
The Chicago pike pole is an excellent tool, designed specifically for heavy
fire department use. Still, it’s just a pike pole. There are no special standout
uses for this tool.

Limitations
• The tool head is heavy. It is well balanced but heavier than a standard
national pike pole. This becomes a critical factor on long poles, those
exceeding 10 feet in length. Long poles may become wobbly and
difficult to handle. Firefighters using long poles may lose control of the
tool and it will come crashing down. Make sure the area is clear when
using long poles!
• The tool head needs to be regularly maintained (sharpened) to adequately
penetrate heavy materials such as wire lath.
• The obelisk shape of the pike and hook can inflict serious, penetrating
wounds that may require surgery to repair. Take extreme care when
carrying and using this tool.
• The hook part of the tool has no real curve. In some circumstances it is
difficult to grab material since it slides off the end.

NEW YORK PIKE POLE

Standard Uses
Another important addition to the fire service toolbox also comes from
FDNY. The New York pike pole is a standard for all companies in New York
City. Designed by the department, this tool is a very strong and massive iron
tool that works well pushing in addition to pulling.
Like the Chicago pike pole, the New York pike pole has an obelisk shape,
although somewhat more flattened. There are very definitive troughs in the
iron head on all four sides of the pike, as well as the hook. These troughs
actually help to make strong cutting surfaces on all parts of the tool head,
which allow the tool to penetrate almost all building materials except metal.
The pike end is a flattened obelisk, with a rather fat but effective chisel point.
The hook curves off the main pike point but not severely. The tool head is a
socket type, with a continued piece of iron on the rear (side opposite the hook)
of the tool head, extending several inches past the socket opening. This extra
piece of iron adds strength to the pole for prying. It disperses the force of the
tool head more evenly to the pole and helps prevent the pole from snapping at
the socket. It will snap, but only if the tool is misused.
The sheer massive size of this tool head really makes it an overhaul-type tool.
Although I’ve described the tool as massive, it’s not overly heavy. When

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compared with a national

pike pole, it’s heavy, and
it’s slightly heavier than
the Chicago pike pole.
The tool is well designed,
however, and very well
balanced when installed
properly. Its thick pike New York pike pole.
point and fat hook size
make it a perfect tool of destruction for overhauling a room, but its use is limited
in situations where finesse may be called for to remove baseboards, door trims,
and moldings with little damage. The pike will penetrate plaster and lath easily,
and the hook is curved enough that it will grab large amounts of material on the
downstroke.
Gypsum board and lighter material will also fall easily when using the New
York pike pole. The tool head size will grab chunks of plasterboard and make
large holes as compared with the national pike pole, which has a tendency to
slice through.
The New York pike pole is very effective for pushing materials as well as
pulling. The best example of this is FDNY’s use of this tool to release drop
ladders and counterbalanced stairways on fire escapes. To release a drop
ladder, the firefighter should stand under the fire escape if possible. That is the
safest location to be in case the drop ladder is defective and falls away from the
fire escape. Using the New York pike pole, firmly place the V section of the
tool head (created where the hook comes out from the pike) against the bottom
of the drop ladder. Maintain
pressure and control against the
ladder during its entire descent.
When releasing counterbalanced
stairways, reach up to the metal
restraining bar. Insert the tool
between the two bars and rotate it
until it locks on one of the two
bars. Pull the restraining bar clear
and let the stairs descend.
The New York pike pole is an
excellent choice for a roof hook.
Its curved hook can grab and hold
roofing material when opening
vent holes. Because it has a
hooked head, insert the butt end of
The New York pike pole is excellent for ventilating thermal the pole to push down ceilings.
pane windows.

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Special Uses
It’s just a pike pole. This tool is highly recommended for use in older
structures that consist of plaster and lath, wire lath, and heavier types of
construction.

Limitations
Similiar to the Chicago version, the New York pike has several drawbacks:
• Although well balanced, it is heavier than either a standard national pike
pole or a Chicago pike pole.
• The tool head needs to be regularly sharpened to penetrate heavy
materials adequately.
• The shape of the pike and hook are dangerous. Exercise caution.
• The massive size of the tool makes it difficult to use in areas that don’t
require massive overhaul. Baseboards and trim work will usually be
obliterated by this tool.

SAN FRANCISCO PIKE POLE

Standard Uses
The San Francisco Fire Department is credited with the development of this
pike pole, dating back to the turn of the 20th century. This tool incorporates
some of the design features of the Chicago pike pole. Overall, it is an effective
and versatile tool.
The tool head is a socket type. The pike is a round shaft that ends in a chisel
point. Attached to the round shaft is a triangular hook set at 90 degrees to the
shaft of the pike. At the end of the triangular hook is a beveled edge. On the
bottom of the hook, a series of serrated teeth give the tool great gripping
strength, as well as the ability to grab hold of various materials to make each
pull effective.
The chisel point at the end of
the pike should be sharpened.
Once this is accomplished, the
San Francisco pike pole can be
used to remove moldings, base-
boards, trim work, and floor-
boards with ease. The chisel
point is parallel to the hook, so
the hook can be used to set the
chisel with your foot.
The broad pulling hook and
serrated teeth make this tool, San Francisco pike pole.

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although narrow, very effective for gypsum board. The serrated teeth help hold
the material from slipping out from under the flat side of the hook. Use this
tool against molding, trim, and baseboard as you would a Chicago pike. The
San Francisco hook is also a good choice for a roof hook. Although it has a
straight hook like the Chicago pike pole, the San Francisco hook has serrated
teeth on the bottom that will help hold the material. The larger hook, however,
is a disadvantage when pushing down ceilings. The pike is sharp and will poke
holes rather than distribute the force over a large area. Use the butt of the pole
to open ceilings from the roof.
The prying end is also an excellent tool for removing floorboards. Insert the
chisel in the groove of the floorboard. Step on the hook and drive the chisel
in. Push the pike pole handle down, levering the floorboard up. The objective
here is to use the pike pole as you would a very large chisel. Make sure that
you have a strong purchase in the wood before you begin prying. Also,
remember that you are using a pike pole, not a pry bar. Don’t overload the
tool. The San Francisco tool head is a socket attachment—you don’t want to
risk snapping it off.

Special Uses
Hey, another pike pole! I know this is getting monotonous, but it is another
pike pole. It does great things in the hands of a skilled user, but it isn’t a do-all
tool. One special advantage that this pole does have over the others we’ve
already discussed is that this pole’s tool head is very effective for breaking
thermal pane glass. The other pike poles will break it also, but the San Francisco
pike pole has two very sharp edges, the top chisel and the hook bevel. These
enable the tool to penetrate the thermopane glass more easily than broader
hooks. This is especially important when breaking glass from an aerial device or
ground ladder where tool ability is a bit more important than sheer weight. The
San Francisco pike pole can penetrate a pane by jabbing it like a lance rather
than by slapping it with its weight. The firefighter using the tool has more
control and can use the serrated hook to grab the broken glass and remove a lot
of it down to the butyl rubber gasket. The serrated teeth also help to remove the
glass shards, making ingress or egress through the window a little bit safer.

Limitations
• The tool head has two sharp edges.
• The versatility of the tool is lost on long poles.
• The tool head needs to be regularly sharpened to penetrate heavy materials
adequately.
• This tool head is also an effective weapon. Exercise due caution while
using it.

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HALLIGAN HOOK PIKE POLE (AKA

MULTIPURPOSE HOOK)
Standard Uses
Chief Hugh Halligan designed and developed this workhorse pike pole.
Using the premise that a firefighter’s tool needs to be as versatile as possible,
Chief Halligan combined multiple functions into this pike pole.
It’s an odd-looking hook design, resembling a badly misshapen Z. The front
hook, and I use that term loosely, is at 90 degrees to the shaft. It is triangular in
design, with a flat surface on the bottom and two sloping sides that form a
ridge or cutting edge along the top of the tool head. The leading edge of the
hook is beveled.
At the point where the front hook joins the shaft, the triangular shapes come
to a very sharp point. The point, however, is not in line with the shaft but
instead points back at a slight angle. This allows the firefighter to have a
penetrating point without having to hold the tool perpendicular to the ground.
It also creates one of two fulcrum points for prying.
On the rear of the main tool shaft is another hook. It is designed exactly like
the front hook with one exception: This hook angles down and toward the shaft
of the tool. It actually looks as if it has been bent; the bend creates another
piercing point and fulcrum. This hook, too, is beveled at the end. The tool head
is a socket type, but this is a very deep socket. The socket shaft adds strength to
the pole, since this tool is designed for prying.
The halligan hook, or multipurpose hook as it is often called, is an extremely
versatile tool. Its wide, flat hooks provide excellent pulling surfaces for all
types of materials. It should be your tool of choice for opening up tin ceilings.
The head is big, so it does require a little extra umph to get it into a ceiling or
wall, but the triangular cutting surfaces and two penetrating points help greatly.
This tool has both a front and a back hook, so knowing which direction
which hook is facing is very important. Depending on how the material you
are pulling is constructed, you can use both hooks to pull by keeping the tool
head parallel to your body. Keep it angled or turned to pull the most amount of
material with each downstroke. “Never work with the hook facing you”

The halligan hook’s fulcrum points make it an excellent tool for stripping moldings and trim during overhaul.
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doesn’t apply here, because there are two. Use the forward, straight hook for
pulling material. Try to ensure that the back hook isn’t going to pull material
down on top of you. Keep the hook turned to the left or right if possible.
The beveled edge on the end of either hook will work against trim and
molding. You can easily remove baseboards with this tool. The angled or bent
hook will provide an excellent fulcrum but probably won’t be needed. Use the
bevel on either hook to remove baseboards, depending on the angle you need.
Tin ceilings will open more easily with the halligan hook than with most
other types. To open the ceiling, drive the tool straight up into a tin section
between two joists. The idea is to bend the metal, not poke through it. Once
you bend the metal, the seams should open up. Grab the open seam with the
back hook bevel, then lever the ceiling down.
Either hook is excellent for removing floorboards. As described before, insert
the beveled end in a groove. In this instance, use the pike pole as you would a
pry bar or halligan tool. This tool also has a socket-type head, so be wary of
snapping it. Unlike other pike poles, the halligan hook or multipurpose hook is
designed to pry, but only light-to-medium materials. Prying metal (other than
ductwork or light sheet metal), autos, railroad ties, timber, and other heavy
items are all misuses of the tool and may break it. Ordinary construction
materials found in residential, commercial, or light-industrial settings are fine.
Size up the situation. If heavy prying is called for, get a heavy pry tool.
The halligan hook is valuable on a roof. Its multiple angled hooks, however,
will snag on almost anything if you push it through a hole to punch down
ceilings, so use the butt end instead. The head of the tool makes a great handle,
and it is easier to perform this function by hanging on to the head of the tool.

Special Uses
The halligan hook or multipurpose hook is more than just a standard pulling
hook. Its ability to pry and cut makes any such use of it a special use. In a
standard configuration—that is, with a fiberglass or wooden handle—this tool
is not only a pike pole but also a prying lever. Its strength as a prying tool is
limited to light metals, gypsum board, and other such materials. There are
other configurations that make the tool much more versatile and powerful.

In-House Modifications
There aren’t too many improvements you can make on the halligan hook.
You may wish to add a chain link or eyelet to the bottom of the hook, as you
would to a halligan bar, for hoisting and ventilation purposes.
Another addition to the tool is to add a prying surface to the butt end of the
pole. If you have a tool with a gas shutoff or a ram knob end, a prying tool can
be attached. This should be done on fiberglass or steel poles only. Its value

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when coupled to a wooden pole is very limited because wood will snap under
prying pressure.

Limitations
The halligan hook or multipurpose hook is an outstanding tool, but like any
other tool, it has its drawbacks.
• The tool is sharp on all sides. Use extreme care when carrying this tool in
the firehouse or on the fireground.
• To stay effective, the tool requires a lot of maintenance. Keep its edges
sharp, and maintain all the bevels.
• The versatility of the tool is lost when the tool head is on a long pole
(longer than 10 feet). Leverage and the ability to pry are diminished.

ROOFMAN’S HOOK
Standard Uses
FDNY firefighters designed and developed this special-use pike pole. They
needed a pike pole specifically designed for use by truck company firefighters
assigned to the roof position. The specific tasks that roofmen need to perform
led to the adaptation of the halligan hook into this configuration.
Like its halligan hook cousin, it’s an odd design although extremely durable.
It increases the function of the standard-configuration halligan hook. The tool
head is attached to a metal pole, which greatly increases its ability to pry. At the
opposite end is a curved prying tool that is beveled at the end; it resembles a
curved chisel. It isn’t a forked end but instead a narrow and curved prying
surface. The tool is available only in four-, five-, and six-foot lengths. It is
limited in length as a compromise between effectiveness as a prying tool and
ease of carrying up ladders, aerials, stairs, and fire escapes.
The roofman’s hook can be used as a standard halligan hook or multipurpose
hook. Its wide, flat hooks provide excellent pulling surfaces for all types of
materials. The head is big and the tool is heavy, so it does require a little extra
effort to get it into a ceiling or wall.
The roofman’s hook is designed to pry. Doors, windows, bulkhead doors, roof
scuttles, shaft hatches, floors, baseboards, hasps, light locks, and all else are no
match for it. This tool was designed to be used on a roof. It’s a little short for
poking down ceilings after the cut is made and the hole opened, however.
Consider having a longer hook available for performing that function.

Special Uses
The roofman’s hook is really designed for special uses. Its ability to

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function as a standard pike pole is a real plus. It is a phenomenal tool. When

combined with a halligan bar or similar prying tool, the roofman’s hook can
be used as a driving tool.

All-metal roofman’s hook.

For inward-swinging doors, one firefighter can make quick work of even a
well-secured door. Drive the hook of the halligan or similar prying tool
completely into the doorjamb six inches above or below the lock. Use the
roofman’s hook as the driving tool. To do this, invert the roofman’s hook so
that the head is on the ground, and turn the tool so that the flat, straight hook is
facing you, with the bent hook to the
rear. Place your foot on the flat side of
the hook, and hold the roofman’s hook
so that it is up on the fulcrum point at
the very top of the head. While holding
the halligan or similar tool with one
hand, hammer the hook of the tool into
the door frame with the shaft of the
Some roof hooks have prying ends; others have ram roofman’s hook. You should strike the
knobs. Prying ends add versatility.
bar firmly. Adjust it as required to
continue striking until the hook of the pry bar is driven in sufficiently. Push the
pry bar down and the door will open. Otherwise, the adze may be driven
between the door and jamb like a standard halligan.
The fact that the roofman’s hook is an all-metal tool truly enhances its
capabilities as a prying hook. This tool really fits the bill as having true
multiple uses.

Limitations
The roofman’s hook, like any other tool, has its drawbacks.
• The tool head is sharp on all sides. Use extreme care when carrying it up
ladders or fire escapes.
• The tool is sharp at both ends.
• It’s heavier than a standard pike pole. Use extreme care not to let this tool
(or any other tool) fall from the roof.
• Lots of maintenance is required on the edges and bevels.
• It is not available in lengths greater than six feet.

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MULTIFUNCTION HOOK
Standard Uses
The best description for the way this tool looks is bizarre. The multifunction
hook is an adaptation of the standard halligan hook. Its capabilities are
somewhere between the standard hook and the pry bar.
The tool head resembles a badly misshapen Z. It’s so badly misshapen that it
looks like a steamroller ran over it. The front hook is at a 90-degree angle to
the shaft; it is flat and is really an adze tool. The leading edge of this adze is
beveled slightly, and the top side of the adze slopes back toward the tool shaft
and ends at the top of the tool head in a broad point, which is used as a strong
fulcrum for prying. The forward broad adze hook is more angled than a
standard halligan hook head, which increases its leverage capabilities. There is
a small striking surface area located on the back side of the forward hook,
between the top of the tool and where the back hook is attached. This area can
be used to drive the adze hook into an area for a greater purchase and greater
pulling power. Remember, this is still a pike pole! Do not get the tool head
situated into such an area that you cannot get it removed. If it gets wedged too
tight, you may snap the handle trying to pry it out. The tool is designed for
light to moderate prying needs.
On the back side of the main tool shaft is another hook. This hook angles
down and toward the shaft of the tool. It actually looks as if it has been bent.
The bend creates another piercing point and fulcrum. This hook is also beveled
at the end. Like the front hook, it is relatively wide. It retains more of the
triangular shape of a standard halligan hook.
The tool head is attached to the pole by a socket arrangement, which
decreases the tool’s ability to pry. Prying strength will be more dependent on
the pole material selected than on the capability of the tool head.
The multifunction can be used as a standard halligan hook or multipurpose
hook or used instead of a roofman’s hook. Its wide, flat hooks provide
excellent pulling surfaces for all types of materials. The head is big and the tool
is heavier, so it does require a little extra effort to get it into a ceiling or wall.
The capacity for prying with this tool head is tremendous.
The hooks on this tool are very broad and will pull down much larger chunks
of material with each stroke. Really concentrate on not standing directly
underneath the section of ceiling or wall you are working on when pulling with
this tool, and don’t let anyone else stand there, either. This tool does have more
prying capabilities than a standard configuration pike pole but still less than a
pry bar.
The broad, adze-type front hook on the multifunction hook is outstanding for
removing baseboards. The additional leverage added by the pole makes the
multifunction hook easier to use for trim removal than a halligan bar or similar
tool. The broad, flat surfaces of the tool allow the firefighter to have a firmer

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hold on paneling, plywood sheeting, and other large materials. It is great for
tearing away boards from windows and doors on vacant structures. Either
hook will work against floorboards.
The multifunction hook is designed to pry. It will pry a variety of materials
and will work well as a prying tool in a multitude of situations. I cannot stress
enough, however, that the tool’s strength will be limited by its weakest part,
which will be the pole material itself. Ordinary construction materials found in
residential, commercial, or light industrial settings are no match for the
multifunction hook. Size up the situation. If very heavy prying is called for, get
a heavy pry tool. If there is a life-safety situation, get a prying tool!

Special Uses
The multifunction hook is designed for special uses. Its ability to function as
a standard pike pole is a real plus. It is a good tool. It can be used to a limited
extent for forcible entry other than breaking windows. The large adze-type
front hook may be able to pop doors open. This will depend more on the ability
of the firefighter to maneuver the tool into place because the pole will be in the
way. It will work but not as efficiently as a pry bar.
The real special advantage the multifunction hook has is as a roofman’s
tool. The broad prying surfaces make this tool very useful for opening
scuttles and skylights, shaftways, elevator doors, and bulkhead doors, for
example.
This tool combines the usefulness of a standard halligan, a halligan adze, and
a roofman’s hook all into one. It is a great addition for suburban and rural fire
departments where forcible entry and roof work are not quite to the extremes
that they are in urban areas. This tool will make it very easy to open many of
the skylights and windows found on many modern single-family residences. It
also makes short work of the vented ridge caps on roofs of single-family
dwellings. The large head of the tool should not be inserted into vent holes to
knock down ceilings because there is too great a risk of its getting snagged.
Use the butt end of the pole instead.

Limitations
The multifunction hook does have several limitations.
• The tool head is sharp on all sides.
• The tool is sharp at both ends.
• To stay effective, it requires a lot of maintenance. Keep its edges sharp
and maintain the bevels.
• Because of its ability to do so many things, this tool is prone to being
misused on the fireground.

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DRYWALL HOOK
Standard Uses
The drywall hook is another tool designed by an FDNY firefighter. This style
of tool is fast becoming a favorite of firefighters because they can do massive
amounts of work with it with little effort.
The tool is well designed. It’s a funny-looking thing, but it immediately
becomes obvious that, when used properly, it will put most other pike poles to
shame. It has a flanged head that is angled up from the shaft. It then bends back
down, and the four-inch-wide pulling surface ends in a series of teeth. On the
top of the tool flange is a beveled fin with a cutting surface. The fin is angled
so that it has an offset point for piercing into materials. On the bottom of the fin
is a small, sharp hook for getting a purchase in tight areas or to use as a
fulcrum for the cutting fin. The tool will make short work of drywall. This is a
true pulling tool.
To use the drywall hook to open a ceiling, get an initial purchase with the
tool. The massive size of the head will send it sailing through gypsum board if
you use the throwing method. The sharp cutter on the top of the tool will easily
pierce gypsum board if you use the poke method. Either way, the tool can be
put up into the ceiling easily.
Always work with the large, serrated tooth side of the tool away from you.
Any force you apply will be distributed over a very large area of the gypsum
board and will open it up in big sections. Don’t stand underneath the area
you are working on. Apply enough force to the handle of the pole to try to
pull the plasterboard over the nails.
Follow the joist to pull the material down. Use the teeth to grab and rake
insulation out of the bays. Stay conscious of the seams of the gypsum board,
which will sometimes break at the seams and come down in entire sheets. I’ve

Drywall hook.

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also seen it hinge at the tape seams and fall off the ceiling like an opening door
and smack guys in the face. When using the drywall hook, don’t go crazy. The
tool will do the work with little effort on your part. Stay alert to the area, and
recognize how you are taking the material down so that it doesn’t fall on you.
The drywall hook will also devastate plaster and lath. The broad pulling
surface and serrated teeth grab hold of several laths at once and will really
make short work of such ceilings. The sharp penetrating point of the top fin
also helps penetrate the difficult wire lath material. Use the tool as you would
any other pike pole—the difference will be in the amount of material you pull
down.
The drywall hook is invaluable in opening up walls. The wide pulling surface
will quickly rake out large pieces of the wall. You can set the tool two ways—
the poke method or the throw method. Either way will get you into the wall so
you can go to work. Use the tool more like a rake than a pulling pole. Get
yourself into a comfortable position, then pull the tool down and out, raking
the material away as you move along.
This tool has a very wide pulling surface, so be careful if it hangs up. If you
feel resistance on the pull, check to make sure you’re not hooked over conduit,
water pipes, wire, or anything else that may be hidden in there.
The serrated edge on the end of the angled pulling surface, combined with its
width, works well on trim and molding. Baseboards are somewhat difficult to
remove with this tool as compared with others. The fin on the top will provide
a fulcrum, if needed.
Leverage can be adapted to the situation when using the drywall hook. It will
pry, although it wasn’t primarily designed to be a prying device. This tool does
have more prying capabilities than a standard-configuration pike pole but less
than a halligan hook or similar tool. For heavy prying, the appropriate tool is a
pry bar of some kind.
Use the serrated edge for removing floorboards. It may be necessary to use
another tool such as an axe or bar to make the initial purchase into the floor so
that the serrated tooth edge can get a purchase on the edge of the floorboard or
sheeting material. Whether you push or pull the pole will depend on where you
are standing and which way the floor must be removed.
Rake the tool over the surface until you have a good purchase on the edge of
the board. Don’t stand on the material you’re trying to remove. Step to one
side, and push the pole forward until it rocks up onto the fin on top of the tool.
This will create the fulcrum you need to lever the board out of place or to pull
the sheeting up. In most cases, another tool will be needed to complete the job,
since pulling floors with a tool designed to rake drywall and plaster and lath is
not very effective. Get a pry bar of some kind.
The name of this tool hides many of its actual effective uses. Although other
types of tool heads work well in metal, this one is especially effective when
working with ductwork and other sheet metal found in buildings.

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The fin-shaped cutting tool mounted on the top of the tool will pierce sheet
metal ductwork with ease. Once the fin opens a hole big enough to allow the
tool head to be inserted, the broad tool head will distribute your pulling force
over a large area and allow you to pull down the metal.
The drywall hook is also very effective at pulling tin ceilings. Strike the tin
ceiling hard with the top of the tool to cave it in a little. This will open up the
seams of the panel you are trying to pull. Insert the serrated teeth into the seam
and pull down. An additional feature that makes working the head in metal
effective is the small hook that is attached where the back of the fin joins the
main tool head. This little hook can be used to make a can opener out of the tool.
For example, let’s say you need to open some commercial-grade ductwork in a
restaurant. Use the top point on the fin to poke a purchase hole in the duct. Insert
the small hook and pull backward to set it. Now, push forward on the pole and
pivot the fin up into the ductwork. Reset the tool about midway down the new
opening at about 90 degrees from where you originally started. Set the hook and
repeat the process. It will slice open the ductwork, allowing you to push the tool
up and through the sliced area to get a purchase with the serrated edge.
The hook can also be used to pull materials such as trim in areas where the
full-sized face of the tool won’t fit. The entire tool head tapers to the back
toward the hook and will allow you to grab materials and get it started.
The drywall hook is a valuable tool for almost all types of construction. It is a
good choice for roof operations. It should not be used to punch down ceilings,
however. Use the butt end of the pole instead.

Special Uses
There are limited special uses for the drywall hook, but the one that stands
out the most is its value as a tool for creating delicate cuts in drywall to create
inspection holes that can be easily patched.
If an inspection hole must be created in an area that has had no fire
involvement, a firefighter can manipulate the hook carefully and precisely to
create a small hole. Use the fin on the top side of the tool. Grasp the tool up
close to the head. Push the fin into the drywall and pull down. The fin will slice
the drywall neatly. Make three other cuts using the same technique. Carefully
use the serrated edge to pry out the cut square of drywall. An inspection for fire
can be made, and the owner can easily patch the hole.
The broad head of this tool makes it an effective rake for overhauling debris
and stirring up trash in dumpsters for extinguishment. The tool is very efficient
at removing window glass and frames during ventilation.

Limitations
• The top fin of the tool is very sharp. Observe safety practices.

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• The tool is heavy due to the massive size of the head.

• It doesn’t lend itself very well to prying heavy materials like flooring.

EK (E-KAY) HOOK (AKA EKERT HOOK)

Standard Uses
Because the subject of pike poles that can cut metal came up in the drywall
hook section, the EK hook is a logical tool to follow.
The EK hook is designed to cut open metal ductwork, tin ceilings, and
other sheet metal. The tool head is a flat metal cutting head that extends
straight up from the shaft socket. The head curves out from the shaft to form
a crescent-shaped blade surface on the top. The bottom side of the crescent is
actually the hook part of the tool. Notched into the bottom side are sharp,
serrated teeth.
The main use of the EK hook is as a cutter for opening ductwork in
restaurants, fast-food places, and commercial and residential buildings. The
tool can also be used to cut open tin ceilings, metal pole buildings, and other
places where light metals are found. The head is curved and forms a hook on
the bottom side so that it can be used as a conventional pike pole, but its use is
limited to specific materials. The sharp surfaces that make this an excellent
metal cutter work against the tool when it is used to pull gypsum board. The
thin head design and sharp surfaces slice through gypsum board on both the
upstroke and the pull stroke. Even when the head is turned, the tool slices its
way out without really grabbing much
material. It’s a downside to the tool.
Remember, though, that this tool was
primarily designed to cut, not pull. Its
head does work effectively in plaster and
lath, especially in wire lath.
The tool is basically used like a long can
opener. The sharp tool head will pierce the
metal when you insert it, and the teeth will
cut again when the tool is pulled back. EK hook.
The initial opening can be made using either the poke method or the throw
method. The throw method is a bit more dangerous because of the sharp head,
and the tool has a tendency to bounce back if it doesn’t get a purchase on the
first throw.
Use the flatter part of the cutting head, the section more in line with the shaft,
for the poke method. For the throw method, use the sharp points of the tool.
There is a very sharp point on top of the head. There is another, even sharper
cutting/piercing point at the apex of the tool hook where the top cutting blade
meets the bottom cutting surface. To use this point, throw the tool with the

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point up toward the duct or metal. How it is used after the initial opening is
made depends on what you are opening and how far you have to open it.
Ductwork can be found in every structure having HVAC systems. It presents
a formidable obstacle to pike poles like the national pike poke, New York pike,
San Francisco hook, and others that are designed to pull standard building
materials.
For ductwork, the tool blade can be placed in the cut of the initial opening,
then pushed along like a knife to open the metal. You may have to jab the tool
to make the cut. These methods work for light metal. When you run into
doubled metal such as a seam or joint, the tool may come to an abrupt stop. Try
jabbing harder, or cut around the seam or joint if possible. Only open a hole the
size you need to do the initial job you set out to do. If larger amounts of duct
have to be opened, use tin snips or, better yet, an air chisel. The EK hook’s
teeth can also be used for cutting by pulling back on the pole and opening up
the metal.
When opening metal ductwork, try to follow along a seam support for the
metal. Don’t cut the seam; try to follow a path parallel to it. This will provide
support for the cutting action of the tool. The metal will flex and bind easily, so
following along a seam is like following along a joist when pulling
conventional materials—it offers more support and acts as a guide.
You may be surprised by the number of tin ceilings you can encounter. In
urban areas, old neighborhoods are being revitalized and restored to their
original appearance. In suburban and rural areas, tin ceilings that have been
scavenged from urban buildings get new life in new private homes or specialty
shops. Having an EK hook available to you may be a great advantage.
Tin ceilings are usually very difficult to open. Falling tin sections have razor-
sharp edges. Having the EK hook and other tools available will save you from
some terrible cuts and lacerations if the material can be handled completely
with tools. The sharp cutting blade is an advantage when opening tin ceilings.
Using the tool, the ceilings can be pulled down or an opening made to get a
good purchase with standard pike poles. The sharp point on the end of the
curved hook is great for searching for and opening up seams in tin ceilings.
Also, look for purchase points in areas where pipes pierce the ceiling or where
openings have been cut for ceiling fixtures.
Metal buildings, most commonly identified with rural areas, are now
common in suburban and urban areas. Storage buildings, metal shops, body
shops, and small convenience stores are commonly metal buildings.
Additionally, rural areas are seeing ever-increasing numbers of this type of
structure for machine sheds, shops, and even barns.
The EK hook can really be advantageous for getting into the sides of metal
buildings. It will also pierce and cut mobile homes and aluminum siding.
Using the tool for this purpose is similar to opening ductwork. Get an initial
purchase hole either by poking or throwing the tool head through the metal.

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Remove the tool and reset it with the blade following the split. Push the tool
along, cutting as you go. You can also cut by pulling down on the tool, letting
the teeth do their job. I think the best description of what you are doing is
cutting the metal the way you would cut paper with a knife. It isn’t as easy as
that, but you get the idea. To follow along attachment points of the metal
siding, look for the rivets or screws, and follow along as best you can. Don’t
cut on the seam; rather, cut adjacent to it. The curve of the tool provides
enough of a hook to snatch and hook insulation easily and to pull it out of the
opening. Open a hole big enough to accomplish your objective. This is not the
tool to use to open a building for a rescue. When speed is required, get a power
tool. It is difficult to use this tool during overhaul due to the shape of the hook
and the bottom-side cutting teeth. It has a very narrow cutting head and an
extremely sharp curved head. It will not grab large amounts of material when
pulling, and it cuts on the way in and cuts on the way out, making small,
narrow slits. The tool requires greater effort to remove basic construction
material during overhaul. Use a tool that has a greater pulling surface.
The EK hook may be of value as a roof tool or a tool to have with you in a
bucket or on an aerial. The EK hook will help you remove the tin from tinned-
up windows, ductwork, shaft covers, or other light metals you’ll find on a roof.
This is a valuable tool to have in your inventory. It is a limited-use item,
however, because it was designed to open metal. It will work in some instances
as a standard pike pole, but it is really lousy when used on gypsum board.
Don’t bother taking this tool to the roof except in the special situations
described above. In most cases, this tool is ineffective.

Special Uses
There are no true special uses for the EK hook. It is designed for those
situations involving sheet metal that cannot be handled by standard pike poles.

Limitations
• The cutting edges of this tool are sharp and will inflict severe injuries if
not properly handled.
• It’s a limited-use tool. It performs poorly when used on drywall.
• When piercing ceilings or walls, this tool will cut wires and other
electrical components, creating a shock hazard.
• It will damage copper water pipes if you hit them with the cutting blade.
• The tool head is thin and will not grab large amounts of material.
• The hook is very sharply curved, and the head must be driven in very
deeply to grab material.
• It is difficult to use this tool during overhaul due to the shape of the hook
and the bottom-side cutting teeth.

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• The size and shape of the tool head make it difficult to use in limited
void spaces within walls and ceilings.

BOSTON RAKE
Standard Uses
The Boston rake isn’t really a pike pole—it doesn’t have a pike or a hook.
The Boston rake is a raking tool designed to pull plaster and lath. Although it
will function as a pike pole, albeit poorly, the Boston rake is a superior tool for
use in older-construction buildings that have heavy plaster and lath, wire lath,
heavy baseboards and trim, and large window trims and frames.
The rake is a gooseneck-shafted tool that flattens out on the curve and
develops into a flat blade that widens toward the end. The leading edge of the
flat tool is angled back at about a 45-degree angle. It is beveled, and the bottom
of the angle is very sharp. The head is attached to the pole by a socket.
Boston firefighters are heavy users of this tool, and for them it is very
effective. Boston is a very old city, with construction that dates back to the 17th
century. The rake works well in older areas of the city where plaster and lath is
the predominant building material.
The rake does not work well when you use the poke method. There is no
pike, so the top side of the tool has no method for piercing into any material.
You can turn the tool around and use the
ram knob or the gas shutoff knob to make
an initial hole in the ceiling or wall. The
rake works better by using the throw
method and inserting the tool by using the
leading angled edge.
Once the hook pierces the ceiling or
wall, push the tool forward or down and
into the void space. Ensure that the head
is facing away from you, then pull down
on the pole for ceilings or straight out
when pulling a wall. The length of the Boston rake.
tool’s flat blade will distribute the force
being applied to a large surface area, and much material will come down.
Once you’ve opened up an area and can see, continue to work the tool in the
same manner, but stay very close to the joists or stud. The rake is excellent for
pulling out the lath, nails and all.
The rake doesn’t work really well in drywall. It has the same problem that
the national and other thin-headed poles have: It has a tendency to slip back or
slice through the gypsum board without really getting a firm hold.
This can be overcome by being more conscious of where you’re using the

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The Boston rake efficiently removes windows for ventilation.

tool. When trying to remove gypsum board, whether on a ceiling or wall, try
to follow the seams. Work the tool along the seams and pull the gypsum board
past the screws or nails. You’ll be more effective with that method.
The wide, flat head of the tool is effective for removing trim, but it is a bit
clumsy. To remove baseboard, let the head of the tool slide along the wall, and
drive it into the gap where the baseboard meets the wall. Let it slide with
enough force to set the point of the beveled edge of the tool quite deep. Start
in the corner if you can. Pull the pole toward you. The widest part of the blade
is at the tip just behind the angled edge. By pulling the pole, you are forcing
the blade to open a gap at least as large as the width of the blade. This may be
sufficient to pull the nails.
Window and door trim can be removed in much the same way. Slide the flat
of the rake behind the trim and lever the pole toward you. As the tool turns, the
blade will force the trim off the wall. When used carefully, the Boston rake will
remove baseboards and trim with little or no damage. That’s an important PR
fact to remember when searching unaffected rooms.

Special Uses
The Boston rake is a special-use tool in and of itself. There are some

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applications, however, at which the Boston rake can outperform some other
standard hooks.
The primary special use is for breaking thermal pane windows. The length of
the tool head and its beveled leading edge and point make breaking the newer
thermal panes a cinch. Broader pike pole points have a tendency to bounce off
the glass, especially the newest types of windows that have the inert gas
between the panes for energy efficiency. The rake head can be used to pierce
the glass rather than just smash it. The length of the blade will penetrate both
layers with relative ease. There may be less flying glass because you are using
a narrower tool to assault it.
Once the glass is broken, the gooseneck shape of the tool head makes
cleaning out the remaining shards and removing the entire frame easy.
Removing the frames of the thermal pane windows is your best option. The
butyl cement that is used to hold the glass in place makes it impossible to clean
all the pieces out of the frame.
The Boston rake can also be used on tin ceilings and other light metals. The
point of the tool can be driven in, then the metal levered from its position. The
rake lacks a good grabbing hook, so it should be used in conjunction with
another type of pole that can grab and pull the metal. The Boston rake is good
for opening up purchase points for other tools and is a good choice for roof
operations.
When using the Boston rake on the roof, make sure you have a 12-foot
handle. The deep curve of the tool head will hold roofing materials and pull
them back. This tool can be inserted into a hole headfirst, and the large surface
of the blade will distribute the force over a larger area. It may snag, but if you
know which way the head is facing, you may be able to get material to slide off
the end of the hook, out and away from the gooseneck. Try using the head
during practice sessions. Don’t experiment during a real fire when lives are at
stake.

Limitations
• The Boston rake has no pike.
• It is unable to actually grab on to material.
• Its thin head makes it difficult to use in gypsum board.
• It can easily get snagged on wiring and conduit.

CLEMENS HOOK™
Standard Uses
The clemens hook is a modernization of the traditional idea of a pike pole. It
is designed primarily as a push/pull tool for use during overhaul operations.

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The tool head is a socket-type head that resembles a misshapen crescent moon,
pointed at the top. It widens out to form an adze-type tool at the bottom of the
crescent. The adze has a bevel. Running up the center of the crescent shape is a
thin fin used to cut through material. Located on the shaft just below the tool
head are two lugs to prevent the tool from being inserted too far into the
material to be pulled. They don’t work, but they’re there. The pointed end of
the tool can be sharpened to be an effective pike for standard overhaul
operations. The beveled end on the adze can also be sharpened and is effective
in opening up walls and trim. The clemens tool doesn’t have a hook per se as
do standard boat hook-style pike poles, but the angle created between the
bottom adze end of the tool and the shaft creates a notch that can be used like a
hook. The lack of a hook makes this tool less likely to snag on wires, conduit,
plumbing, and other surprises hidden behind walls and ceilings. The tool is
much more efficient at making openings on the push stroke than it is on the
pull stroke. The poke method is the best way to set this hook into the material
because the fin and widening head will smash and open the material as you
push it in. This is very effective on gypsum board, but you’ll break a real sweat
in plaster and lath. The tool head will smash and break the laths and plaster, but
you’ll have to supply the extra effort.
An interesting way to use this tool is to turn it before you pull. Drive the tool
into the wall or ceiling with the head parallel to your body. Once it is into the
void area behind the wall or ceiling, turn the tool 90 degrees. Pull. The tool
should make a bigger hole on the downstroke. Not always, but a good
percentage of the time this will work. Repeat the process. Without a hook, the
clemens tool is poor at pulling ceilings. The hook section located at the angle
created by the adze end and shaft will always be turned toward you when you
pull ceilings. Beware.
The angle of the beveled adze is very good for removing trim. The shape of
the head will give you a good fulcrum when using the adze side of the tool.
The fulcrum is poor for the point side. Turn the face of the tool against the wall
and rake it downward, driving the beveled end of the adze in and behind the
trim. Lift up on the pole, and the trim should pop off.
Use the pointed end of the crescent to remove baseboards. Carefully jam the
point end in and behind the baseboard where the baseboard meets the wall.
With this tool, the fulcrum is poor for the point side, whether the wall gives
way or not. If this is the case, move along the wall until you find a stud. Use
the stud to back the tool, and the baseboard will be removed easily.
The clemens hook isn’t a replacement for a standard pike pole, but it does
have its place. It is excellent in areas that are primarily gypsum board and
have standard wood or plastic trim. It shouldn’t be your first choice as a roof
tool, since it was designed to be a push/pull tool. It has very limited grabbing
capacity, and the roofing material may be too thick for it to grab.
It does have an advantage during roof venting, though. The tool head has

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very small “hooks” or angles that can be used to snag things, while the crescent
shape of the head will allow material to slide by it without becoming too
terribly snagged. The broad face and cutting fin will distribute force over a
wide area and push down a lot of ceiling. It can be used on the roof but should
be limited to use by experienced roofmen.

Limitations
• It has no real hook to grab material.
• It is not conducive to prying.
• Its massive head is difficult to get through a lot of building materials
without your really having to work at it.

L.A. TRASH HOOK (AKA ARSON-TRASH

HOOK)
Standard Uses
Here is a tool whose name only hints at its serviceability on the fireground.
Used heavily in the Los Angeles area, as well as in numerous departments in
other towns and cities, the trash hook has become a very versatile tool, much
more useful than just for raking burning trash. Some tool manufacturers have
had trouble with the name, so may call their product an arson-trash hook.
Don’t let the name of the tool fool you—this is a great tool.
The tool head is an upside-down triangle. The apex of the triangle is attached
to the socket. At the two opposing corners of the triangle at the top are attached
two six-inch-or-longer metal prongs. These prongs are cylindrical and have
conical points.
The standard use of this tool is to rake trash. The two prongs penetrate into
the muck and allow firefighters to turn over smoldering debris to be washed
down and thoroughly extinguished.
A minimum of a six-foot pole allows firefighters to stay out of the debris
while working. This is extremely important because of the unknown materials
that can be found in trash. You use the tool for this technique as you would a
lawn rake at home. Grab the material, pull it, and turn it over. Simple. It works
great. It allows more material to be turned over with each stroke of the tool.
Narrower hooks cannot move material this easily, so you spend more time
standing in the stinking mess trying to put it out.
That’s it. That’s the standard use for a trash hook.

Special Uses
Firefighters discovered that the trash hook was an excellent multiuse tool in

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the field. Through trial and

experimentation, the tool has
become a valuable asset for
ventilation, overhaul, arson
investigation, and roof operations.
The sharp tines of the rake will
penetrate and shatter glass
without any problem. By using
the throw method, a firefighter
can shatter windows, including
thermal panes, with ease. Once L.A. trash hook.
the glass is broken, the wide head of the rake will make short work of
removing all of the remaining window sash. This gives firefighters an area
clear of glass shards and a large, clear area for smoke and fire to vent.
During overhaul operations, a firefighter using a trash hook can open large
areas with the least effort of any pole tool. The awkward location of the tines,
however, makes gaining the initial purchase a little more difficult. To open
ceilings with the trash hook, use the throw method.
Once the trash hook head is into the bay, turn the tool so that the tines are
facing away from you, then pull down and away. Know what material you’re
in, though, because you’ll have to gauge how hard to pull. If you pull too hard
on gypsum board, the tines may pull right through. Be on the lookout for
plasterboard that may pivot on the seam and slap you in the face. Once your
initial hole is opened, continue raking the area clean, following the joist. The
very large surface area of the trash hook head will pull down large amounts of
debris. When you get to the wall, turn around and repeat the process. Because
of the amount of material you will be pulling down at once, make sure you
don’t leave any tools or equipment lying on the floor. You will soon bury them
in debris. The trash hook makes quick work of plaster and lath, as well as
gypsum board. It is almost useless in wire lath, and the power of the pulling
surface may cause you to pull the whole ceiling down on you at once.
Opening walls with the trash hook is an operation similar to opening ceilings.
In walls, though, you can use either the poke method or the throw method. The
throw method is easier. Once the tines have pierced the wall, lift up on the pole
so that the tines are parallel with you (vertical) inside the wall. Pull. For
gypsum board, pull gently; for plaster and lath, pull hard. You will rake out a
lot of material. Take a look at where you are, and reset the tool along the stud.
Go to work. You won’t be there long. Be conscious of any resistance you feel
while pulling. The long tines of the hook may snag on wires, conduit, or
plumbing. The wall material should offer no resistance to the tool.
The trash hook is not a do-all type of tool, however. Its head design makes it
awkward for certain overhaul functions, such as trim removal and baseboard
removal. It works, and you can perform the job with the trash hook, but it’s a

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1 2

3 4

1. The trash hook will easily remove wooden flooring

5
and ceilings. First, remove one board with conventional
tools. 2. Next, insert the tines on either side of a joist.
3. Pull up on the tool handle. 4. The tines will force the
board from the joist. 5. Once it is loose, pull down hard
to remove the entire board.

little bit more time-consuming and

can sometimes be frustrating. Use a
different hook for these jobs, or have
a halligan-type pry bar handy.
The trash hook is an advantageous
tool for the arson investigator. Unlike
the shovel, the trash hook can pick
through debris while evidence is

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being sought. The trash hook, when properly used, will move material without
jumbling it up the way a shovel does.
The trash hook is a great tool to take to the roof with you. The large tines will
grab and hold roof material from the vent hole and help to pull it back out of
the way. The triangular head will slip by most obstacles inside the hole, and the
very large head and tines will push down tremendous amounts of ceiling
material. The tines may snag when retrieving the tool from the hole, but if you
are conscious of which way the head is facing, you can angle it and allow the
material to slip off. You must know which way the tool is facing to be
effective; adding a hook indicator to the handle will help.
The L.A. trash hook is a great tool to have. It is a true multipurpose tool and
very effective in many different situations. The fire service needs to come up
with a better name, though.

Limitations
• Because of its name, the value of the tool is overlooked.
• It doesn’t remove trim and baseboard as effectively as other tools.
• It can be a real hazard if not carried or laid down properly. The six-inch
tines can penetrate right through a human foot.

ARROW HOOK
Standard Uses
The arrow hook is very similar in design to the New York pike pole. The
obelisk-shaped pike has been modified into a very pointed and sharpened
arrow shape. There are definitive troughs in the iron head on all four sides of
the pike, as well as the hook. These troughs actually help to make strong
cutting surfaces on all parts of the tool head and allow it to penetrate almost all
building materials except metal. The pike ends in a flattened chisel point. The
hook curves off the main pike point, but not severely. The tool head is a socket
type.
The shape of the head makes this tool excellent for overhaul. It is not overly
heavy (when compared with a national pike pole it’s heavy, but it’s not as
heavy or massive as the New York pike pole). The tool is well designed and
very well balanced when installed properly. Its chiseled arrow point and size of
the fat hook make it a perfect implement of destruction for overhauling a room.
The modified arrow-shaped head makes it a good tool to remove baseboards,
door trims, and moldings. The pike will penetrate plaster and lath easily, and
the hook is curved slightly so that it will grab a large amount of material and
pull it easily on the downstroke.
Gypsum board and lighter material will also fall easily when you use the

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arrow pike pole. The tool head size will grab chunks of gypsum board and
make large holes as compared with the national pike pole, which has a
tendency to slice through. The arrow pike pole is very effective for pushing
materials as well as pulling.
The head is very similar in design to the New York pike pole and makes the
arrow hook as effective as the New York pole for dropping ladders on fire
escapes, as described on page 72. The arrow pike pole is also an excellent
choice as a roof hook. Its curved hook is able to grab and hold roofing material
when opening vent holes. Because its head is hooked, you should insert the
butt end of the pole to push down ceilings.

Special Uses
It’s just a pike pole. This tool is highly recommended for use in areas of older
construction that consists of plaster and lath, wire lath, and heavier types of
construction.

Limitations
• Although well balanced, the tool head is heavy, which is always
detrimental when mounted on a long pole.
• The tool head needs to be regularly sharpened so that it will penetrate
heavy materials adequately.
• The pike and hook are quite dangerous.

ODD HOOKS
There are a small number of variations on the standard firefighting hooks
available from different tool manufacturers. Many of them are really odd
looking but seem to be effective tools. Not much information about them was
available. Only a limited number of departments across the country have such
tools, making information on correct and safe procedures difficult to gather.
Included here are two tools on which I was able to gather some information.

GATORBACK HOOK
Standard Uses
The gatorback hook is a really strange tool. It has a standard national pike
pole head and 10 sharpened teeth running along the top or pike side. The edges
of the pike and the hook have been beveled to increase their penetrating ability
on the upstroke of the tool.
The firefighter has the option of either pulling the tool like a standard pike

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: FIREFIGHTING HAND TOOLS AND THEIR USE

Gatorback hook.

pole or cutting the material by flipping the tool over and using the 10 teeth.
The total length of the head is approximately 18 inches.
I haven’t seen a tremendous number of these tools in use. The few that I have
seen have been four-foot closet models. The firefighters who have used them
say they work all right but that the gator teeth usually end up snagging on
something and that the pole has to be used like any other pike pole.

Special Uses
I don’t honestly know whether there are any special uses for this tool other
than what the manufacturer claims it will do.

In-House Modifications
Unknown.

Limitations
• The tool can’t always be buried deep enough into void spaces to make
use of the gator teeth.
• The tool snags on wiring, conduit, plumbing, drop ceiling fasteners, X
bracing, and other materials hidden in void spaces.
• The tool is sharp and difficult to move safely in a structure.
• The tool head is thin and will not grab large amounts of material.
• The hook is very sharply curved, requiring that the head be driven in
very deeply for the hook to grab material.
• It is more difficult to use this tool during overhaul due to the shape of the hook.
• It is difficult to use this tool in structures that have limited void spaces
behind walls and ceilings due to the size and shape of the tool head.

DRAGONSLAYER™
Standard Uses
The Dragonslayer™ is not really a true pike pole. It is a tool designed to rip
and cut gypsum board as well as plaster and lath. It will pull material as you

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Dragonslayer™.

work with it, but there is no pulling surface incorporated into the tool.
This tool is used like a tree-trimming saw to cut open plaster and lath or
gypsum board ceilings and walls. It has a small, triangular point at the tip of
the head. Use the point to enter whatever material you are going to cut. The
poke method would be the best to use, since the throw method is hazardous
with a head this size in a limited-space area. The safest method of using this
tool is to open a hole with another tool; otherwise, invert the Dragonslayer and
poke a hole into the chosen area using the end of the tool. After the small
opening is made, the Dragonslayer can be inserted and used like a saw with no
trouble. The tool is supposed to cut on both the upstroke and the downstroke
but actually cuts best on the downstroke. Cut until you have the desired hole.
The tool is very effective on wire lath.

Special Uses
I could not find any special uses for this tool.

In-House Modifications
No modifications could be found other than good maintenance to maintain
the teeth.

Limitations
• The tool can’t always be buried deep enough into void spaces to make
use of all the teeth.
• It snags on wiring and other materials hidden in void spaces.
• The head is sharp and a threat to carry inside.
• The head is thin and must be worked hard to cut.
• There is no hook.
• The shape of the head makes it more difficult to use during overhaul.
• The size and shape of the tool head make it impossible to use in
structures lacking adequate void spaces behind the walls and ceilings.

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CHAPTER 6:
PERSONAL TOOLS

I
n many instances on the fireground, the availability of a tool may make the
difference between effecting a rescue and doing a body recovery, between
getting yourself out of a tight situation and not. Firefighters, especially
officers, should always have a tool with them.
A lot of the standard firefighting hand tools are sometimes too clumsy to
take with you when stretching handlines or performing some of the other
tasks you are required to do. There is still no excuse for not having a tool
available.
In this chapter, we’ll look at tools that are downsized versions of standard
firefighting hand tools. They are easily carried and efficient when used
correctly. Keep in mind, however, that these tools do not replace the standard
firefighting tools—they supplement them. Many of the personal tools are
severely limited in capability, especially the prying tools. You can count on
them to perform well if you know how to use them properly and you fully
understand their limitations. Personal tools cannot replace the full-size
firefighting tools.

OFFICER’S HALLIGAN HOOK

Standard Uses
The officer’s halligan hook is a full-size tool head on a shorter metal shaft.
One side of the head is completely flat, which makes it easy to slide along the
floor. The metal shaft is covered in foam, which makes a good, firm grip. On
the end of the tool is a gas shutoff.
This is an excellent tool for an officer to carry. Its flat side will slide along the
floor while you crawl, and its length will add reach to your search. It’s an
excellent tool for sweeping under furniture, into cabinets, or under beds when
searching for children.
The halligan hook head gives you all the prying options available on the full-
size pole. The only thing missing is the amount of leverage you will have for
big prying jobs. Limit the use of this tool for making inspection holes or for
prying back trim and baseboards to check for fire extension.
The smaller size of the tool has advantages over the longer pole version. You
can swing this tool more effectively to chop open holes in walls. Giant swings
are unnecessary—short, strong blows will open a decent hole. Insert the tool
head and pull as you would a standard-size pike pole. An inspection hole will
be opened rapidly.

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The officer’s halligan hook is an extremely useful tool for engine company
officers. It can easily be carried in a hammer holster such as the kind carpenters
use. Attach the holster to a truck belt and the tool will always be with you.
Truck work that must be performed immediately, with the exception of
opening ceilings, can be performed by the officer quickly, and the fire can be
controlled until truckies can be brought in to completely open up the void
spaces. Windows can be vented with the tool, saving possible injury to
firefighters who might otherwise use a helmet or body part to break glass. The
tool will also efficiently remove all the window sashes, creating an egress point
for emergencies.
The gas shutoff on the butt end allows the officer to control gas utilities
quickly while performing his size-up walk-around. It will also allow him to pry
open windows and break window and door glass for quick forcible entry.
This tool can’t replace the full-size halligan hook pole, but it will make the
engine company more efficient without hampering their mobility.

Special Uses
There are no real special uses for the officer’s halligan hook. Read the section
on the halligan hook in Chapter 5 for many of the uses of this style of tool head.

In-House Modifications
There are two in-house modifications recommended. The first is to keep the
beveled edges of the tool relatively sharp. However, because you will be
crawling around in dark, confined spaces with other firefighters, keep the
edges sufficient to pry with but dull enough so as not to cause injury. The
second modification would be to repaint the tool or mark it with reflective
markings. The tool is black when it comes from the manufacturer and is hard
to see.

Limitations
• The tool is short, so it lacks some leverage compared with a full-size
halligan hook.
• Swinging it in the dark and smoke can cause severe injury. When breaking
glass, don’t overswing. The tool is weighty enough. Overswinging may
pull your hand through the window, causing severe cuts.
• The tool comes from the manufacturer painted black. It’s hard to see if
you drop it or put it down while searching.
• This tool has limited forcible entry capabilities.
• The tool is much too short for pulling ceilings.

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OFFICER’S TOOL (AKA O TOOL)

Standard Uses
The officer’s tool is a multipurpose forcible entry and search tool, designed
and specified by FDNY. The original tool was invented by Captain Bob Farrell,
Ladder 31, FDNY. It is 17 inches long, is made of high-quality steel, and weighs
21⁄2 pounds. The tool is basically a block-type head welded onto a steel shaft.
The back side of the block, better referred to as the adze, is a striking surface.
The adze is slightly curved, and a lock-pulling tool known as the A tool is
machined into the front side of the block. The A tool is a beveled cutting surface
very similar to an ordinary nail puller. The A tool is wide enough to allow the
face of a lock cylinder to slide into it so that it can be pulled off. The beveled
edges are on the inside of the tool head, and the outside surface is smooth to
allow the tool to be driven in and behind lock cylinders.
The tool shaft is usually covered in foam, which may or may not have little
pockets to accommodate a through-the-lock forcible entry key tool. The
bottom side of the tool has a slightly angled prying surface; the angle of the
surface is opposite that of the A tool in the head.
The officer’s tool functions well as a light pry bar. It will pop open standard
lightweight residential doors and light commercial doors such as those found
in office buildings. It is used in virtually the same manner as a claw tool, as
described in Chapter 3. This tool is 10 inches shorter than a standard prying
bar, however, and doesn’t have the same leverage capabilities. Just don’t
overexert pressure on this tool.
The officer’s tool can be used to open windows, as long as you keep the
bevel of the prying end well dressed. It’s really designed to function as the
primary tool for through-the-lock forcible entry. The A tool machined into the
adze end will effectively pull most lock cylinders from the door, allowing you
to gain access to the lock mechanism to trip it with the key tool.
To remove a lock cylinder, position the A tool on top of the cylinder at a 45-
degree angle. Strike the top, driving the beveled edges down and behind the
cylinder. Lift up on the tool as you strike to allow it to get in and behind the

Officer’s tool.
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lock face and to grab hold. Strike the tool until you are sure that it has a firm
hold on the lock cylinder. Pry up. Always pry up. This minimizes the chances
of damaging the lock mechanism, making it inoperable. The lock cylinder
should pull out. Some locks have case-hardened screws, so you may be there
awhile, struggling. Keep driving the tool as needed. Eventually the lock will
pull out. Now the mechanism is exposed for you to trip with the key tool.
The officer’s tool extends your reach during searches and will allow you to
vent windows as you go. It will also create inspection holes, pull baseboards
and trim, and perform other limited overhaul jobs. This tool is extremely
versatile and should be available to anyone riding in the right front seat of
responding apparatus.

Special Uses
The entire premise of this tool is that it is a special-use tool. There are no
other specific uses that could be categorized as special.

In-House Modifications
Paint the tool a color you can see. Otherwise, it is ready for use when you
get it from the manufacturer. Keep the bevels sharp. You may want to
increase the sharpness of the bevel on the prying end of the tool since it
sometimes is a little fat to get a good initial purchase when prying.

Limitations
• It is not a full-size bar, and its total leverage capabilities are limited. It
cannot and will not force medium to heavily secured doors—a standard
pry bar will be needed. The tool can be bent or broken if too much force
is applied.
• The two prongs at the end of the A tool are extremely sharp and can
cause severe puncture wounds. Always crawl with the points down!
• The tool is small and black. It is hard to see.
• Its limited leverage consequently limits its suitability for overhaul.
• For pulling ceilings or heavy overhauling, use a full-size tool.

MINI-HALLIGAN BAR
Standard Uses
A personal halligan bar (full-size) is the best prying tool available to the
firefighter. The mini-halligan bar is a modification of the full-size bar
developed by Deputy Chief Hugh Halligan of FDNY during the 1940s. The

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bar is much lighter, weighing only 41⁄2 pounds. It is shorter than the standard
bar by 10 inches. The adze on the mini-halligan bar has been replaced with an
A tool head, similar to that of the officer’s tool. A narrower, slightly angled
hook or pike extends from the A tool head.
This section of the chapter will describe the uses of the mini-halligan bar,
which is preferred by firefighters as a personal tool. It must be stressed that this
tool does not replace the standard-size halligan bar. It is used as a personal tool
by firefighters who understand that a full set of irons is close by to back them
up if they need it. None of the tools in this chapter should be construed as
replacements for their heavier, full-size counterparts.
The use of the minis-halligan bar is still a matter of leverage. With the
smaller bar, obviously, you have less. The design of the tool allows for multiple
functions with one tool, but leverage is the key. Mini-halligans are 20 inches in
length and weigh about four to 41⁄2 pounds. These tools aren’t usually a single
piece of forged steel—normally the tool heads are welded onto a steel shaft.
Often these tools have tubular shafts or bars, which are substantially weaker
than a solid piece of steel.
The adze end of the tool has the contours of a standard halligan bar. The A tool
is machined into the adze to create a formidable through-the-lock forcible entry
tool. The shaft is usually
made of aircraft steel.
Some tools have a di-
amond-type grip surface
machined into them; others
have the foam-style cov-
ering for added grip. The
fork is not broad and is
relatively straight with a
slight curve. On most tools,
the fork is four inches
long and tapers into two
straight, beveled tines (the
bevels are on top of the Mini-halligan bar.
tines). The spacing be-
tween the tines allows gas valves; small, nonhardened padlock hasps; and other
objects to be levered by the tool. The bottom side of the fork is called the
beveled side, and the top side of the fork or “dished” side is the concave side.
There are no striking surfaces on the fork. This smaller 20-inch version of the
halligan will perform numerous functions when properly used. To start, it is a
good bar to use in conventional forcible entry.
For inward-swinging doors, two firefighters can make quick work of a
lightly to moderately secured door. Place the bevel side of the fork against
the door, about six inches above or below the lock. If it is a steel or metal-

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clad door, go get the bigger halligan! Angle the bar slightly toward the floor
or ceiling. Tap the mini-halligan with the back of a flathead axe or, better
yet, a mallet or smaller hammer. An eight-pound axe slamming into this tool
may break the weld. This tool should not be forced into areas that call for a
heavy-duty, full-size pry bar. It is not designed for heavy doors, high-
security locks, or steel doors. It will work fine in residences and light-
commercial buildings.
Another method for inward-swinging doors is to drive the hook of the small
halligan completely into the doorjamb six inches above or below the lock.
Push the mini-halligan bar down and the door will open. It is very important to
push down. In trying all the different methods, I discovered that you work
twice as hard physically when you pry upward, and the door usually doesn’t
open! Use leverage to your advantage, especially in this case, since the mini-
halligan bar is only 20 inches long. A moderately heavy tubular dead bolt may
stop you completely.
Outward-swinging doors are another story. Flush-fitting doors can be forced
using either the adze end or the fork end of the mini-halligan. To perform the
fork end technique, which is very effective, place the concave side of the fork
toward the door, cant the tool slightly toward the floor or ceiling to get a better
purchase, and drive the tool using a flathead axe or other striking tool. As the
mini-halligan is driven in, move the tool perpendicular to the door to prevent
driving the fork into the jamb. When the tool has spread the door as far as
possible, force the adze end of the mini-halligan away from the door and it
will open.
Another technique is to use the adze end of the mini-halligan bar. Put the
adze of the tool six inches above or below the lock. Drive the adze into the
space between the door and the jamb. Drive the adze deep. The bar should
stand out by itself perpendicular to the door when you’re finished driving it
in. When you are sure that the adze is sufficiently into the space, pry down
and outward with the fork end of the mini-halligan to force the door open.
If you run across recessed doors or a door with a wall next to the lock, use
the adze end of the tool. Place the adze end of the mini-halligan six inches
above or below the lock and drive the adze into place. Pry downward and out
with the forked end of the tool to force the door open. This operation is a bit
clumsy, so be extremely careful when driving the tool into place. One
firefighter should do it.
The mini-halligan bar is excellent for prying open windows. Insert the fork
of the tool under the bottom sash of a double-hung window and tap the tool
into place. Pry down, and the screws of the window lock should pull out.
This mini-halligan will also work as an A tool when confronted by locks.
Use it in the same manner as you would the officer’s tool, described on pages
101-102.

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Special Uses
There are no real special uses for the mini-halligan bar. It is a personal-use
tool, and it cannot be stressed enough that this implement does not replace a
full-size bar. The tool functions well for light overhaul, for making inspection
holes, and for light forcible entry.

In-House Modifications
The tool is black and hard to see. Add color or reflective tape so you don’t
lose it. Some tools have the foam grip; some do not. On those tools that don’t
have the foam grip, you might consider adding French hitching. The grip
should be at least two inches from the fork end of the bar, up to two inches
below the adze.

Limitations
• The tool is too short. Twenty inches does not give you a lot of the leverage
you need for forcible entry.
• The tool is welded, not forged.
• The points on the end of the A tool are very sharp and can cause serious
injury. Always crawl with the points down.

TRUCKMAN’S TOOL
(AKA TRUCKIE TOOL)
Standard Uses
The truckman’s tool came about due to the shortcomings of the smaller
versions of the halligan bar. Leverage is a key factor in using any tool, and the
smaller versions of the halligan just won’t do all of the same functions as the
big bar. The truckman’s tool is not a replacement for the halligan, either, but it
does have two major improvements over its smaller cousin.
The first improvement is that the truckman’s tool has a full-size adze head
like a full-size bar. The adze end of the tool gently curves and flares out
slightly from the tool shaft to the end. The adze has a long and wide A tool
machined into it. This A tool is wider than that of the officer’s tool or the
small halligan. It will receive some of the larger tubular-style locks much
more easily than the other two types of tools. Secondly, the head of the tool
has three striking surfaces: the top of the tool—that is, on top of the adze—
and on both sides. These surfaces have been designed to receive relatively
heavy blows from a striking tool.
The tool is 16 inches long. On the other end is a full-size curved chisel
prying surface similar in design and function to the chisel prying tool on the

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Truckman’s tool.
end of a roofman’s hook. This prying surface allows you to pry off hasps,
fasteners, latches, and other locking devices. The prying end can be driven
in, but with only 16 inches of lever, don’t go too deep. The tool will be a big
nail, and you won’t be able to get it out. On some versions, there is a forked
end like the small halligan. The fork is at a 90-degree angle to the adze,
much like the Chicago patrol bar. The fork can be used in the same way as
the forks on the small halligans. The fork is not full-size, so its ability to pry
is limited.
Through personal use, I have found this tool to be a better A tool than
the mini-halligan or the officer’s tool. The A tool’s full-size head and
wider opening make it very effective on different types of locks. It does
lack the prying capacity of a small halligan or O tool, however. The tool is
welded like the small halligan and the officer’s tool, so it can break if
misused or poorly maintained. It lacks a hook or point like the small
halligan, but that’s no great loss. It isn’t supposed to replace the
halligan—just augment it.

Special Uses
The truckman’s tool has no real special uses. It is a special-use tool unto
itself.

In-House Modifications
There aren’t really any modifications that can be made to this tool to improve
its performance. It is made of shiny steel, so other than a personal mark or two,
you don’t need to paint it. The chisel end can be filed to a finer taper and bevel
to be used for jimmying open light residential and commercial doors. The
version with the forked end should also be filed to improve the bevel of the
fork tines. The machined knurled grip in the handle provides a sufficient grip
surface. French hitching would be a lot of work for this small tool, and it
wouldn’t really improve the grip much.

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Limitations
• The tool is short, and doesn’t have a great deal of leverage. When the
tool is driven in with a striking tool, it can be difficult to get it to move.
• The points on the end of the A tool are very sharp. Keep them pointed
downward when crawling.

FENCER’S PLIERS
Standard Uses
Fencer’s pliers are commercially available items. They were first brought to
my attention many years ago by a fellow Davenport, Iowa, firefighter. He
carried a pair in his coat pocket and used them at almost every fire we went to.
The pliers were again brought to my attention by Firefighter John Grasso of
Engine 48, FDNY. John also carries a pair in his coat pocket.
These pliers are odd-looking things. They are used in rural farm settings for
setting up and repairing fencing. They have a pick point, wire nippers, wire
cutters, a pliers jaw, a small striking face, and insulated handles.
The point end can be used to break window glass. The pliers are strong
enough and provide enough leverage to turn the gas valves on most residential
gas meters. They are excellent for removing battery cables from their posts.
The small hammer can be used to tack plaster and lath in place during salvage
operations.
They are also capable of cutting chain-link fence wire, metal staples, and de-
energized wires. They are great for grabbing that elusive hood latch cable
during a car fire.
All in all, these pliers will give you the most for your dollar. They’re a handy
tool to be carried in your coat pocket or a great addition to the special tools kit.

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SEVERAL-IN-ONE
TOOLS
T
his chapter deals with some pretty controversial items. Throughout fire
service history, tools have been designed to try to perform multiple
functions. Most have long since been retired, ushered out of the fire
station on the same piece of apparatus they came in on—many of them with
their original coat of paint still intact.
The tools used in the fire service in this country date back more than 390
years to the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown in 1607. Some of
the tools we use today stem from that settlement. Most notable among them
are the pickhead axe and the pike pole. A lot of tools have come and gone since
then; we always seem to drift back to some very basic, durable tools.
There are four several-in-one tools this chapter will deal with. There may be
more, but four is plenty. We’ll start with the most recent tool and work toward
the older ones.

T-N-T TOOL, FORMERLY

THE DENVER TOOL
Standard Uses
The T-N-T tool is a combination of four tools in one: sledgehammer, axe,
pike pole, and pry bar. It can be used to ventilate, pull ceilings, and perform
conventional forcible entry and overhaul.
This tool is available from its manufacturer in three different lengths and four
different weights. The standard model is 40 inches long with an 81⁄2-pound tool
head. Its overall weight is 131⁄2 pounds. Other weights and sizes stretch from 30
inches long with a 61⁄2-pound head to a 40-inch tool with a 61⁄2-pound head.
Total weights range from 101⁄2 pounds to 131⁄2 pounds.

T-N-T tool.
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The tool resembles an axe. The working head has a striking surface on one
side and a broad-bit axe on the opposite face. There is a hole in the tool head
that functions as a handgrip. The fiberglass handle is stout and ends in a
combination chisel/pry point and pike pole head. The chisel point is wide and
flat and very sharp. The hook is thin and flat.
Using the tool is much like using an axe; it requires the same attention to stance
and swing. To use the T-N-T tool as a pike pole is a chore. At a maximum length
of only 40 inches, it will be difficult to reach up over your head to pull ceilings.
However, the tool does work well when pulling walls. To use it as a pike pole,
grab it through the hole in the tool head. Keep the blade side turned away from
your face. Use the poke method for getting the tool into the ceiling. The chisel
point will pierce plaster and lath with relative ease. Don’t get carried away trying
to insert the tool, though. There is an 81⁄2-pound sledge head with a cutting blade
real close to your face. It is unforgiving if you hit yourself.
The narrow pike hook works identically to the national pike pole. It makes
small tears in the gypsum board and cannot grab a lot of material on the
downstroke. Use the tool as a pike pole sparingly. Working with it over your
head is very tiring.
The T-N-T tool can be used to breach walls. Use the axe to cut through walls
efficiently, or flip it over and use the striking end to smash through them.
During overhaul, the T-N-T tool can be an effective tool to open walls, floors,
and other surfaces. The blade is a very effective tool for sliding behind
baseboards, door trim, and moldings. The amount of pressure you will need to
exert to remove such materials will depend on how well it was installed, but
generally you will be able to get it off with the T-N-T tool. Remember, you are
applying unnatural force to the handle when prying. If whatever you are trying
to remove resists, move the tool to a new purchase point. Overapplying
pressure may snap the handle.
To remove window moldings, door trim, and other materials, drive the chisel
point/prying end down and behind the molding, then pull the tool toward you.
To remove baseboards, use the chisel point.
The prying end is also an excellent tool for removing floorboards. Drive the
chisel into a groove between floorboards and push the tool down, levering the
floorboard up. The objective here is to use the tool as a long-handled chisel.
Make sure that you have a strong purchase in the wood before you begin prying.
The T-N-T tool is a very efficient tool for removing standard doors from their
frames. In most residential and light commercial buildings, doors are only
attached to their frames by hinges screwed into wooden studs. To remove a
door with little or no damage to either the door or frame, insert the blade of the
axe between the door and frame either just above or just below the top hinge.
Shut the door. Exert slight pressure on the handle and pry the door away from
the frame. The screws will pull out. Open the door, turn the tool upside down,
and repeat the process at the bottom hinge. The door can easily be removed. If
the door has a center hinge, remove it last, since the door will be less likely to

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get stuck that way. This is an excellent method for getting doors out of the way
during firefighting operations and overhaul. It is also an easy method for
obtaining something solid (the door) to act as planking over a hole in the floor.
Little damage will be inflicted on either the door or door frame.
If you have well-maintained tools, the handle of your T-N-T tool is also
effective for removing lots of plaster and lath in a short time. While
overhauling, open up a decent-size hole three to five feet off the floor. Insert
the handle of the tool down into the bay. Grasp the blade and pick and pull
toward you. The handle will pull large amounts of plaster and lath.

Special Uses
The T-N-T tool is capable of performing several tasks in auto extrication,
including making holes to act as purchase points for heavier hydraulic tools.
It will also remove auto glass easily.

In-House Modifications
Don’t modify this tool.

Limitations
The T-N-T tool has several limitations:
• The tool is sharp at both ends. When using it, there is always a sharp end
in motion.
• When working overhead, the firefighter is pulling a heavy hammerhead
close to his own head.
• The tool is too short to be an effective pike pole. Working overhead with
this tool is very tiring.
• It lacks any real curved surface for prying. There is a chisel end, but no adze.
• There are no real defined fulcrum points for prying.
• Using the hole in the head for a handle may cause wrist damage if the
pike pole end of the tool hits unexpected hard materials.
• This tool can’t be easily repaired in the firehouse.

CINCINNATI TOOL
Standard Uses
The Cincinnati tool was developed by a lieutenant in the Cincinnati Fire
Department. It is very similar to the T-N-T tool in the types of tools that it
has combined. The Cincinnati tool has a pickhead axe, a prying surface, a
nail puller, a gas shutoff, and a pike pole all in one. The tool is one-piece

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construction, all of stainless steel. It comes in one length, 26 inches, and

weighs a very light 10 pounds.
The axe head end has a cutting-type axe surface on one side and a pick tool
on the other. There is a hole in the head, big enough for a gloved hand, so that
the tool can be used as a prying or pike pole. The other end of the tool is a very
odd-looking hook and nail-pulling tool. The hook is almost exactly like the
hook of a national pike pole. It is flat, sharply curved, and narrow. On the
bottom side of the hook is a nail puller/forked prying end. The prying end is
very narrow, and it forks into two narrow tines. The prying tool is curved and
functions just like the claw on a claw hammer. There is a gas shutoff machined
into the metal area between the hook and the prying surface.
The technique for using the tool is exactly the same as the T-N-T tool with
one exception: There really is no prying surface on the Cincinnati tool. There is
a narrow nail puller, with no real ability to pull large amounts of material.
There is no chisel or adze.

Special Uses
There are no special uses for this tool.

In-House Modifications
Do not modify this tool.

Limitations
Because of its similarity to the T-N-T tool, its limitations are similar.
• The tool is sharp at both ends. When using it, there is always a sharp end
in motion.
• When working overhead, the firefighter is pulling an axe head close to
his face.
• The tool is too short to be an effective pike pole. Working overhead with
this tool is very tiring.
• It lacks any real usable surface for prying. There is a no chisel end or adze.
• The fulcrum points are inefficient for prying.
• Using the hole in the head for a handle may cause wrist damage if the
pike pole end of the tool hits unexpected hard materials.
• This tool can’t be easily repaired in the firehouse.

PRY AXE
Standard Uses
The pry axe is a multipurpose forcible entry and search tool. It has been a

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Pry axe.

standard firefighting tool for many years. The functions of the pry axe include
cutting, prying, utility shutoff, forcible entry, and glass removal. The tool is
about 18 inches long and weighs approximately four pounds. It is actually in
two pieces—there is a removable steel bar that slides out to make an additional
prying handle. It has a block-type head that is welded onto a steel shaft. One
side of the block has a cutting blade with serrated teeth located on its bottom
side. Opposite the cutting blade is a tapered pick. The tool shaft is covered in
rubber. At the bottom of the tool is a fat fork, which is attached to a steel rod
that slides up into the handle of the pry axe. There is a release button on the
pick side of the tool head to release the bar. If you twist the fork a quarter turn,
the bar will be released entirely from the tool. The fork also functions as a gas
shutoff.
The tool can function like a small axe, capable of cutting material with the
blade or smashing it with the pick. It’s a bit lightweight, though, and the head
and cutting surfaces are easily broken or chipped.
The pry axe functions well as a light pry tool. It will pop open standard
lightweight residential doors and light commercial doors like those found in
office buildings. There are several techniques for using the pry axe. To open an
inward-swinging door, use the axe part of the tool like a slap hammer to drive
the fork into the door. This is a small tool with small surfaces, so don’t drive
the tool in too deep and overload it. As the fork end is struck, slowly move the
bar perpendicular to the door to prevent the fork end from penetrating the
interior doorjamb. Exert pressure toward the door, forcing it open. Don’t
overexert pressure on the tool; it doesn’t have the leverage capabilities of
bigger, heavier tools. Use the slap-hammer technique for doors that open
outward as well.
To open windows with the pry axe, keep the bevel of the fork end well
dressed. Insert the fork end of the tool between the bottom rail of the window
and the sill. Once set, pry down on the bar. The screws holding the window
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lock should pull out. The axe blade can also be used to open windows. To
perform this, first release the bar from the handle of the tool by twisting the
fork a quarter turn and sliding it out. Insert the end of the bar into the socket
hole in the side of the tool head. Slip the blade of the axe under the window
frame and push or pull the steel bar. The window lock will pop.
During overhaul, the pry axe can be an effective tool to open walls. The
blade is a good tool for sliding behind baseboards, door trim, and moldings.
The pick on the pick head will not allow you to pry the baseboards easily
because it’s too small. To use the blade to remove baseboards, place the blade
behind the baseboard at the point where the baseboard meets the wall. Once
the blade is well set, pull the handle toward you. If the blade has trouble getting
into the space, release the fork from the tool and tap the blade into place.
Reinsert the fork into the handle, but leave it sticking out at maximum
extension, which will increase your leverage and allow you to get the
baseboard off.
The pry axe extends your reach during searches and will allow you to vent
windows as you go. It will also create inspection holes, pull baseboards and
trim, and perform other limited overhaul techniques

Special Uses
The entire premise of the tool is for special use. The pry axe is not used
much anymore. It has been replaced by newer and stronger tools. Many of
the firefighters who really knew how to use this tool have long since retired.

In-House Modifications
No modifications should be made to this tool.

Limitations
• It is less than full-size and therefore has less leverage capability. It can’t
even breach medium-security doors and will bend or break if too much
force is applied.
• It is small and easy to lose.
• Its limited leverage makes it suitable for small overhaul jobs only.

HUX BAR
The hux bar is a hydrant wrench gone crazy! This tool is in every old manual
that I’ve run across, but there is never any explanation as to how to use it. The
tool itself is still around, and fire departments all across the country have them
on active engine companies.

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Hux bar.

Standard Uses
The hux bar is first and foremost a hydrant wrench, and a poor one at that.
The tool is chromed tubular steel, with a very thin, flat hydrant tool at one end
and a curved, tapered prying point with a small fulcrum at the other. The
hydrant wrench end has two openings for hydrant operating nuts. One is
square; the other is pentagonal. Most of the tools currently in use have had
these openings severely rounded out by trying to open tough hydrants.
Attached to the flat hydrant tool end is a two-pronged nail puller.
I cannot in good faith say anything positive about this tool. I’ve asked
many firefighters who have used it, and most of them have admitted to
breaking or bending it when they encounter tough hydrants or a medium-
security door or window. I’ve seen intact tools in fire departments, but the
tool has been taken out of service and is in the storeroom or polished and
displayed on the parade rig. Most of the tools that I have seen still carried on
active rigs are rusted and broken. The nail puller is most often bent or broken
off completely. The hydrant wrench holes are rounded out, and the tapered
prying point at the end has been straightened.
If you have this tool, do it and yourself a favor. Take it out of service. It has
survived long past its usefulness and is not a tool on which you want to stake
your life.

Special Uses
There are no special uses. This tool cannot perform basic tasks.

In-House Modifications
Polish it and put it in a display case or on the antique rig.

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SPECIAL-PURPOSE
TOOLS

N
ot every situation you will face on the fireground can be handled by
standard fire service tools. Over the years, firefighters across the
country have been faced with special situations where they needed a
certain type of tool to accomplish an assignment quickly and effectively. These
special situations can range from special types of lock assemblies to high-
security padlocks to brick walls and a whole range of other problems
encountered on the fireground. The standard fire department tools may not be
sufficient to get the job done. Firefighters, being who they are, designed and
built those special tools to provide a more efficient and professional service to
the public.
Often the tools themselves were borrowed from the seedier sides of life.
Burglar tools, jimmies, and slip knives were not the standard tools carried by
the local hardware store or reputable toolmaker. There were no instruction
manuals included in the package. Over many years and hundreds of thousands
of situations, special-purpose tools became standard fire department inventory.
Every firefighter reading this book must remember one thing about these
tools: Don’t get caught carrying them without identification! These are very
effective burglar tools and will raise questions about your intent if you are
caught off duty with a bag of them in the trunk of your car and no
identification. As you acquire these tools either for personal use or as
department issue, mark them well, and don’t let them fall into the wrong
hands. It can be very embarrassing!
This chapter will examine several different types of special-purpose tools.
Many of these tools are what are known as limited-use tools. Limited-use tools
perform very specific functions and cannot and should not be used for any
other purposes. Selecting the appropriate tool for the assigned task is a basic
and important skill for every firefighter.

BAM-BAM TOOL
Standard Uses
The bam-bam tool is simply an automotive dent puller doing fire duty. This
tool was borrowed from the car theft industry and has practical uses on the
fireground and on the scene of vehicle accidents as a lock puller.
Before running out to the local auto parts store and getting a dent puller, read

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the rest of this section. Bam-bam tools are not all alike, and to get the most
efficient use of this limited tool, you’ll need to get the right one.
The bam-bam tool should be of heavy steel, with a sliding slap hammer of
sufficient weight so that a more than adequate force is applied with each
movement of the slide. The shaft of the tool must be heavy steel, and the
handle should be threaded onto the shaft with a beefy stop to take the beating
from the sliding hammer. Lightweight-type dent pullers for home auto repair
are really inefficient for fire department use. The types of locks you will be
pulling require a tremendous force to get them out of the lock body. Lock
manufacturers design locks that will defeat the use of this tool. Keep that in
mind when sizing up the situation. The bam-bam may not be the right tool.

Bam-bam tool.

The last but most important aspect of the bam-bam tool is its working end.
There should be a threaded collar attachment that will allow you to change the
screws easily. Case-hardened sheet metal screws are attached and held tightly
by this collar assembly. Some specially designed fire service bam-bam tools
also have special threaded spike attachments. For heavy-duty locks, the spike
works better for pulling lock cylinders.
Size-up of the lock assembly is critical for deciding whether the bam-bam
tool will be effective. A heavy duty bam-bam will have a higher rate of success
than lesser ones.
When using the bam-bam tool on padlocks, look at the keyway and the
shackles. If the shackles are greater than a quarter-inch in diameter, this is a
high-security lock. Padlock manufacturers have added a metal security ring
around the brass tumbler assembly to prevent the lock from being pulled from
the body. On locks manufactured in the United States, particularly Master
Locks and American Locks, this security ring presents a problem. On locks
manufactured in foreign countries, this ring is fake and is only designed to
make their product look like the high-quality U.S. item.
If you have a lightweight bam-bam tool, you will not pull the cylinder out of
the bodies of these locks! A heavy bam-bam is required, and another firefighter
should be sent to get the rotary saw with a metal cutting blade just in case.
If the lock is not a high-security type or is imported, use the bam-bam tool.
Insert the screw into the keyway, and screw it into the soft brass at least three
full turns. Try to get the screw as deeply into the cylinder as possible. Once the
screw is set, slide the slap hammer up to the top of the tool (toward the screw

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end), and then sharply slam the hammer back toward the handle. This action
should be sharp and hard. You are trying to rip the lock tumbler out of the body
of the lock. The lock manufacturer doesn’t want that to happen easily, so slam
hard! Three hard slams and the lock cylinder should be out. Once you have
pulled the cylinder, insert a screwdriver or key tool and trip the lock
mechanism to open the shackles.
If the screw or spike pulls out of the lock before the cylinder comes out,
change the screw on the end of the tool and try the procedure again. Always
have an adequate supply of case-hardened screws for the bam-bam tool with
you. The screw must bite well into the brass of the lock tumbler, or it will
simply strip out and not do anything. The screw may or may not bite into the
keyway if it is made of steel or some other metal besides brass. Size it up first,
and have an alternative method ready!

The bam-bam tool is used to remove lock cylinders.

Mortise and rim-lock cylinders can be pulled the same way using the bam-
bam tool. Size-up cannot be stressed enough. High-security locks are tough to
begin with and may require a different approach using different tools.
Using the bam-bam tool requires practice. Don’t use this tool under
emergency conditions when you have to get in someplace and haven’t
practiced with it. Obtaining old locks, cylinders, and other assorted junk from
local locksmiths can be a great help. Pulling cylinders on structures that are
being demolished is another way to practice. Cars used for auto extrication
practice should head back to the junkyard with all of their locks pulled.

Special Uses
The use of the bam-bam tool is a special use in itself, but this tool can be
used in emergency situations to open car doors and car trunks. The use of this
tool should be limited to emergency situations. Locksmiths or wrecker

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operators can get into automobiles more efficiently and with less damage than
we can; plus, they will have the liability.
The bam-bam tool screw is inserted into the car door lock or trunk lock and
seated firmly. A minimum of three turns to set the screw are required. Once set,
slam the slap hammer firmly against the stop. Continue until the lock has been
pulled completely out of the car. Using the bam-bam to pull the lock out is
preferable to using the point of a halligan bar or some other tool to drive the lock
inward. By driving the lock in, the mechanism may be damaged, preventing it
from opening. Pulling the lock cylinder out reduces the likelihood of this.

In-House Modifications
There are no in-house modifications that should be made to this tool. By
purchasing a heavy-duty model, preferably one designed for fire service use,
any additions or work other than routine maintenance will be avoided.
The bam-bam tool is a difficult tool to carry and can easily pinch your
fingers. One suggested way of carrying it is to cut a piece of PVC pipe and
then to attach a handle and slide-on caps. This makes a good carrying case and
allows you to keep a bag full of screws inside. Having the tool in a case keeps
shifty eyes around the fireground from quickly identifying it if a compartment
door is left open. This is a primary tool for car thieves and burglars, and its
security should not be taken lightly.

Limitations
The bam-bam tool is limited by its own nature. It is a special-use tool for the
fire service, and as lock manufacturers continually improve on the strength
and complexity of locks, this tool will eventually phase itself out. The
limitations of the bam-bam tool include:
• This tool will not work on all types of lock cylinders, especially those
with case-hardened tumblers or tumbler protectors.
• The bam-bam tool requires a lot of practice for proficiency.
• Improper use of the tool may jam a lock beyond all hope of forcing.
• It’s heavy.
• If left out in public view, it will probably be stolen.
• Fingers or hand webbing pinched by the slap hammer will be badly
injured.

HOCKEY PUCK LOCK BREAKER

Standard Uses
Hockey puck lock breaker is a long name for a very common tool: It’s a

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big pipe wrench. Wait! Before you rush out and buy a big pipe wrench and
rename it, there are some basic things you need to fully understand about this
tool!
The hockey puck lock breaker is designed for one function only: A firefighter
uses it to apply force to a high-security padlock to break it. This tool will break
an American Series 2000 lock. This is just one of the many high-security locks
available. The American Series 2000 lock, the hockey puck, so nicknamed for
its looks, is hardened steel with no visible shackles and a recessed keyway. It is
a little round thing that weighs about 13⁄4 pounds and measures 23⁄4 inches in
diameter and about 13⁄4 inches thick. The shackle is recessed in the back of the
lock.
The lock is tough. The pin is too thick to be driven off; the lock is round so
it’s hard to grab, and the lock cylinder is almost impossible to pull for through-
the-lock entry.
There are only three ways to defeat this lock: Cut it with a rotary power saw,
cut it off with a torch, and apply force with a pipe wrench and snap it off.
The idea for this tool comes directly from the City of New York Fire
Department. FDNY faces a high number of this type of lock and uses the
hockey puck lock breaker effectively and safely. As the American Series 2000
gained in popularity as a high-security lock, it spread all over the country. The
lock is readily available in all communities, and its use is increasing.
There are two basic types of hockey puck lock breakers available to the fire
service. The first can be purchased locally at the nearest tool supply or
hardware store. The second type is available from manufacturers of fire service
tools. Both function equally well, but the tool designed by fire service
manufacturers is probably the better bet if you are going to have to use this
lock breaker a lot.
The locally purchased item is available in various sizes. The best size is
either the 36-inch pipe wrench or the 48-inch pipe wrench, in steel. Aluminum
is available, but steel will provide a higher level of safety for what you are
going to do with this tool. These steel wrenches are very heavy—the 48-inch
wrench weighs 38 pounds.
The wrench available from fire service tool manufacturers is also a pipe
wrench, but it is only a 24-inch pipe wrench that weighs about eight pounds.

Hockey puck lock breaker.

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The fire service model has a bar handle added to it. Yeah, a cheater bar. This is
no ordinary cheater bar, however. When manufactured, the bar is tested and
built to be “appropriate,” or as appropriate as it can be, for use as a handle in a
tool designed only to break the hockey puck lock. There may be a million
ways to use this wrench, but it was designed for use in forcing the hockey puck
lock! Remember that! The cheater bar handle has been bolted and epoxied in
place. It is not removable; there are no welds.
A four-foot section of two-inch-inside-diameter galvanized steel pipe can be
purchased along with a standard wrench to add a cheater handle for use on
high-security locks. If making your own cheater, ensure that the pipe is thick-
walled steel and that it fits all the way onto the pipe wrench handle, stopping
just under the head of the wrench.
The use of the hockey puck lock breaker is relatively simple, but the most
effective use again depends on correctly sizing up the situation. In order to use
this tool, the hockey puck lock must be attached to a high-security staple or
hasp assembly. If it is attached to a weak or poor-steel type of staple or hasp,
the lock will only damage the staple as you try to remove it. Size up the
attachment point as well as the lock itself.
Open the jaws of the pipe wrench until they slip over the top of the lock
easily. Set the tool in place with the handle at an angle that you can
comfortably reach, and have the lock as far back into the jaws as possible.
Tighten the jaws on the lock—make them tight. Push the handle of the tool
down slightly to ensure that the jaws are going to lock in and bite into the
surface of the lock casing. The lock is case-hardened steel and very slippery. If
it is wet or ice-covered, double-check the bite of the tool.
When you are sure the tool is set, face the handle of the wrench. Apply
downward pressure on the handle in a quick snapping motion. The idea is to
snap the lock off the staple. Two firefighters may be needed. Watch the
placement of your feet. Do not allow your feet to get under the handle of the
wrench. You will be applying tremendous force, and if the tool slips it could
crush your toes, right through the steel toe of your boot. The snap motion is
important. If you apply slow, continuous pressure to the tool, it will allow the
lock to bend and jam. A jammed hockey puck will have to be cut off.
The hockey puck lock breaker is a long lever. The force at the head of the
tool where it grabs the lock is tremendous. If the second firefighter is not
needed to apply pressure to the handle, that firefighter should stand clear and
observe whether any progress is being made by the firefighter working the
wrench. If possible, a warning should be shouted as the lock breaks so that the
firefighter on the handle can maintain balance and not fall.

Special Uses
The hockey puck lock breaker can be used as an emergency hydrant

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wrench. Although not highly recommended by the hydrant folks, it will open
those tough little guys that haven’t been opened in awhile.

In-House Modifications
A hockey puck lock breaker or standard pipe wrench should not be
modified in any way. A complete tool can be built in your own shop, but you
may be asking for trouble. The cheater bar can be dangerous if improperly
used. Check with several tool manufacturers for prices. The cost of a
manufactured hockey puck lock breaker is very minimal. If you are going to
produce one yourself, don’t skimp. Buy the best wrench that is available, and
ensure that the galvanized pipe you will be using as a cheater is of high-
quality, thick-walled, galvanized steel. Adding friction tape to the handle of
the wrench will improve your grip. When adding the tape, don’t add so much
that your cheater bar won’t fit anymore.

Limitations
Before ordering this tool, you should make a few phone calls or, better yet,
visit your local hardware stores and area locksmiths. Ask them about the
American Series 2000 lock specifically and other common high-security
locks. You may find out that there has never been a single one of them sold
in your community or, worse, find out that there have been several hundred
sold. At any rate, investigate the need for this item before adding it to your
inventory. It is a very useful tool but also a very limited-use tool.
Other limitations include:
• It is heavy.
• It will take up a lot of compartment space!
• The jaws and threaded mechanisms must be maintained often to ensure
it remains rust-free and easy to move and that the grip surface is sharp
enough to bite into the lock body. The tool has a tendency to slip easily.
• Because of its design, this wrench will lend itself to being misused for
other functions that may damage equipment or injure firefighters.

A TOOL
Standard Uses
The A tool isn’t really a separate tool. An A tool can be machined into a
variety of tools including halligan bars, Chicago patrol bars, mini-
halligans, officer’s tools—even into metal stock purchased at a local
supply house.
The A tool is the beveled, triangular-shaped lock puller found in many fire

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service tools. The original A tool started

out as a modified nail puller purchased
at a local hardware store. It was
developed after lock manufacturers
developed methods of preventing the
use of the K tool to pull lock
mechanisms.
Some A tools perform better than
others. A lot depends on the way the
tool was machined, how sharp the
bevels are, and how proficient the user Close-up of an A tool in a mini-halligan bar.
is. There are locks being developed
today to thwart the use of the A tool. It is a good device but not foolproof in
every situation. All A tools, no matter what tools they are machined into, work
basically the same.
First, you must size up the lock and door. When you determine that the A tool
is to be used for through-the-lock entry, you’ll need the A tool, a striking tool,
and a key tool.
Set the wide opening of the A tool over the top of the lock cylinder to be
pulled, and cant the tool at a 45-degree angle. Strike the top of the A tool with a
striking tool, driving it down behind the lock faceplate and onto the cylinder
itself. You will chew up the door a bit if it’s a wooden door. Keep going. You
need to set the tool firmly into the lock cylinder body. Most lock cylinders are
brass, so the bevels of the A tool will cut into and hold the lock cylinder.
Once you are sure that the tool is well set, pry upward. Always pry upward. If
the tool slips before the lock is all the way out, repeat the process. Keep at it

The A tool is positioned over the lock cylinder. Use a striking tool to tap the A tool firmly down over the
lock cylinder. Pry up to remove the lock.

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until the lock cylinder is

clear of the door. Once the
cylinder is out, the lock
mechanism will be ex-
posed for you to trip with
the key tool.
It is that simple. You’ll
run into locks that will give
you fits trying to pull them
out. They may be held in
place with case-hardened A key tool is necessary when using the A tool for through-the-lock entry.
or oversize screws; any
number of things can happen. Keep at it. Even if you mangle the lock cylinder
getting it out, as long as the integrity of the lock mechanism is intact, you’ll be
able to open the door.

Special Uses
The A tool is a special-use tool. To keep it sharp and capable of pulling
lock cylinders, don’t use it for anything else.

In-House Modifications
Don’t modify the A tool. You may modify the tool that it is machined into,
but don’t modify the A tool itself.

Limitations
The A tool is for pulling lock cylinders only. If you use the tool for
anything else, it may not pull locks when you need it to!

J TOOL
Standard Uses
This is really a unique tool. The J tool has extremely limited use. There is
nothing else you can do with it other than open doors equipped with panic
hardware.
The tool was developed by New Jersey firefighters. It is quarter-inch stainless
steel bent into a J shape, with an angle brace at the bottom corner of the J. Its
only purpose is to slip between the weather stripping of commercial doors and
to trip the panic bar. Simple. It works best on doors equipped with panic bars,
but it will also work on paddle equipment. If you get good with it, you can

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even trip those panic bars

that are slightly recessed
into the door.
Size up the door. If it is a
double door with the
opening at the center, even
better. Insert the tool, J-
side up, a few inches
above where you estimate J tool.
the panic bar to be. Push
the tool in deeply. (Hey, if it’s a glass door, look through the glass and watch
what you’re doing. If it’s a panel door, read on.) Rotate the tool 180 degrees so
that the J side is now down. Slowly and firmly pull the tool out toward you. The
J will catch the panic hardware and release the door—that is, if the door hasn’t
been chained shut or has a door-club device installed to prevent you from using
the tool you have in your hand.
Great tool. It’s easy to make at the firehouse and can really come in handy at
those smells-and-bells calls when there is no lock box and the key holder is 20
minutes or more away. You’re in, you’ve investigated, you’re history!

Special Uses
There are no special uses for the J tool.

In-House Modifications
The best in-house modification that you can do with a J tool is to make your
own. All that is needed is quarter-inch round stock that you’ll bend into a
sufficient-enough J shape to be effective. Make a couple in some different
configurations. Try them out and keep the one that works best.

Limitations
Sometimes the tool will work, sometimes it won’t. If the door has been
chained shut, or if another security device is used, the tool is useless.

K TOOL
Standard Uses
The K tool was the first tool available to firefighters that was commercially
machined to pull lock cylinders for through-the-lock forcible entry. The K tool
has a steel body with a metal strap across its back to accept the adze or other

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surface of a prying tool. On the face of the

tool are two replaceable beveled blades that
form the letter K. One side of the K is a
little bigger than the other, allowing for
different sizes of lock faces.
The K tool is a very limited-use tool
today. The tool was invented and patented
by a lieutenant in FDNY who was also a
licensed locksmith. When it was first
developed, the K tool was able to pull most
lock cylinders. Well, burglars discovered it, K tool.
and lock companies immediately developed
locks to defeat it. Collars and other devices were installed on locks so that they
would not fit into the K tool. It still is a very viable tool, though, and will pull a
great number of locks currently in use.
As with any other forcible entry situation, size up the door you are going to try
to enter. Determine which way it swings, what material it’s made of, and what
type of device is holding it closed. If it has a lock that has a very narrow profile
in the door, the K tool can be used. Many doors in commercial establishments
such as strip malls and shopping centers still use this type of lock.
To use this tool effectively, you need the K tool, a key tool, a striking tool,
and a prying tool. The prying tool should have an adze on it. Get all the tools
you need at the door. Grab the K tool and slide it over the face of the lock so
that the lock is between the two blades. Put it on whichever way it will fit. It
can be perpendicular or horizontal to the door. As long as the lock is in
between two of the cutting blades of the K tool, it doesn’t matter which way
the tool is aligned.
Set the tool with your hand as best you can. Now, gently tap the top of the K
tool to drive it down on the lock. Use the back of a flathead axe or other
striking tool. The blades need to cut deeply into the brass body of the lock
because the blades are actually going to do the pulling. All the force you will
apply with the prying tool is going to be transferred to the K tool’s blades. The
tool is going to chew up the lock a little, so make sure the tool is well set by
looking into the open end of the tool to see if the blades have cut into the lock
cylinder. If they have, you’re ready to pull the lock out.
Insert the adze of your prying tool into the strap on the back of the K tool.
Insert the prying tool in a way that the K tool isn’t going to fall off and hit
you in the foot when the lock pulls free. Usually you insert the adze of the
prying tool from the bottom of the strap, but it depends on which way you
drove the K tool onto the lock. Don’t let it fall off and hit you. The K tool is
heavy, and it hurts when it hits you.
When you are set, get a firm, feet-apart stance. Move to the end of the pry bar
and pry upward. Prying downward may damage the lock mechanism inside the

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door. If you damage the lock mechanism itself, you won’t be able to open it
with the key tool.
The lock should pull out when you pry. If it pulls past the K tool and is still
hanging mangled in the hole in the door, don’t worry; just repeat the process.
Some locks are tough, so don’t get frustrated—do it again. Repeat the process
until the lock is out. When the lock clears the door, use the key tool to trip the
mechanism.

Special Uses
There have been occasions when the K tool has been used to shut off gas
utilities. Insert the gas valve into the K tool. Either use a halligan bar or other
pry bar to turn the valve to the off position.

In-House Modifications
Keeping the K tool and the needed key tools together is a problem. One
solution is to add a chain to the K tool and attach the key tools to the chain.

Limitations
• It won’t work on mortise or rim locks with collars.
• It is carried in a separate pouch as a separate tool, so you don’t have it
with you in hand.
• It’s easy to lose or misplace.
• It requires a lot of practice to be efficient with this tool.
• Once the cutting blades are damaged, the tool won’t work.

DUCK-BILLED LOCK BREAKER

Standard Uses
A what? A duck-billed lock breaker! The DBLB is a neat tool although
extremely limited in use. For firefighters it is an effective tool, especially in
today’s security-conscious world. The DBLB is a wedge of steel on a handle
for breaking open the shackles on padlocks. It’s a very simple tool, available
commercially; otherwise, you can make one at the firehouse. If the shackle or
bow of a padlock is visible, you’ll be able to force the lock open using the
DBLB. It is an extremely simple operation.
Size up the padlock. If you cannot attack the device the lock is attached to,
use the DBLB and attack the lock. You’ll need the DBLB and a striking tool.
The striking tool should be fairly heavy, at least eight pounds.
Insert the narrow point of the DBLB into the shackle of the lock. Push the

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tool down firmly. Make sure your

hands are away from the head. Strike
the backside of the DBLB with the
striking tool—smack it hard! You are
driving the wedge of the DBLB
deeply into the space between the
shackle and the lock body. Keep
driving. Make sure your feet are not
underneath the area where the lock
will fall.
The lock shackle will fail. The
shackle will break and pull out of the
lock body, and you’re in. It’s an
incredibly simple operation. The
DBLB works on almost all locks that
have a shackle or bow. Some locks
will require more strikes to get them
to give than others, but you will cause
them to fail. Duck-billed lock breaker.
If narrow enough, the DBLB’s bill
can be inserted into car trunk locks to
drive them out.

Special Uses
There are several special uses for the DBLB. It can be used to break windows
covered by wire mesh. These windows are typically found in factories or in
schools and other public buildings. The point of the DBLB is inserted into the
mesh, then the tool is driven with a striking tool. As the tool is driven in, the
mesh will widen. When the point comes in contact with the window, no more
glass.
If maintained well, the tool can be used to break thermal pane windows.
Drive it with a striking tool to limit the chances of your hand going all the way
through the window. Driving the tool in will break all the layers of the glass.
To some degree, and only if properly constructed and maintained, the DBLB
can be used as a striking tool.

In-House Modifications
There are some modifications that must be made to the commercially
available DBLB. First, the tip of the tool must be narrowed down to fit some
padlocks. The commercial tool is much too wide at the point to fit into standard
padlocks. I’ve even found some high-security padlocks that it won’t fit into.

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Use a file to take down all the sides of the tool, from the point up and back
toward the handle for at least two inches. File the tool so that it fits into a
standard, run-of-the-mill lock you buy at the hardware store.
You can make your own tool easily. I’ve seen them made of steel or brass.
The material must be really tough stuff. You’ll be trying to break some pretty
sophisticated locks made of high-grade material. If you build a chintzy tool,
you’ll get chintzy results.
My DBLB is made out of one-inch steel that was cut from an old steel door
that was in a fire training burn building. A four- by 10-inch rectangle was cut
from the door. We measured over about three inches on the short side and,
using a torch, cut an angle down to the opposite bottom corner of the steel
block. Once the steel had been cut into a triangle and cooled, I cleaned up the
edges with a grinder and file until I had very square edges all the way around
the tool. Then I got a lock and guestimated how wide the tip if the tool would
have to be to fit. Again using the grinder, I whittled the tip of the tool down
until at least two inches of it fit into the space between the shackles of the lock.
We then welded a steel 18-inch handle onto the bottom, flat side of the tool
head. I cleaned that up with a grinder and file. I sanded the whole thing down,
then primed and painted it. When the paint was dry, I added French hitching to
the handle and added the tool to my inventory. I’ve used it several times, and it
works great.
You may want to add some length to the handle if you’re making your own.
A handle of up to 30 inches long would allow the firefighter holding the tool to
be out of the way of the firefighter striking with an eight-pound axe or
sledgehammer.
To make the tool more versatile, add a pipe wrench to the handle. The tool
can be flipped over and the DBLB can be used as a hockey puck lock breaker
for round locks or even standard padlocks that are too small to have the DBLB
blade inserted.

Limitations
• Its use is limited to breaking locks with shackles.
• It is heavy.
• It is easy to lose once gaining entry.
• To be safe and effective, it’s a two-firefighter operation.
• The same operation can be accomplished with a halligan bar.

RABBIT TOOL
Standard Uses
Warning: An excellent point of safety was made by the members of Ladder

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Rabbit tool.

Company 56 and Engine Company 48, FDNY. The rabbit tool will allow entry
into fire buildings and rooms with amazing speed. Doors will be forced and
truckies will be in and searching, or engine companies will push in and attack
the fire before the firefighter assigned to the critical job of vertical ventilation
has even reached his operating position. Companies will be operating in
superheated, unventilated areas because they were able to gain access so
quickly. It has been suggested that this may be one reason that so many
firefighters are being
caught in flashovers
and suffering terrible
burn injuries. Exercise
caution when using
the rabbit tool or any
tool or tool combina-
tion that will allow
rapid entry of fire-
fighters into unven-
tilated areas.
The rabbit tool is a name we use in the fire service to cover a broad range of
hydraulic tools used to force open doors. The rabbit tool is the best forcible
entry tool that any fire department can own. Technically, it probably doesn’t
belong in this book. This is a hydraulic tool, pumped by hand. It is similar to
the portable hydraulic tool so common in auto extrication.
I’ve included it here because I classify it as a special-use hand tool. There are

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no motors or electric pumps or power sources used other than the handle to
pump the hydraulic cylinder. This tool is the nuts.
There are many different types of rabbit tools out on the market today. They
have a zillion different brand names, and they all have different claims. The
one that we’re looking at is the basic rabbit tool operated by two firefighters.
The tool consists of the spreader jaws and the pump. They are connected by a
high-pressure hose at least four feet long. The spreader jaws have a wide, flat
top capable of spreading tremendous force in all directions from the head. A set
of teeth or a beveled edge is on the side of the tool, to be inserted between the
door and the doorjamb.
The two-firefighter tool is important. Manufacturers are producing tools to be
used by one firefighter. They may look great, have lower manpower
requirements, offer ease of operation, and all the rest, but they also put the
single firefighter at greater risk when opening a door. To open a door with a
one-firefighter tool, you have to be standing or kneeling in front of the
doorway to set and operate the tool. The tools are extremely effective, and
when you pump the tool, the door opens. If there is fire on the other side of the
door or a backdraft potential, the firefighter who operated the tool is toast. An
additional problem occurs when forcing doors that have locks equipped with
shield plates. The bolts from these plates become bullets when forced.
The two-firefighter tool allows the tool head to be set and both firefighters to
get out and away from the door before it opens. One firefighter can control the
door with a rope or vice grip and chain as the other firefighter pumps the
handle. Another possibility is for one firefighter to pump while the other
firefighter reaches out and holds the tool to prevent it from falling, but he
should also use the wall as a shield in case something tries to jump out and eat
him.
In some areas—and this problem is not limited to urban areas—the rabbit
tool will be used to force doors in apartment complexes, motels, and so on
where drug dealers may be present. Whether a firefighter bangs on the door
and announces his presence is not enough. A firefighter who gets no response
from within a room that must be searched will break down the door to
accomplish his mission. On the other side of that door may be a huge stash of
illegal drugs and armed crazy people. When the door pops open and there the
firefighter stands holding the one-firefighter rabbit tool, he may not have time
to duck the spray of gunfire from within. The rabbit tool makes no noise as it
works! A doorway is not a healthy place to be in any emergency situation
except maybe an earthquake.
The two-firefighter operation is very simple. Size up the door. The rabbit
tool only works on inward-swinging doors. Insert the jaws of the tool between
the door and door frame right on top of the lock. Lean on the door a little to
get the jaws of the tool set. If you have to, use a striking tool to tap the rabbit
tool in place. It won’t take much. Once the tool is set, do something to control

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the swing of the door. Attach a utility rope or a vise grip and chain to the door
so that you can pull it shut again if fire jumps out at you and threatens the
hallway.
Get back and away from the door. One firefighter can reach out and hold the
tool to prevent it from falling to the floor when the door opens. You can grab it
near the hydraulic hose to keep your hand out of the danger area. The second
firefighter makes sure that the release valve for the hydraulic fluid is in the
closed position. Start pumping the handle of the hydraulic pump. Four pumps
is usually what it takes to open the door.
This is a very simple and effective operation. If you have any hotels, motels,
apartment complexes, or multiple-dwelling structures, a rabbit tool should be
in your inventory. They’re expensive, but they are really incredible tools when
multiple doors must be opened.

Special Uses
The rabbit tool has a special use in auto extrication. The tool operates very
smoothly and very quietly. The jaws of the rabbit tool head can be used to
spread open doors, hoods, and trunks on vehicles to give the bigger hydraulic
tools a purchase point. Using the rabbit tool prevents the hydraulic tool
operator from having to slam the spreader tips of the tool he’s using to get a
purchase point to begin extrication. It is much easier on the patient inside the
vehicle.
The rabbit tool can also be used to open hoods and trunks on vehicles for
fighting fires. We’ve all messed with those pesky hood and trunk latches trying
to beat our brains out getting them open. The rabbit tool will spread the sheet
metal far enough to get a hoseline into the space to extinguish the fire. Then we
can get the tools or widgets or whatever we need to trip the cable to open the
hood or trunk normally. At least the fire will be out.
The rabbit tool is the first tool of choice for opening elevator doors. The
halligan bar is second.

In-House Modifications
Do not modify the rabbit tool. There are, however, several other tools that
may be added to the kit to make you more efficient. FDNY Ladder 56 in the
Bronx, New York, has added a 25-foot length of rope to the rabbit tool kit to
use to control the door. If fire jumps out, the officer can pull on the rope to
close it quickly. Additional rubber latch straps have been added to the kit to
keep forced doors from relatching should they close while firefighters are
inside searching or after they have moved down the hall and the engine
company needs to move in.

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Limitations
• The rabbit tool is expensive.
• It only works on inward-swinging doors.

ROOF CUTTER
Standard Uses
The roof cutter is a tool that has been around for so many years nobody can
remember where it came from. This tool comes in a variety of styles and
models, but it is basically a can opener on a handle.
There are models with rollers;
models with chromed, crescent-
shaped cutters; and other styles.
They all function the same way:
They are designed to cut sheet
metal the same way a can opener
is designed to cut open the top of
a metal can. These tools are found
in many fire departments. The
roof cutter is one of those tools
that you just can’t throw away—
even though you never use it, it
might come in handy sometime. Roof cutter.
Most tools are forged steel cutters
on a 40-inch D-handled hickory wood handle. When maintained properly, they
are incredibly sharp and, believe it or not, very effective, although manpower-
intensive.
To use the tool, size up the situation. What are you cutting into, how big
does the hole have to be, and what obstacles are you going to run into? The
tool is very effective on mobile homes, rural outbuildings, tin roofs, and other
light metal. In certain cases, you may be able to peel back the skin of an
automobile.
Slam the tool down into the material you’re going to cut. Try to insert the
blade along a joist or stud, and use that for support. The cutting head is shaped
to give you a fulcrum. Push the blade straight into the material, sinking it all
the way to the curved fulcrum point. Exert forward pressure on the handle and
pull upward. As you rock the blade forward, it will cut the metal. Jam the tool
forward again and repeat the process until you have the hole open. Be very
careful where you step. Don’t step in the cut area or you’ll fall in!
Tools with rollers work a little bit more easily than the can-opener type.
With the roller type, set the blade of the metal cutter into the material you’re
cutting. Push forward on the handle of the tool, and wheel the cutter along.

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It’s supposed to cut and peel back the metal as you go. As before, watch your
step.
While this is an obscure tool, you should still practice with it. In an extreme
emergency, it may be the only tool you have to effect a rescue. In extreme
emergencies, you may be without any power sources. (Recently there have
been entire fire departments wiped out by tornadoes. Fire station, apparatus,
tools—all gone.) This tool is like an axe. It always starts. It doesn’t need gas or
electricity. It may be old, but learn how to use it. You may be called on to use it
at the next natural disaster when there is no power, no gas, and every possible
temporary power source is being used at city hall. Think about it.

Special Uses
There are no special uses for this tool.

In-House Modifications
If you have one of these tools, you may want to consider updating it a little. If
it still has its original hickory handle, inspect it for defects. Change it for a
sturdier fiberglass one with a D handle. To increase the leverage of the tool and
save your back, lengthen the handle to about 45 inches and possibly to 50
inches. Maintain a very sharp cutting edge.

Limitations
• It’s a slow method of opening up metal.
• Firefighters may never have used it or obtained enough training to use
the tool effectively.
• It is a very sharp and dangerous tool to carry incorrectly.
• It should be the first addition to your fire museum. There are many more
efficient tools to choose from.

SHOVE KNIVES
Standard Uses
Every firefighter should have two shove knives in his pocket. The shove
knife is an excellent tool for springing the latch on outward-swinging doors or
the spring latches on double-hung windows. It is a must-have tool if you are
working in buildings that have self-locking doors in smoke stairs or other
egress routes. The shove knife will let you back in should the door close
behind you. Shove knifes can be made in the firehouse or purchased
commercially. Either way, they are cheap and handy.

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To use a shove knife, size up the

door you need to open. If it is locked
with a dead bolt or other secure lock,
you can’t open the door. I don’t care
that they do it on television with a
credit card—it won’t work, so find
another door.
If the door swings outward (toward
you) and is latched with a spring
latch, insert the shove knife between
the door and jamb, above the latch. Shove knives.
Slide the tool downward, and engage
the spring latch with the notch in the shove knife. Slide the shove knife down
until it releases the spring latch from its keeper, then pull the door toward you.
You’re in.
If the door is an inward-swinging type, insert the shove knife behind the stop
molding, above the spring latch. Slide the tool downward and engage the
spring latch with the notch in the shove knife. Slide the shove knife down until
it releases the spring latch from its keeper. Push the door open.

Special Uses
You can also use it in other forcible entry situations for sliding underneath
a door to see whether a multilock or a door club is locking the door.

In-House Modifications
The shove knife can be made at the firehouse using thin spring steel, banding
material, or other thin flexible metal. I’ve even seen some cut from galvanized
metal. The notch is similar to the notch in the old slim jim car door openers.

Limitations
• If the door is secured with any lock or latch other than a spring latch, the
shove knife won’t work.
• It is best to have two shove knives with you; two work more efficiently
than one.

VISE GRIPS AND CHAIN

Standard Uses
A set of vise grips with either a chain or dog leash attached is a tool that has a

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Vise grips and chain.

multitude of uses on the fireground. Until you make a set for yourself, you
really don’t know how many times it would have been nice to have had a set
available. The tool can be made any way you want. I recommend that you
have a small personal set for yourself in your pocket and a larger, heavy-duty
set or several sets on your apparatus.
To make this vise grip and chain set, go buy a good set of vise grips. Not
cheap ones, good ones. Your life may be depending on this tool, so don’t be
cheap. Next, stop at the local pet store and buy a chain dog leash suitable for a
small dog. Drill a hole in the top handle of the vise grip, sufficient to allow the
snap hook of the dog leash to fit and swivel around a little. It’s done. Wrap the
leash around the vise grip, and slip it in your pocket.
A heavier-duty set should be
made also. Get another vise grip.
This time while you’re in the
hardware store, buy about 24
inches of dog chain, the kind you
attach to a black lab. Also get a U
bolt. Put the first chain link on the
U bolt. Weld the U bolt to the top
jaw of the vise grip, just behind
the curve of the head. A straight
steel bolt with the head cut off and
ground smooth can be welded
through the last link of the chain,
making a T handle. Once you
have the tools made, you are ready
to put them to work.

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The vise grip and chain can be used in conjunction with all of the forcible
entry tools in this book. When performing forcible entry, it is critical that you
be in control of the door at all times. Inward-swinging doors are especially
important. By attaching the vise grip to the doorknob and hanging on to the
chain handle, you are always in control of the door. When the irons man pops
that door open, you will be able to pull it shut again if something nasty jumps
out at you. Getting the door open is important, but keeping the fire out of the
hallway and away from you is even more so.
When using a power saw to cut padlocks, the vise grip should be attached to
the padlock and the lock pulled out straight and tight so that the saw operator
can cut both sides of the shackles at the same time. Being able to cut both sides
is critical. High-security locks will not open unless both sides are cut. On vise
grip and chain setups for saws, consider a longer chain. I have a 36-inch chain
on mine because I deal with students learning how to use the saw. I stay well
clear of the inexperienced firefighter holding on to a saw with a metal cutting
blade spinning at 6,000 rpm!

Special Uses
There are no special uses for the vise grip and chain. It is a limited-use tool.

Limitations
• They’re bulky to carry around in your pocket.
• You don’t always have enough to go around at large operations.
• Vise grips get misplaced. Usually they’re found in the toolbox in the
boiler room, placed there by some unsuspecting person who didn’t know
what they were for.

BATTERING RAM
Standard Uses
If ever there was a truly ancient tool currently seeing a revitalization in the
fire servise, it would have to be the battering ram. This tool dates back to
biblical times. It is a weapon of war, a tool for mass destruction. It was
designed to batter down the walls of cities so troops could pour through the

Battering ram.

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breach to loot and pillage the citizens. We still use it in exactly the same way
today. Well, all but the last part.
The battering ram is a heavy steel pole with a rounded head. It has handles
along the side to be used by two to four firefighters for bashing in masonry
walls to make a breach to access the fire. A more modern version of the
battering ram is probably kept at your local police department. Law
enforcement S.W.A.T. teams have taken the ancient art of battering down walls
and doors and have perfected it. The local police department may have a bunch
of one- and two-officer battering rams to use during drug raids.
Using a battering ram takes practice and teamwork. It isn’t enough for one
firefighter to know how the tool functions and what the goal is—everybody
has to know. Using the tool is relatively simple. Swing the ram back and forth
like a pendulum, striking the masonry surface, knocking it down. The use of
the battering ram calls for expert size-up, plus a thorough knowledge of
building construction and Newton’s Laws.
The battering ram is an excellent tool for opening holes in masonry walls.
Sledgehammers should be used to finish off and enlarge the hole. The battering
ram is very unforgiving and good for the rough work.
Two firefighters can swing the tool, striking the wall at the juncture of at least
four bricks. The momentum and force will easily knock out the bricks. There is
an art to using it to open holes in a wall. You must be very conscious of
building construction and what is holding the building together. Freelancers
using the battering ram wherever it is convenient, rather than considering
building construction, are asking for a catastrophe. Firefighters using the ram
should work together and build a rhythm for swinging this heavy tool.
Battering rams can also be used to force down steel doors. If the door is
heavily secured and there is no possible way to gain entry using conventional
or through-the-lock forcible entry, then a battering ram may be the tool of
choice.
The main problem with using a fire department battering ram for opening
doors is space. There isn’t a lot of room in the vicinity of most doorways, so
firefighters are going to be crowded. Onlooking firefighters need to be warned
against standing directly behind the swinging tool. If it bounces or slips from
the operators hands .... Well, the tool is very unforgiving.
Another problem in using the tool on doors is that the head of it may plow a
hole through the door rather than batter the whole thing down. Police
departments have added protective collars to their rams to minimize the
chances of going through the door.
Just as with any forcible entry tool, the idea is to concentrate on what is
holding the door closed. The battering ram should strike the door as close to
either the lock side or the hinge side as possible. Swing the tool like a
pendulum, allowing its mass and momentum to do the work. You will not have
a door left when it finally gives, so be prepared for what’s behind it!

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The battering ram is the most ancient tool we have in our toolbox. It isn’t
often used, but it shouldn’t be forgotten when a need for extreme force arises
on the fireground and there is no power equipment suitable for the job. Many
truck companies across the United States still carry a battering ram; it is still
inventoried each day and painted each year during spring housecleaning. It is a
special-use tool, but you have to know how to use it to be effective.

Special Uses
The battering ram has no real special use in the fire service other than to
knock holes in walls, open stubborn doors, and accomplish other heavy-force
tasks. The local law enforcement agency in your jurisdiction may have some
real special uses for it. Additionally, they may have a wide selection of smaller,
more manageable rams that could replace the behemoth you now have on the
rig.

In-House Modifications
There isn’t much you can do to improve on a several-thousand-year-old
design that probably hasn’t already been tried and abandoned. A removable
protective collar for use when battering down doors would be an advantage. A
permanent welded collar would be mashed flat the first time you drove the tool
through a masonry wall. The collar would help prevent the tool from punching
a hole in the door and distribute the force more equally in all directions to
make the tool more effective.

Limitations
• Modern hydraulic or pneumatic tools have almost made the battering ram
obsolete—not quite yet, but almost.
• It is very heavy and requires a minimum of two firefighters.
• It requires training and practice to use.
• Its use must be supervised by a firefighter or officer thoroughly
knowledgeable in building construction.
• Whatever you hit with it is destroyed.
• It isn’t usually stored on the apparatus in a convenient location.

COMBINATION PUNCH AND CHISEL

Standard Uses
This is a unique and very obscure tool that was carried by many fire
departments for years, and then it disappeared. It disappeared because it had

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been replaced by more useful hand tools, such as the halligan bar. The
combination punch and chisel is an elongated S-shaped brace that holds a
heavy cold chisel at one end and a heavy steel punch at the other. The brace
allows a firefighter to hold the tool out and away from the other firefighter
swinging a sledgehammer.
Many East Coast departments carry this tool. It is not often used. It is a handy
tool for dealing with very heavy materials often found in mill-type
construction, piers, large factories, rail yards, and shipyards.
The punch is used like a normal punch, only on a larger scale. It can be used to
drive rivets out of steel, start holes for saws, and chip mortar and cement. The
chisel can be used to shear bolt heads, rivets, and screws; to split heavy planking;
to start tearing up flooring; and to knock heavy steel hinge pins out of doors.
This isn’t a common tool anymore. Nevertheless, firefighters still run into
those old, full-dimensional lumber places that the common pry bars, hooks,
and other tools just can’t get started. Having a combination punch and chisel
can be an advantage because they work well to split and start the overhaul
process when you just can’t get a purchase any other way.

Special Uses
The standard use of this tool is its special use. The tool is used when standard
firefighting forcible entry or overhaul tools are ineffective in obtaining
purchase points or in removing metal structures, rivets, and so on.

Limitations
Today’s firefighting hand tools provide most of the capability of the punch-
and-chisel combination.

HAMMERHEADED PICK
Standard Uses
The hammerheaded pick is a very old tool that came into the fire service via
the railroad. The tool is very simple: a striking or hammerhead surface on one
side of the tool head and a pick on the other side. The pick is wide at the head
and tapers to a point at the end.
The tool was originally used by railroaders in laying and maintaining track. It
is very difficult to find today, since the era of maintaining track by hand is long
past. I have, however, found several of these tools in fire departments.
The primary use for it in the fire service is as a digging tool. The striking
surface as well as the pick can be used for digging earth, as in trench rescues,
or for dismantling concrete or block in masonry accidents, such as collapses.

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Hammerheaded pick.

This tool is very efficient, but in most cases it is overlooked because it is not
new. The hammerheaded pick usually has a solid ash handle, and when
properly applied, it will make quick work of breaching concrete or busting up
rubble.
The tool is designed as a striking tool, so it can also be struck. The tool can
be set against an object like a big piece of stone or concrete, then struck with a
striking tool. The force applied will usually drive in the pick and shatter
whatever you’re trying to break up.

Special Uses
The neatest use for this venerable old tool is as a lock breaker for modern-
day, high-security padlocks. To break locks with this tool, insert the pick of the
tool into the lock. Make sure the pick is between the lock shackles. Strike the
hammerhead of the tool with another striking tool. Continue to drive the pick
through the shackles. The lock will eventually give as you drive the widening
blade of the pick inward.
The long handle of the tool allows one firefighter to be back and away
from the lock while another firefighter strikes the tool head. It also allows
both firefighters to be away from the lock when it fails. The lock usually
fails without warning, and it flies downward toward the ground with
tremendous velocity. Dismembered locks will break your foot, fire boot or
no fire boot!

In-House Modifications
To keep the tool working for many years to come, add some overstrike
protection to it, as described on page 10.

Special Uses
The special use of the hammerheaded pick is as a lock breaker, although I
am sure that the original engineer of this tool didn’t have that intention in
mind. It is a very effective lock breaker, as well as an effective tool for use in
collapse or trench rescue.

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Limitations
• The tool you have is probably old and the handle will be rotten. Make a
thorough inspection of it before placing it in service.
• Handle replacements may be difficult to obtain.
• It is a very limited-use tool. It affords no real prying or pulling capabilities.

REBAR WINDOW BREAKER

Standard Uses
This tool was submitted to me by Firefighter Michael N. Ciampo of Ladder
Company 44, FDNY, in the South Bronx. This is a simple homemade tool used
to break windows through wire mesh screens, often found on factories and
school buildings. Ventilation can be accomplished without having to remove
the mesh, which can be a very time-consuming process. It also simplifies the
process by eliminating the need for firefighters to smash away with
sledgehammers, trying to bend the mesh enough to smash the glass behind it.
The tool is 41⁄2 feet of rebar. One end is tapered to a sharp point; the other is
heated, then curled around to form a handle. The handle must curl all the way
around to form a circle. The circle should be large enough to fit a gloved hand.
The handle provides protection for your hand.
This tool is simple to use. Insert the pointed end through the mesh and
strike the window. Break the glass. Move the tool around as needed to clear
out as much of the glass as possible.
Ladder Company 38 of FDNY, also in the Bronx, uses a bent piece of rebar
as a heavy-duty J tool for reaching through steel security gates to release the
panic bar and open the gate.

Special Uses
There are no special uses, yet.

In-House Modifications
After making and trying the tool, there isn’t too much you can do to improve
on the basic design. On the tool I made, I ground a rounded point into the tip to
give me more of a concentrated pressure point to break the glass. I’m not sure
it was worth it, since the point dulls quickly.
You may want a parade-piece tool. Use round stock rather than rebar to make
it. You can paint it and it will look a little prettier, but it won’t function any
differently.

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TOOL MAINTENANCE

T
he effectiveness of any tool used on the fireground is a direct result of
the skill of its user. Conversely, the operator’s performance with that
tool is influenced by its design and the state of its maintenance. Even
the best firefighters turn in mediocre performances when their tools have
been poorly maintained.
Many firefighting tools are poorly maintained because of a disease among
firefighters known as “synthere.” Each morning, the tool compartment doors
of apparatus all across the country are opened, and the firefighter doing the
morning apparatus check peers in.
“Yep, synthere!” can be heard as the compartment door slams shut. The
tool “is in there,” but is it ready to go to work?

Your tool bin should contain well-maintained tools.

Maintenance must become more of a habit than just making sure that the
tool is in its assigned place on the apparatus. Your life and the lives of other
firefighters and civilians depend on those tools. Not maintaining a hand tool
is the same as not putting fuel in the rig. When you need it to function, it
will fail.
In this chapter, we’ll look at some of the aspects of tool maintenance. This
chapter does not have all the answers about tool maintenance. Included are
sound basic techniques for keeping your tools in the best shape and ready for
immediate use. When in doubt as to how a tool should be sharpened,
cleaned, shaped, or maintained, call the manufacturer. If the manufacturer
can’t give you satisfactory answers, contact someone who has experience in

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tool maintenance. Contact local sharpening shops, hardware stores, or even

the local library for information on how to maintain hand tools. There are
many conflicting ideas on tool maintenance. When in doubt, ask.

CUTTING TOOL HEADS

Fire service cutting tools fall into a gray area. How sharp is sharp? Sharp in
the fire service sense is a cutting edge that will not chip or dull quickly and
will still cut wood and metal fast and efficiently.

Axes
Remove all the paint from the tool head. Paint hides defects. Polish the tool
head using a buffing wheel and rouge or other polishing compounds. The
finish doesn’t have to be a mirror finish—just clean and free of any scratches
or gouges that would allow rust to form.
Sharpen the axe using a file and a hone. Don’t use a bench grinder or hand
grinder on it unless you are an expert at tool sharpening! A single-cut or
double-cut mill bastard file is good. Using slow strokes, file all of the chips,
dents, and dings out of the cutting edge of the blade. Follow its original
contour. When filing, you should see a buildup of metal shavings forming
along the edge of the axe blade. When you see this, turn the axe over and file
on the other side of the blade edge. Form another ridge of metal shavings just
like the first. The relief of the blade is what will prevent the axe from
skipping and jumping around while you are using the axe. The relief, or
general bevel of the blade in relation to its thickness, also causes the wood
chips to fly out of the way when cutting, allowing you to actually cut
material rather than to recut chips.
When you have achieved a nick-free cutting surface, wipe the metal filings
off the blade. Now, use the hone to sharpen it. The hone is a finer abrasive
material that will remove the file marks and more metal, increasing the
sharpness of the blade. Do not make the blade razor sharp! Sharpen it to the
point where there is a sufficient relief, with no nicks or dings in the cutting
surface.
On pickhead axes, maintain the shape of the pick with the file. Maintain
the point by filing along the contour of the pick, removing any deformed
metal flakes or shavings that appear on the end. Maintain the edges with
sharp, square corners. Remove any chips or nicks.
After you have filed, honed, and polished the axe head, wipe the tool with
machine oil or light motor oil. Do not use materials containing
1,1,1,trichloroethane! This product deteriorates wood and resins (glues) of
the handle!

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Bolt Cutters
Bolt cutters are not self-sharpening tools. Use the file and hone on the bolt
cutter as you did on the axe. Unlike the axe, the bolt cutter blade should be
honed sharp. The bolt cutter functions initially by biting into the metal to be
cut, then shearing through it. File out any nicks or dings, then hone. Follow
the original contours and angle of the blade. If the blade has very deep nicks,
replace the cutting blades altogether. You can file away too much metal and
ruin the blade surface if you are not careful. Light filing and honing are all
this tool should need to stay sharp. If the tool has been misused, replace the
blades.
Oil the tool with light machine oil or light motor oil. Make sure that you oil
the moving joints of the bolt cutter so that it opens and closes with ease.
Wipe a thin coat on the cutting blades. Make sure that you don’t allow any
excess oil to run down the tool and get onto the handles. The bolt cutter can
be hard enough to use without having greased handles.

CUTTING/STRIKING TOOL HEADS

Flathead Axe
The procedure for maintaining the cutting edge of the axe is the same as
above. The flathead axe striking surface requires that it be properly dressed.
Inspect the striking surface for burrs, chips, or dings. Use the file to remove
these surfaces, and round the surfaces slightly. The striking surfaces should
be made slightly round to prevent these pieces of metal from forming during
use. Don’t overdo the rounding—just slightly. File the striking surface flat
and clean. Deep pockets and creases will be formed while using the tool—
these can’t be prevented. Clean out these creases with sandpaper or steel
wool to remove any loose metal or rust.
Once you’ve sharpened the blade and have dressed the edges, wipe down
the tool head with light machine or motor oil to prevent rust.

Splitting Maul
Maintenance of the splitting maul is completely different from that of the
axes. Removal of paint from the head of this tool is not required. Most
splitting mauls have a rough finish, and the paint helps prevent rust. This
tool’s primary function is to split, so the paint will not really affect its
splitting or cutting abilities. Remove paint from the cutting edge and striking
surface. The cutting edge of the splitting maul is simply two opposing 45-
degree angles. The splitting maul can be sharpened on a bench grinder or
with a hand grinder. Grind the bevel to a 45-degree angle on both sides of the
tool. A splitting maul’s cutting edge is much blunter than that of an axe. Use

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a file and then a hone to remove the grinder marks, and sharpen the edge
slightly. These marks are good places for rust to start.
Follow the procedures described below to care for the striking surface.

STRIKING TOOL HEADS

Maintenance of striking tool heads is primarily maintenance of the striking
surface. Paint should not be removed from the heads of sledgehammers.
Normally they have a rough finish to them, and the factory or user has
applied paint to protect them from rust.
Check the striking surface for mushroomed metal. These pieces of metal are
dangerous and should be removed. Use the file to remove any metal, and
round the face of the striking surface slightly. Polish the striking surface to
remove as many creases or dents as possible to prevent rust. Wipe the tool
head with a light machine oil or motor oil to protect it from rust. Make sure
that the striking surface and the cutting surface are oiled, especially since there
is no paint there to protect the metal.

HANDLES
Wooden Handles
Wooden handles are high-maintenance items on tools. Handles used to be
made of hickory or ash, but today they could be anything. If possible, use
only hickory or ash for your tool handles. These woods are still available.
Any wood will rot, warp, chip, crack, and eventually break. Sunlight,
pollution, water, and other natural and man-made substances attack wood.
Inspect the tool handle thoroughly for any cracks or deterioration. If it is
cracked or checked, replace it. If you have to glue or repair the handle to
make it look functional, it will not be functional. Replacement handles are
cheap. No amount of baling wire, wet leather wraps, staples, nails, or glue
will salvage a damaged handle.
For routine maintenance, simply inspect the handle. Look for defects, dry
rot, cracks, checks, or other problems that may be developing. Don’t
routinely sand and oil the handle. Repeated sanding will just plain wear out
the wood by making it too thin. If a defect is found, or if the handle has been
used a lot and looks as though it needs maintenance, sand it with a medium,
then a fine-grade, sandpaper. The finish should be as smooth as a baseball
bat. (Remember to remove any tape or French hitching before you start.) Use
a tack rag to remove all the sanding dust.
Coat the handle with a liberal amount of boiled linseed oil. Use only boiled
linseed oil. Work it in with your hands. Make sure that you put some on the
top of the handle where it passes through the tool head. Wood is porous, and

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the oil needs to be worked into the wood. Coat the handle as evenly as
possible. Wipe off any excess with a rag. Set the tool aside, and let the oil dry
for a few hours before reinstalling any tape or French hitching.
Wooden handles shouldn’t be painted at all. Under no circumstances
should a working tool handle be varnished! Company markings may be
added, but keep them to an absolute minimum. Paint hides defects in the
handle and causes it to be slippery. Boiled linseed oil won’t penetrate the
paint, and the wood below the paint may dry out or rot.

Fiberglass Handles
Fiberglass handles with defects should be replaced. Chips, cracks, and
abrasions are all serious indications that the handle has been stressed and
probably needs to be replaced.
Overstrikes are the most common cause of damage to fiberglass handles.
Overstrike protection will make them last longer.
Here’s a quick fix for very minor abrasions to a fiberglass handle. First,
thoroughly inspect the handle to make sure that a minor scrape is not an
indicator of a serious problem. If it is truly minor, sand the spot with a fine grade
of sandpaper until it is smooth. Apply a thin coat of polyurethane to the spot to
protect the fibers in the handle. Fiberglass shards are razor sharp. Sanding them
smooth and preventing them from coming up again by using polyurethane will
make the handle last awhile longer. Fiberglass handles are inexpensive, and any
damaged handle should be replaced. If the tool is going to fail, it won’t fail
during routine inspections. It will fail at a critical moment when you need it the
most—when you need to squeeze that little extra out of it to get a task
accomplished. Don’t compromise your safety for a couple of bucks.

Plastic Handles
Tools, especially splitting mauls, do come with plastic handles. They’re
pretty strong, but they don’t belong on your fire apparatus. Use a wood or
fiberglass handle.

PRYING TOOLS
Prying tools need love, too! Although made of high-quality steel, prying
tools are often used and abused. To maintain their peak effectiveness,
maintenance is a must.

Pry Bar
Maintenance of this long piece of steel is relatively easy. Use a mill bastard

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file, single-cut or double-cut, to

maintain the wedge point of the
bar. Follow the original angle. The
point should be chisel-like but not
sharp. The tool should bevel back
to allow the bar to get a good
purchase but not to the point where
the metal has been filed or ground
so thin that it crumples or bends. Although rarely used, pry bars must be maintained in a
Use the file to dress the handle clean and oiled condition. This bar needs work.
top of the tool also, especially if the
bar has been struck with a striking tool. Dress the rounded end so that no
metal mushrooming can be found. Make any sharp edges at the handle end
slightly round.
To finish, sand it down, use a good primer, and paint. Don’t allow too
many coats of paint to accumulate before sanding down to bare metal and
starting over.

Detroit Door Opener

Maintain this tool like a two-piece pry bar. Pull the sliding foot section out.
Use a mill bastard file to sharpen the points on the foot so that they will
penetrate the wood or dimple the metal of the door when used. Don’t make
them so sharp that they are a hazard—just sharp enough to get a good grab.
Make sure that the fulcrum point is well dressed. Follow the original
contour and maintain that angle. If you have a well-maintained tool, use a
small triangular file to sharpen the serrated teeth at the end of the fulcrum.
Most likely, those teeth have either been ground off or have worn off most
tools. If they are there, sharpen them up a little for a better purchase.
Lubricate the swivel of the foot pad with light oil, and lubricate all the
swivel joints. Clean the sliding post that inserts into the foot pad bar. Clean
the chain attachment for the clevis pin so that it moves freely. Also, clean the
clevis pin so that it moves freely in any of the adjustment holes in the bar.
To finish, sand it down to bare metal, prime, then paint. Make sure the
paint doesn’t gum up any of the moving parts.

Claw Tool
Use a mill bastard file to maintain the point on the claw tool. This point is
required to get the initial purchase for many of the functions of the tool.
Taper the point to a reasonable diameter. If the point has been flattened out,
use the file to reshape it. Don’t make the point too thin or it will crumple
under pressure and fail.

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Dress the striking knob of the tool. Inspect it thoroughly for excessive
damage, remove any mushroomed metal surfaces, and round the corners of
the striking surface slightly.
Use the file to maintain the bevel on the bottom side of the fork. The fork
should be somewhat sharpened but not razor sharp. Use a file and a hone.
The fork bevels should be free of any dimples or flattened edges. Polish
them as smooth as possible using a buffing wheel or other suitable means.
The tool can be painted, but it is easier to maintain if left without paint. A
very light coating of oil on the shaft will prevent rust. Apply heavier (but not
much) amounts of oil to the striking surface, point, and fork. If you are going
to paint it, remove any old paint; then prime and repaint. Mask the bevels of
the fork and the surface of the striking knob. These should be left as clean
metal for better performance.

Kelly Tool
The kelly tool has several areas that require different types of maintenance.
The head of the tool has the adze and the striking surfaces. Use a mill bastard
file to maintain the bevel on the adze. This beveled edge should be sharp—
again, not razor sharp, just sharp enough to shear metal bolts or screws. Use
the file to remove any dimples or dings and to reshape the adze bevel. The
bevel is underneath the adze section of the tool. Do not file a bevel into the
top of the tool. Adding a bevel to the top edge of the tool will turn it into a
wedge shape, and it will lose its advantage as a cutting adze.
Dress the striking surfaces. Remove all mushroomed metal, then file smooth
and slightly rounded.
The chisel end of the tool should be sharpened somewhat like a splitting
maul. Maintain the chisel edge by following the original opposing bevels. The
edge should be sharp. File out any dimples or dings and reshape the edge. The
angles on both sides should be equal.
Like the claw tool, the kelly tool can either be painted or left as raw metal.
Oil it to prevent rust. Go lightly on the oil—don’t make the tool so greasy that
you can’t hang on to it.

San Francisco Bar/Chicago Patrol

Bar/Halligan Bar
These three tools are very similar in maintenance. As a matter of fact, with
the exception of the pick on the halligan bar, their maintenance is exactly the
same.
Adze. For the adze, use a good mill bastard file to maintain the bevel on the
bottom side. Do not file a bevel onto the top of the tool. Maintain the original
profile of the bevel. This bevel takes a lot of abuse, so don’t file it too thin. The

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Keep the forks of these bars tuned up. The adze and pick points must be kept sharp and
beveled.
tool must be thick enough yet sharp
enough for hard forcible entry
techniques like shearing bolts and
screws. Remove any curling, dim-
pling, or other defects in the adze Maintain the gentle curve of the fork.
edge, and reshape it with the file. Use a hone to sharpen the edge, being careful
not to get the metal too thin. The tools are made of hard steel, so this is going
to be work. Check and maintain the adze often. Case-hardened materials will
knock the stuffing out of the adze end. When using the file on the adze,
carefully maintain the slight curve of the adze top. Only remove dimpled or
damaged metal at the end of the tool. Do not reshape the curve of the adze.
Striking surfaces. Dress the striking surfaces with the file. Remove all
mushroomed metal. Do not overfile the tool; just remove the mushroomed
stuff. Too many file marks in the tool will make it more prone to rust.
Hexagonal shaft. Maintain the hexagonal shaft by keeping the edges dressed.
When you use it as a striking tool, a miss can sometimes cause the metal of the
handle to mushroom. This won’t happen often (I hope), but check it just the
same.
Fork. Use the file to maintain the bevel on the bottom side of the fork. The
fork should be somewhat sharpened but not razor sharp. Use a file and a hone.
The fork bevels should be free of any dimples or flattened edges. Polish them
as smooth as possible using a buffing wheel or other suitable means. Be careful
to maintain the curve of the fork. Also, don’t file the tips of the fork too thin.
Maintain the original bevel.
Half round (San Francisco bar). Maintain the half round so that it is just
that—half round. Flat spots should be filed back to half round again. Dress the
edges of the half round to get rid of the sharp mushroomed metal.
Pick point (halligan). Keep the pick point of the halligan tapered and sharp—
very sharp. Use the file to taper the point, then a good grade of wet/dry
sandpaper for metal to smooth the entire pick point.
Snap hook attachment. If you have added a chain link to the tool for
attaching a utility rope for venting windows from upper floors or the roof,
inspect the link thoroughly for cracks in the weld. If the tool was engineered
with this feature, it should still be checked. If the link has been damaged, file it
off. Either replace it with another link or do without it. Throwing the tool off a
roof with a damaged link is extremely dangerous!

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PIKE POLES
Wooden Pole Handles
Wooden pole handles require a lot of work to be maintained. Usually poles
are not carried inside the apparatus but are mounted on racks or in holders.
This exposes them to weather, road dirt, salt, and other factors that will
deteriorate them very quickly.
Inspect the pole for any cracks, chips, checking, abrasions, dings, or other
problems. Severe dings or gouges will severely limit the use of the pole, so
replace the handle. Minor dings or abrasions can be sanded out.
Use first a medium-grade sandpaper, then a fine sandpaper. Don’t sand the
handle so smooth that it is slippery. Allow a little of the grain to stand out to
add (albeit very little) some grip. Carefully inspect the pole for any embedded
objects like glass shards or small fragments of metal.
Once the pole has been sanded, use boiled linseed oil to coat the handle. Use
your hands to apply it, and work it into the grain of the wood. Use only boiled
linseed oil. Allow the pole handle to dry. Check the tool head for firm
attachment to the pole.
Paint the tool head but not the pole itself. Never paint the handle of a pike
pole. Company markings should be kept to a minimum size.

Fiberglass Poles
Fiberglass poles with defects should be replaced. Chips, cracks, and
abrasions are all serious indications that the fiberglass pole has been stressed
and probably needs to be replaced.
Overprying and striking window frames or metal framing are the most
common causes of damage to fiberglass poles, especially up close to the head.
Fix abrasions as described above (see page 149).

Metal Poles
Sand these poles down, prime them, and paint them. Bent or misshapen poles
should be replaced. Minor bends can be straightened, but you will be stressing
the metal even more. If a metal-handled pole is bent, it has been severely
misused. Question its strength. Replace it.

PIKE POLE HEADS

National Pike Pole
Keep all the edges of the hook and pike well dressed and square. The square
edges will help to penetrate most materials. The pike should be sharpened to a

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point. Use a hone to clean and sharpen the edges. Paint the tool head to help
prevent rust.

Plaster Hook
Use a mill bastard file and a hone to sharpen the edges of the main pike point
and the collapsible wings of the tool. These edges should be sharpened like an
axe—that is, tapered to an edge that will cut through and not stick to the
material. Oil the collapsible wings so that they move easily. Painting the head
will help prevent rust, but be careful not to overpaint the head, or the wings
won’t move easily.

Chicago Pike Pole

Follow the original bevels of the tool head and maintain all the ridges with a
file. Do not sharpen the edges; just maintain them. Sharpen the pike so that it
will penetrate materials easily. Sharpen the edges of the hook, and file the
downward point sharp, which will help the tool grab material with less effort.
Don’t file these areas too thin or too sharp, but maintain them sharp enough to
get a purchase into wood or plaster.
To paint the tool head, sand it down with sandpaper or steel wool, prime it,
then paint it.

New York Pike Pole and Arrow Hook

These pole heads are a pain to maintain. A big advantage of them is their
massive size and weight. Other than a good cleaning after a fire, they don’t
usually require too much maintenance.
A mill bastard file should be used to maintain all of the edges of the tools.
The edges, or ridges, help them penetrate material. Maintain the pike point by
filing it sharp on two opposing sides. Don’t file it too thin. It should be just a
little sharper than blunt.
Clean the head well. Plaster and drywall really stick to the head. Use a wire
wheel or stiff brush to get all the stuck material off. Prime and paint the head.

San Francisco Pike Pole

The San Francisco pike pole head has a lot of edges that need to be
maintained. The pike head needs to be filed to a sharp point. Maintaining the
pike to an arrowlike point allows the tool to penetrate wood, lath, plaster, and
other materials more easily. Use a mill bastard file. Slowly, evenly file on both
sides of the pike. File it down to suit your own eye and the type of use you will
have for the tool.

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Clean and well-maintained tools are the hallmark of a professional firefighting company.

Use the file again to maintain the angle on the top of the hook. This angle
also helps penetrate material and allows the material to fall away from the
hook head on the upstroke.
The San Francisco pike pole has a series of teeth along the bottom side of the
hook. Carefully use a triangle-shaped file to maintain a very slight edge on the
teeth and to clean out any impacted material stuck in there. The teeth need to
be able to grab material. Easy does it on the filing—excessive filing will thin
out the hook and make it more susceptible to breaking or bending. The hook is
not a serrated knife, and it doesn’t have to be that sharp.

Halligan Hook/Roofman’s
Hook/Multifunction Hook
The key to maintaining these tools is to maintain the bevels and the angles of
the adze. Use a mill bastard file and a hone to keep their edges sharp. The ends
should be as sharp as those of cutting tools.
Maintain the back angle of the bevel and the straight-edged bottom. File
along the original angle to maintain it. Don’t change the angle at all. Use the
hone to remove all file marks and to put an edge on the adze.
Also, file along the tool wherever there is an angle, especially on the halligan
tool head. The top point and triangular edges must be maintained to provide
maximum penetrating power. Flat surfaces should be filed and honed flat.
To finish, sand the tool heads clean, then prime and paint.

Drywall Hook
Maintaining this tool is actually easier than it looks. Using the file, maintain
the beveled cutting edge and point on the top fin of the tool. If the point has
been flattened, reshape it. After filing, use the hone to put an edge on the fin. If

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you use this tool in metal frequently, this maintenance will be required often.
Gypsum board won’t damage this tool too much.
Use a triangular file, and file the teeth of the rake to a point. Make the teeth
sharp enough to grab both gypsum board material and the paper. A few strokes
is all it will take. The teeth need to be sharp but not razorlike. Using the
triangular file will also help to clean any impacted material out of the teeth. If
you have a small hone, hone the teeth. This will help take out file marks and
thwart rust.
To finish, sand the tool head thoroughly, and use steel wool to get it good and
smooth. Prime and paint the head.

EK Hook
Keep the EK hook sharp! This tool is designed for metal cutting. Use the file
to maintain the cutting bevel along the top surface of the tool. Use slow and
deliberate strokes to follow and maintain the tool’s original cutting edge. Make
sure that you remove any dimples or dents along the cutting edge. Hone the
cutting edge sharp.
Maintain the heavy, square pulling edge on the bottom side of the tool. Keep
the edges on the bottom (except the pulling teeth) square. If you have no
cutting edge, the tool will be ineffective at cutting through material on the
downstroke. The undersurface should be as sharp as the top cutting surface.
File the teeth of the tool sharp using a triangular file. The teeth also need to be
sharp to grab and cut through metal.
Clean the tool head thoroughly. Mask off all the cutting surfaces, then prime
and paint the tool. Remove the mask from the cutting edge, then oil the edge
with light machine oil or motor oil to prevent rust.

Boston Rake
Take a mill bastard file and maintain all of the edges of the rake. The edges
should remain square. Remove any mushroomed metal. File the leading angle
of the tool to maintain the point. Hone the leading edge of the tool to remove
file marks. Sand, prime, and paint to finish.

Clemens Hook™
File the bevel on the bottom of the crescent head. Maintain the original angle
of the bevel. Use the hone to remove file marks and sharpen the edge of the
bevel. Use a small hone to maintain an edge on the cutting fin inside the
crescent-shaped head. A small file may be needed to file out dents and dings.
Use a hone on the fin to maintain a cutting edge.
File the pike of the head to maintain the small, sharp point. Don’t get too

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carried away with the file or you’ll misshape the head. Dress the edges of the
tool to remove any mushroomed metal. Sand, prime, and paint to finish.

L.A. Trash Hook/Arson Rake

Maintain the points on the tines using a file or sandpaper. The points will dull
quickly when the tool is used on a hard surface such as pavement or a garbage
dumpster. The sharper the points, the better the grab. Don’t go nuts making the
points like razors, but keep them sharp enough to grab wood and soft metals.
Sand, prime, and paint to finish.

Gatorback Hook and Dragonslayer™

Maintain these tools as you would a handsaw. File any dings or dents from
the teeth. Because the teeth are easily bent, you may have to lay the tool on a
hard, flat surface and tap them back into line. Maintain the edges of the teeth
with a file. A triangular file works best for getting at them. A small hone should
be used to maintain the cutting surface of the teeth. On the gatorback hook,
maintain the pike pole head exactly the same as a national pike pole. Sand,
prime, and paint to finish.

PERSONAL TOOLS
Officer’s Halligan Hook
See Halligan Hook.

Officer’s Tool (O Tool)

See A Tool.

Small Halligan Bar

See Halligan Bar and A Tool.

Truckman’s Tool
See A Tool.

Fencer’s Pliers
Maintain all of the cutting edges of the fencer’s pliers with a small mill bastard
file and hone. The cutting edges should be kept very sharp. Use wet/dry

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sandpaper to maintain the pick, and touch up any nicks or dings with a file. Use a
light machine oil to prevent rust.

SEVERAL-IN-ONE TOOLS
T-N-T Tool
See Cutting/Striking Tool Heads and National Pike Pole. Use a mill bastard
file to maintain the bevel on both sides of the chisel point of the tool. Hone
the chisel very sharp, removing all of the filing marks. To finish, mask the
striking surface and the chisel surface, then prime and paint. Remove the
masking material and oil with a light machine oil or motor oil.

Cincinnati Tool
See Axes, Halligan Bar, and National Pike Pole.

Pry Axe
See Axes, Halligan Bar, Detroit Door Opener (for sliding bar).

Hux Bar
Maintain the edges of the nail puller using a file. Filing will remove the
chrome, so the tool will rust unless it is coated with a light machine oil or
motor oil. Use sandpaper to clean out and remove rust from any dings and
creases. Damaged tools should be removed from service. Use a file to maintain
the hydrant openings to their proper dimensions. This tool should be removed
from service and replaced with a more useful implement.

SPECIAL-PURPOSE TOOLS
Bam-Bam Tool
The big maintenance item on the bam-bam tool is the screw chuck. Keep the
threads well oiled and clean. If they get beat up, use an appropriate rethreading
tool to repair them. Replace the screw after each use. Always have a large
supply of screws available.
Keep the tool free of rust, and ensure that the slap hammer moves back and
forth easily. Chromed tools are easily maintained unless you knock off some of
the chrome. Stainless steel bam-bams are almost maintenance-free. Regular
steel tools should be sanded, primed, and painted.

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Hockey Puck Lock Breaker

Maintain this tool as you would any large pipe wrench. First, use a triangular
file to keep the jaw’s teeth very sharp (after all, the tool is expected to bite into
case-hardened metals). Maintain the gear mechanism for the jaw adjustment
by keeping it clean and well oiled. Paint most of the surfaces except the jaw
areas, which should be lightly oiled to prevent rust. Thoroughly inspect the
cheater bar attachment if you have a commercially made lock breaker. Make
sure there are no weak points in the handle and that the resin glue is intact and
holding well. If any defects are spotted, remove the tool from service and
either have it repaired professionally or by someone who fully understands the
complexity of resin glues and epoxies.

A Tool
The A tool must be maintained to function well. The cutting edges inside the
A shape must be kept extremely sharp. Use a file and a small hone to maintain
keen cutting edges on the tool. The blades must be able to bite hard into a lock
cylinder, so sharpen them accordingly. There should be no dents or dings in
the blades. Be careful to maintain the original bevel.
Just as important as the cutting blades are the very sharp points at the bottom
of the A tool. These must also be maintained. The purpose of the A tool is for it
to be driven in and behind flush-mounted or protected lock cylinders. The
sharp points help guide the tool as you drive it in. Use a file to maintain those
points. Keep them very sharp. They will wear down just by storing the tool and
carrying it around.

J Tool
Maintain the tool in the shape of a J. Keep it rust-free and lightly oiled.

K Tool
The K tool’s blades are removable. These should be kept as sharp as possible
and free of all nicks and dings. A gouge in a blade may make it ineffective in
pulling a lock cylinder. Use a file to shape the bevel, then a hone to sharpen it.
These blades are driven into metal, so they need to be extremely sharp. If the
blades are badly damaged, order replacements from the manufacturer. Keep
the K tool clean and free of rust. A light coating of machine oil or motor oil
will help. The tool can be painted, but don’t paint the blade surfaces.

Duck-Billed Lock Breaker

Use a file to dress the edges of the tool, especially the striking surface. All

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mushroomed metal should be removed. Use a grinder or a file to maintain the

profile so that the tool fits into the lock shackles of most locks. This may require
tapering the duck-bill point, but don’t file or grind it too thin. Maintain a good
thick surface but one that is small enough to fit into the lock. Paint the tool.

Shove Knives
If they work, they’re maintained! If they don’t work, make new ones.

Vise Grip and Chain

Maintain this as you would a normal set of vise grips. Keep the screw
assembly clean and oiled. Inspect the weld where the chain attaches to the
vise grip. If cracks are noted, grind off the link and install a new one. Keep
the vise grip and chain lightly oiled to prevent rust.

Battering Ram
Keep the edges dressed, remove all loose metal flakes, make sure the
handles are tight, and dress the striking surface with a mill bastard file. Sand,
prime, and paint.

Combination Punch and Chisel

Maintain this tool as you would any standard punch and chisel.

Hammerheaded Pick
Keep all of the surfaces well dressed. Maintain the handle (see Wooden
Handles). Keep the striking surface clean and dressed, the edges slightly
rounded. Square up and maintain the shape of the pick. The pick point does
not need to be sharpened. Most often, it is better practice to blunt the pick
slightly. Sand, prime, and paint the tool head. Do not paint the handle.

Rebar Window Breaker

Keep it painted and rust-free.

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TOOL
COMBINATIONS
There is no such thing as one device that can accomplish all of the tasks a
firefighter might encounter on the fireground. Such a tool does not exist.
Firefighters perform many of the same tasks over and over at fires. Although
no two fires are the same, the common tasks we perform are rescue,
ventilation, forcible entry, and overhaul. All of these tasks require tools; many
of them require different tools or combinations of them.
In this chapter, we will look at tool combinations. What two tools can be put
together to perform most of the basic tasks required? Yes, firefighting is a
science, but it isn’t rocket science. Firefighters have been honing the art of
firefighting for almost 400 years in this country alone. There isn’t too much
new; it just gets recycled. The tool combinations discussed in this book are the
ones that have worked in hundreds of thousands of situations. They’ve been
tested. Firefighters stake their lives on these tools every day.
A tool’s efficiency depends on you. Size-up is critical to tool selection, and it
should be made long before you respond to an alarm. Knowing the types of
building construction in your
response area is an absolute
must. Know your town’s
history. By studying the history
of your community, you will
learn what types of buildings
you may encounter and what
building techniques were used.
It is very important. Germans
built buildings differently from
the Swedish, who built dif-
ferently from the French, who
built totally differently from
the colonists. Our own fire
service history has played an
important role in the way
buildings are constructed.
Huge conflagrations and high
death tolls brought about the
enactment of building and fire Tools often need to be paired up. This Chicago firefighter has
codes. As a firefighter, you are both a six-foot hook and an eight-pound pickhead axe.

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responsible for every structure in your community—not just those under

construction today, but every building ever built and still standing!
Become familiar with what types of security devices are being sold and used.
A trip to the local home improvement store will answer a lot of questions about
what types of tools you will need to bring with you to the next fire. Do prefire
inspections. Don’t just look for code violations—look at how the occupant
secures the building at night. How do you get in? What tools do you need?
Standing in front of a locked door with the most sophisticated tools in the
world won’t open that door. Know the capabilities and limitations of the tools
you are holding in your hand.

THE IRONS
The tool combination “the irons” means different things to firefighters
depending on their geographic location. A set of irons is basically a prying tool
married to (carried with) a striking tool. The term irons has long been a slang
term for metal pry bars. The maritime industry, railroaders, and construction
workers all have tools they call irons. In New York City, the original irons
meant a pry bar plus a New York lock breaker. The irons man carried both
tools, sometimes with a rope sling to carry them over his shoulder so that he
could climb ladders or fire escapes. As tool innovations progressed, the types
of tools carried as irons changed, but the name stuck.

The irons—an eight-pound flathead axe married to a halligan bar.

Today, a set of irons is a flathead axe married with a halligan bar. The axe of
choice is the eight-pound flathead. A standard 30-inch halligan bar will marry
together almost perfectly with an axe. Stand a flathead axe on the floor, head
down, and take a 30-inch halligan bar and slip the fork over the blade of the
axe, the adze end pointing toward the axe handle. Lean the halligan bar
forward so that the axe handle nests in the angle of the adze and the pick of the
halligan bar. Grab both the halligan bar and the axe handle about midway

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down, or closer to the adze end of the tool

if you have a small hand. That is a set of
irons.
When carrying this set of irons, hang on
tight—sometimes the halligan bar will
slip. To improve carrying the set, use a
strap to hold them together. There are
some commercially available straps for
that, but old rubber tourniquets work great.
Nylon straps also work and can be cut
down to fit the tool set perfectly. Carry the
tool with the axe head next to your leg,
blade down, and the halligan’s hook out in
front of you. The hook is the most
dangerous part of the irons, and you want
to know where it is at all times. This firefighter is well prepared. He safely carries
Another type of irons can be made by a six-foot hook and a set of irons.
marrying together an eight-pound splitting
maul and a halligan bar. This combination is just as effective as the eight-pound
flathead combination, except that the splitting maul is more capable of
functioning as a sledgehammer because it has a sledgehammer face. The force
concentration on the striking face of the splitting maul is better than that of the
flathead. You do lose something using this combination, though: The splitting
maul is not as efficient at cutting as the axe. The blade is fatter and the head is
thicker. Putting an eight-pound splitting maul and a halligan bar together would
be beneficial when responding to areas where smashing holes through roofs or
walls is easier and faster than cutting. Many modern private dwelling roofs can
have a hole smashed in them with a maul faster than they can be cut with an
axe.
Irons can be a multitude of tool combinations. A favorite Midwestern tool
combination is an eight-pound splitting maul and a small halligan bar. This tool
combination is held together by an old section of 21⁄2-inch hose. To make the
hose holder, get an old section of 21⁄2- or three-inch hose. Cut the outer jacket
off the hose and slip it over the handle of the splitting maul. Slide the small
halligan bar, fork first, down into the hose alongside the handle of the maul.
You can now carry both tools easily.
One of the nice aspects of this tool combination is that the small halligan
doesn’t have to be removed to use the maul. By grabbing the hose and holding
on, the maul can be swung to open lightly secured doors or to drive other tools.
The tool must be removed if the maul is to be swung with any force, though.
Another advantage of the small halligan is that it can be used in confined areas.
This tool combination cannot be used where high security is found, however,
because the small halligan doesn’t have the leverage of the full-size bar.

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Older tools can be restored and returned to service as backup sets of irons.
Tools that are old are only that—old. They will still perform if you know how
to use them.
Some of the uses for a set of irons include:
• Conventional forcible entry through doors and windows.
• Forcible entry through padlocks and chains.
• Forcible entry through burglar bars and metal window gates.
• Forcible entry into automobiles.
• Forcible exit during search and rescue operations.
• Breaching walls.
• Cutting ventilation holes in floors and roofs.
• Removing skylights, scuttle covers, and roof caps.
• Opening elevator doors.
• Overhaul operations, including water removal.
• Footholds on pitched roofs.
• Door and window removal.
• Search tools.
• Utilities control.
• Anchor points for rope.
• Emergency bracing.
• Salvage tools.

LOCK-BREAKING COMBINATIONS
Tool sets can be put together to perform specific tasks. Marrying a striking
tool and a lock-breaking tool is a fast and efficient way to deploy them when
required. Locks can present significant obstacles to firefighters. Sets of irons
can be expensive, and many fire departments only have one, maybe two sets at
the most.
Lock-breaking sets can be put together very inexpensively. A duck-billed
lock breaker and an eight-pound sledgehammer make a very effective pair. The
duck bill can be manufactured in the firehouse from scrap metal, and the
sledgehammer can be purchased at a hardware store for less than $20.00. This
tool combination is held together by an old section of 21⁄2-inch hose as
mentioned above.
Older, less frequently used tools can also be revitalized and married together
with striking tools to make backup sets of lock-breaking tools for whenever the
irons have already gone to work. The claw tool and sledgehammer are one good
example, as are the hammerheaded pick and sledgehammer or flathead axe.

TO THE ROOF
Firefighters who operate on the roof must be very experienced and capable.

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Roof operations are among the more dangerous functions performed at the
scene of a fire. Tools play a critical role in the success and safety of this
operation.

Use tools whenever possible. Using just your hands or your body to perform certain tasks is risky.

Today, fire departments depend on power tools to speed up roof operations

and to get the building ventilated as quickly as possible. Chain saws, circular
saws, and other gasoline- or electric-driven tools do make fast work of
cutting—when they start, that is. Hand tools always start, and firefighters
operating on the roof with power
tools must back them up with
hand tools.
Exactly which tools should be
taken to the roof will depend on
the size-up you perform. What
kind of roof is it? What’s the
pitch? What’s the roof made of? Is
it a truss roof? These questions
must be answered before you can
make your selection.
What task or tasks are you going
to perform once you reach the
roof? An example might be that
the roofman will ventilate the roof,
check it and adjoining exposures
for fire extension, check all sides
of the building for victims, move
down from the roof, and perform a A wide variety of hand tools may be needed during roof
search from the top down. operations.

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These basic functions from the roof require specific tools. Tools that you
want at a minimum to perform those tasks include:
• A cutting tool (axe, splitting maul).
• A 12-foot push/pull tool (national pike pole, halligan hook, trash hook).
• A prying tool (halligan, Chicago patrol bar, claw tool).
You may need additional equipment such as roof ladders and other tools.
With those tools you can ventilate the roof by cutting a hole with the axe,
removing the debris with the pike pole. The pike pole would be inverted and
inserted into the hole in all directions as far as you could reach to push down
ceilings. The halligan would be available to drive the pike or hook into the roof
for a foothold or to help in forcing open any skylights or ridge caps you may
find.
Commercial buildings may call for a different set of tools. The function of
the roofman will be the same, but the obstacles encountered will be different
and more difficult. There may be bulkhead doors, shaft covers, scuttle covers,
ventilators, HVAC systems, and other openings that may need to be forced
open. The roof may still have to be cut.
The list of possibilities can go on and on. I don’t have a single answer for
what tools you must take to the roof every time. These are the basic tools, but
only you can answer the question of what your exact needs are. Know your
jurisdiction! Know the capabilities of your first-arriving companies and, most
importantly, know how to use the tools that are available to you.

FORCING YOUR WAY IN OR OUT

During their training, firefighters spend a lot of time learning forcible entry
techniques. Unfortunately, most don’t get a chance to actually practice or use
those skills they learn. Forcible entry props are few and far between.
Videotapes help, but they don’t give you the actual feel for dealing with all the
variables that you may encounter during forcible entry.
Security in America has made entry into most homes and businesses a real
obstacle for firefighters. Urban area firefighters are accustomed to the problem,
but more often than not suburban and rural firefighters are surprised and often
stumped.
Forcible entry can no longer be performed with a boot or a shoulder.
Firefighters must be proficient with tools to gain access for rescue and
firefighting. Proper tools are the solution to the forcible entry problem—there
are no gimmicks. There are two basic types of forcible entry: (1) conventional
forcible entry using a striking tool and a prying tool, and (2) through-the-lock
forcible entry using special lock pullers and tools to trip and operate the lock
normally after the lock cylinder has been removed.
Proficiency in these skills is critical to your safety. There are many situations
in which you will have to force your way in to save a victim. There are equally

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(Left) Always have a tool with you. You never know when you may have to force your way out of a fire building. (Right)
Having hand tools with you will save your life. This Chicago firefighter is forcing a door that is blocking the exit for an
engine crew. The engine crew had no tools with them.

as many, if not more, situations where you will have to force your way out to
save your own skin. Understanding how tools work and what they are capable
of is not just a way to kill time during drills—these are life skills.
Tools should not be left at the entrance door to a fire building. They should
be with you at all times—and not just any tool for the sake of carrying one, but
a tool that will function well, and a tool you know how to use. It is critical that
specific tasks and assignments be given to firefighters. Tools (or, more
importantly, tool combinations) must be available inside a structure. A
firefighter whose only tool is a six-foot pike pole will perform well at the
overhaul stage, but it will be useless to him if he must escape and encounters a
locked or blocked path. By carrying a hook and a prying tool, he’d be better
prepared to perform more than one task.
Personal tools are a great asset to you as a firefighter. A small pry bar is easy
to carry, and may save your life if you must open a door, breach a wall, or
otherwise force your way out of a life-threatening situation.
The following combinations have been proven to be outstanding for forcible
entry. These tools will get you in and, more importantly, get you out again.
• An eight-pound flathead axe and a 30-inch halligan bar.
• A 10-pound sledgehammer and a 30-inch halligan bar.
• An eight-pound splitting maul and a 30-inch halligan bar.
• A six-foot roofman’s hook and a 30-inch halligan bar.

OVERHAUL
Overhaul is the biggest job we do. As firefighters, we learn overhaul on the
job, at the scene of an actual emergency. Performing overhaul at a fire is good

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experience, but training must take place before we go out and practice in
somebody’s living room. More firefighters are injured during overhaul than
any other stage of a fire. You’re tired and you want to get it over with, take up,
and go home.
Tools are the only way for a firefighter to perform effective overhaul. During
overhaul, firefighters often work harder than necessary to accomplish the task.
By becoming proficient at tool selection and use, you will perform faster and
better and be less likely to miss
hidden fires.
Almost all of the tools used during
the initial fire attack will be used
during overhaul. Each type of tool is
capable of performing tasks that are
essential for opening up and
removing debris after a fire.
Cutting tools—Cutting tools can
be used to remove moldings, trim,
and doors. Cutting tools will allow
you to open walls and floors to check
for hidden fires. At the overhaul stage
you are very tired. Don’t work with
cutting tools over your head. Limit
your use of cutting tools to materials
that are at waist level or lower.

(Top right:) An axe is a valuable tool for overhaul. (Bottom left) Knowing the proper techniques for using poles will
make overhaul operations easier. (Bottom right) Overhaul would be impossible without pike poles. Using them
efficiently makes overhaul more effective.
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Prying tools—Prying tools are more efficient for removing moldings, trim,
and doors. Since they are designed to pry, they can be used more efficiently
and with less effort than cutting tools. Well-dressed, beveled edges will pry and
remove material much easier than cutting tools. In some circumstances, the
prying tool will easily cut material that must be removed. Don’t work with the
tools over your head—prying tools should be used for materials that are
located between your shoulders and the floor.
Poles—Poles should be used to remove material in areas higher than your
shoulders. Selecting the most efficient pole will allow you to open walls and
ceilings, remove molding and trim, and perform a variety of other tasks. Poles
should be a minimum of six feet long. Better yet are eight-foot poles. Short
hooks lack leverage, and their minimal reach is a disadvantage. If you’re using
a four-foot closet hook to overhaul a closet, you’ll have to be in the closet to
make it work and will be pulling all the debris down on top of yourself. Get a
six-foot hook and stand in the doorway of the closet. You’ll still pull it all
down, but you won’t be under it. Work the tool so that the debris falls out and
away from you, not on you.
Several-in-one—They’re great, but most of them are too short to be
effective pike poles. If you’re using this type of tool, limit its use to areas at the
level of your shoulders and below. Most several-in-one tools have sharp tools
at both ends. Be very careful when using them in areas where other firefighters
are working or moving around.

S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. comes to the fire service from the Chicago Fire Department. It
stands for Special Wrenches And Tools. The idea is for companies to have kits
available of all those special tools that you don’t often carry with you but often
have a need for on the fireground.
S.W.A.T. kits are carried on many Chicago Fire Department squads and truck
companies. Some battalion chiefs have them in their buggies. The kit is usually
in a canvas tool bag or other carrying arrangement that can be quickly
deployed on the fireground.
A typical S.W.A.T. kit consists of the following tools:
• Duck-billed lock breaker.
• Mallet or small sledgehammer.
• A tool.
• K tool.
• Key tools (for through-the-lock forcible entry).
• Bam-bam tool and extra screws.
• Shove knives.
• Dental picks (for through-the-lock forcible entry).
• Assorted screwdrivers.

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• Crescent wrench.
• Pliers.
• Extra cut nails (for door chocks).
• Elevator keys.
• J tool.
• Vise grip and chain.

The S.W.A.T. kit should contain all the tools best suited for your response
area, grouping many of the forcible entry tools you need into one portable
pack. The S.W.A.T. kit provides the special tools for performing forcible entry
through padlocks, the through-the-lock technique, and other instances where
you just need that one extra or special tool. The S.W.A.T. kit is an excellent
idea when responding to smells-and-bells calls to get you into a building to
check an alarm without doing any damage to doors or windows.
The S.W.A.T. kit also provides a central staging area for all those tools on
your apparatus. Instead of having to go from compartment to compartment, the
tools are all together. You can get one tool from the kit or take the whole kit
with you. S.W.A.T. kits are not expensive to put together. Many of the tools
can be made in the firehouse or purchased at a local hardware store.

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TOOLS ON FIRE
APPARATUS

E
very piece of equipment owned or operated by a fire department is a
tool. Firehouses, helmets, coats, hoses, nozzles, and lights are all tools.
The biggest and most important tool we own is our rolling toolbox—
the apparatus itself. It’s with this tool that we get all of our other tools to the
scene of an emergency.
How often do we really give consideration to the hand tools in the big
toolbox? According to the standards that govern the building and equipping of
apparatus, an engine company is only required as a minimum to have one six-
pound flathead and one six-pound pickhead axe, one six-foot pike pole or
plaster hook, and one eight-foot pike pole. That is all that is required to be on
the apparatus before it is placed in service.
I mention this only because some department and city officials take the
standard as gospel, and those are the only hand tools the engine ever has
assigned to it! Go ahead and laugh, but that is the truth in hundreds of fire
departments across the country.
As you are reading this chapter, I hope that you can recall or refer back to all
the previous chapters. Hand tools are critical to firefighting. There are no
gimmicks and no magic. We are still using the same tools we have been using
for years—sometimes a thousand years or more.
The tools you carry on your apparatus should be the result of the size-up you
do of your community and your department. Determine what each piece of
apparatus really does. Do your engines only function as engines, or do they go
to car accidents? Do you have a truck company? If not, which apparatus
carries the truck tools? Why is the tanker leaving the station with nothing on it
but hydrant wrenches?
Ask tough questions and make a tough size-up. If in doubt, ask for help.
Contact other local departments to see what they carry. Get tool catalogs and
see what tools are available. Buy this book and find out how to use them!
The rest of this chapter will look at what hand tools should be carried on
basic apparatus. This isn’t written in stone. This isn’t a standard. It’s something
to make you think.

ENGINE COMPANIES
For the purposes of this book, an engine company is a piece of fire apparatus
whose main function is to respond to fires and other emergencies. At fires, the

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Hand tools are as critical to an engine company as hoses and nozzles are.

engine is responsible for fire extinguishment. Its purpose at emergencies can

vary from silencing alarms to performing vehicle extrication. It has a minimum
crew of three firefighters.
Consider the following as a complement of hand tools for the engine
company.
Cutting tools—At least two eight-pound pickhead axes, mounted in brackets
for ease of accessibility by the firefighters. The axes will be required for
ventilation and overhaul both during and after the fire. Not all fire is visible to
the attack team, and the pickhead axes may be needed to open walls or floors
to get at the fire. Two different sizes of bolt cutters should also be carried.
Cutting/striking tools—Two eight-pound flathead axes, to be married with
two pry bars. One eight-pound splitting maul. These tools may be required if
the engine company encounters forcible entry problems on arrival. They may
also be needed at nonfire emergencies such as rescues and car accidents.
Prying tools—Two halligan bars should be married with the two eight-
pound flathead axes and stored as two sets of irons. Additionally, two pinch or
wedge-point bars should be carried.
Striking tools—One 10-pound and one 16-pound sledgehammer. Engine
company officers may be required to breach walls made of both wood and
masonry to get the best position to attack the fire with a hoseline. Lightweight
tools take too long; the fire isn’t going to wait for the one vehicle in your
department that has a heavy sledge.
Poles—Two six-foot poles, two eight-foot poles, one 12-foot pole, and one
16-foot pole should be carried. Another choice might be two six-foot poles
plus one eight-foot, one 10-foot, one 12-foot, and one 16-foot pole. Select the
tool heads that will best suit the type of area to which the company responds.
Overhaul is a critical part of fire extinguishment. Not all buildings today have
standard eight-foot ceilings. Many homes are being built with 12- to 14-foot

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vaulted ceilings and other areas that are impossible to reach with a standard
six- or eight-foot pole. With the recommended complement of poles, salvage
operations will be ineffective without calling for more companies or additional
tools.
Other tools—Building a S.W.A.T. kit for the engine will allow through-the-
lock functions at fires. More importantly, the engine crew will be able to access
buildings quickly for stretching additional lines into exposures, checking fire
alarms, and assisting civilians for EMS-type runs. If a S.W.A.T. kit is not
practical, at least one A tool should be carried. Mount a piece of PVC pipe to
the officer’s door and slide in an officer’s tool.
This may seem ridiculous to some firefighters. A majority of the fire
departments in this country run without the benefit of truck or squad
companies arriving first, or even afterward, to assist. Many departments
function with only two or three engines, plus a tanker and a utility vehicle.
The tool complement described above enables firefighters to function alone
until help arrives, either from within the department or from mutual-aid
companies. The tool complement also allows the engine to function at a
multitude of different emergencies.
Large-scale disasters deplete firefighting forces quickly. Floods, tornadoes,
heat waves, thunderstorms, and blizzards have all required individual
companies to function alone for indefinite periods of time. In some locations,
companies may be cut off from the second-due unit because of flooded rivers
or creeks during heavy rainstorms.
You must size up what that engine company is expected to do. Many engines
respond to automobile accidents and other medical emergencies. All
paramedics and EMTs are trained in CPR. When the defibrillator konks out in
the middle of a code, the patient isn’t lost. Without hand tools, what do you do
when the power unit for the hydraulic tool quits? If you have a decent
complement of tools, then the building isn’t lost!
Tools should be stored or mounted so that they can be found and retrieved
easily. Compartments used as tool bins should be organized and neat. A bin
with the tools just thrown in is a waste of space and damaging to both the
apparatus and the tools.
A plywood bottom can be added to the bottom of the tool compartment.
Cutouts or brackets to hold each tool will organize the bin and make for easier
selection during an emergency. Inventory and maintenance will be simplified.
With organized bins, your tools are also less likely to be left at the scene. One
look and it is obvious whether something is missing.
Poles can be mounted in upright brackets in walkways or along running
boards. Otherwise, pole holders can be made out of 11⁄2-inch or two-inch PVC
pipe. By making a false bottom in the hosebed, these tubes can be installed and
the poles stored underneath the hose load. The total loss of bed space would be
no more than three to four inches.

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Brackets can be installed on the insides of compartment doors or cab doors.

This is an excellent place to mount axes. Otherwise, axes can be installed on
the outside of the cab in the traditional location or mounted on the tailboard.
Locating and storing the tools is a problem, but it isn’t insurmountable. After
all, most of the tools we use were reinvented by firefighters. It won’t take a
group of firefighters long to figure out where to store them on the engine.

TRUCK COMPANIES
The engine company as described above is equipped to perform many of the
functions of truck work at the scene of a fire but not all the functions of a truck
company. Not all fire departments have truck companies. For this reason,
engine companies must have a decent complement of tools to perform all of
the tasks normally performed by a truck company.

Truck companies should be equipped with a large and varied selection of hand tools.

For purposes of clarity, a truck company is a piece of fire apparatus equipped

with an aerial device. This device may include a ladder, aerial platform, aerial
tower, or other similar device.
For fire departments that have a truck company, the complement of tools
should be even greater than that of the engine. Even more importantly, their
tools, tasks, and personnel should be appropriately assigned. All too often, fire
departments have truck companies staffed by engine guys. The apparatus
functions as another engine without any real thought being given to the
requirements and tasks of a truck company.
Tools carried by truck companies should reflect the multiple functions and
duties that the firefighters assigned to that apparatus must perform. Consider
the following suggestions for tools to be carried by a truck company.
Cutting tools—At least four eight-pound pickhead axes, mounted in
brackets for ease of accessibility. An assortment of different types of bolt
cutters should be on the rig also.

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Cutting/striking tools—Three eight-pound flathead axes. Two of the axes

should be married with pry bars. These tools should be the basic tools for the
forcible entry team of the truck. Two eight-pound splitting mauls should also
be carried. As explained in Chapter 2, splitting mauls are excellent tools to take
to a wood roof.
Prying tools—Three halligan bars should be available on the rig. Marry two
halligan bars to two eight-pound flathead axes, and store them together as sets
of irons. The third bar is available as a stand-alone pry bar, or it can be mated
up with a 10-pound sledgehammer. Additionally, four pinch or wedge-point
bars should be carried. Rescue situations may require the truck company to
provide extreme leverage capabilities.
Striking tools—Two 10-pound and one 16-pound sledgehammer should
round out the striking capabilities of the truck. Consider having one of the 10-
pounders with a cut-off handle. Truck companies may be required to breach
walls of both wood and masonry to gain access or to effect a rescue. These
tools will be imperative if firefighters are trapped in a building collapse.
Lightweight tools take too long.
Poles—Four six-foot poles, three eight-foot poles, two 10-foot poles, and
one 12- and one 16-foot pole should be carried. Select the heads that will best
suit the type of area to which the truck responds. Don’t have a supply of tools
all with the same head. If a particular hook is inefficient in a six-foot length, it
will be even worse at eight or 12 feet! Overhaul is a critical part of fire
extinguishment and a major assignment for the truck. Overhaul can be
seriously complicated by tall ceilings, multiple levels of ceilings, illegal
building modifications, and a host of other circumstances. Truck companies
must be equipped to overcome any problems they encounter during forcible
entry or overhaul situations.
Other tools—A S.W.A.T. kit is essential for a truck company. The standard
for aerials recommends a specific toolbox to be carried by a truck. The
S.W.A.T. is an addition to that toolbox. In addition to the S.W.A.T. kit, consider
adding a hockey puck lock breaker.

SQUAD COMPANIES
Squad companies and rescue companies will carry more tools than a truck
company. Most often, these will be specialized devices such as hydraulic tools,
torches, and other technical and highly task-specific tools. Much of the
apparatus will also be used as a command vehicle or haz-mat vehicle.
Tools for squad companies are really local issues. These companies perform
specific tasks or augment regular line companies. If your department is
considering starting a squad or rescue company, here is a basic tool
complement suggestion.
Cutting tools—At least two eight-pound pickhead axes, mounted in brackets

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for ease of accessibility by the firefighters. Two axes are sufficient, since the
company will need the extra storage space for its special tools. A pair of bolt
cutters should be carried. Additional tools can be taken from the engine or
truck.
Cutting/striking tools—Two eight-pound flathead axes, which should be
married with pry bars. These tools will be for the forcible entry team of the
squad. In many areas, squad or rescue companies function as supplemental
truck companies or as rapid intervention companies for firefighter rescue. Two
eight-pound splitting mauls should also be carried.
Prying tools—Three halligan bars should be available from the rig. Marry
two halligan bars with two eight-pound flathead axes, and store them together
as sets of irons. The third bar is available as a stand-alone pry bar or it can be
mated up with a 10-pound sledgehammer. Additionally, two pinch or wedge-
point bars should be carried.
Striking tools—Three 10-pound and two 16-pound sledgehammers will
enhance the striking capabilities of the squad’s crew. Consider having two of
the 10-pounders with cut-off handles. Squad companies may initiate or assist
rescues that require breaching masonry walls. These tools will be critical if
firefighters are trapped in a building collapse.
Poles—Two six-foot poles, one eight-foot pole, one 10-foot pole, and one
12-foot pole should be carried. Select the tool heads that will best suit your
response area. Don’t carry tools that all have the same head.
Other tools—A S.W.A.T. kit is essential for a squad or rescue company. If
the unit is to be mobile and will respond to all types of alarms, consider having
two S.W.A.T. kits. If the squad should be called away before operations are
finished at one scene, a kit can be left. A hockey puck lock breaker is an
important tool for the squad.

THE CHIEF’S BUGGY

In addition to the Sanborn maps, clipboards, reams of documents, and
reflective vests, the chief’s buggy should also carry a small complement of
tools. There are instances when the buggy arrives first, and without basic tools,
nothing can be done. Many outstanding rescues have been made by the chief
and his driver before the first-arriving companies even got there. Those chiefs
had tools.
The complement of tools should fit the type of vehicle the chief is using.
Consider these tools for the buggy:
Cutting tools—One eight-pound pickhead axe.
Cutting/striking tools—One eight-pound flathead axe.
Prying tools—One halligan bar married to an eight-pound flathead axe.
Striking tools—One 10-pound sledgehammer with a cut-off handle.
Poles—None.

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The chief’s buggy should carry a basic assortment of hand tools.

Other tools—A modified S.W.A.T. kit should be carried by the chief. At

minimum, it should contain an A tool, a duck-billed lock breaker, key tools,
elevator keys, and a pouch containing a variety of screwdrivers and pliers.

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