K-Tools, Halligans, and Axes! Fun with Forcible Entry

There is a lot of bookwork and information review in Fire Academy. So we naturally got bored, fast. Inevitably the question arose, "When do we get to break down a door with an axe?"

Everyone who has ever watched a Hollywood production of firefighting will inevitably see a scene where the heroic firefighter jumps off of the truck bumper while it speeds to the hydrant, running past the distraught neighbors and into the burning house, his coat swaying in the summer breeze. He grabs an axe and races to the front porch and leans back on his haunches lashing out with his leg to smash the door open as it shatters off its hinges!

As we all stood around before class you could see the collective thought in our minds, "That's cool! When do we get to do that?!"

Probably never.

We sat in class reviewing another, ahem, "interesting" presentation on Forcible Entry. It was our job that night to learn the tools of the trade:

 

The K-Tool is a great way to pop a door open. Check out this video to see how it works.

The K-Tool

The Halligan

The Halligan has many uses. Check out this informational video.





And last but not least, everyone's favorite firefighter tool - the AXE! You will never look cooler than when you are running with an axe. Amiright, Rescue 1?!

Kurt Russell - Backdraft © Imagine Films Entertainment

If you haven't seen "Backdraft" please watch it. Then realize that it is the most fictitious firefighting movie available. If our Chief saw us show up to a fire, let alone try to run into a structure fire like Kurt Russell does, then the Chief would blow a gasket! Kurt Russel's helmet isn't strapped on, he's not wearing an SCBA or a facepiece, his jacket is open, and he is freelancing! Those are the things that get firefighters hurt or killed. Sorry to be a buzzkill.

Anyway, back to Forcible Entry. During our hands on training that night we were commanded to roll out a huge and expensive manufactured steel door on wheels from behind the truck. The Chief showed us all the proper technique for forcing entry through that big steel door.

His steely eyes glanced around at our motley crew and said, "Who's up?"

Another recruit I'll call "Shrub" was standing next to me. We glanced at each other and Chief said, "Let's go guys!"

I was kind of nervous because I wanted to look good and I didn't want to wear myself out hammering on this door. Chief handed Shrub the Halligan and gave me the axe.

"You ready?" Shrub asks me.

"Uh, sure..." I said with the utmost confidence.

Shrub turned and planted his feet a little more than shoulder width apart in front of the door. His broad shoulders spun back toward me then he twisted his core and jammed the Halligan straight into the space between the door and the frame just above the lock. He stood to the side of the Halligan just like he was supposed to and looked back at me, nodding his head, and looking back to the door.

"Go!" he shouted.

From my kneeling position I twisted my trunk back and then swung the axe forward as hard as I could while keeping my eyes focused on the wedge or adz end of the Halligan. The axe slammed into the Halligan and the entire door banged with a huge echo off of the bay walls.

With each command from Shrub I hammered the Halligan as hard as I could to help him jam the claw end into the door frame. I could barely see the door and frame begin to twist away from each other as the pressure and claw separated and pushed the hinges.

I began to get very tired and stopped focusing on my breathing. My shoulders and chest got tight as my body heated up inside my coat. Sweat began running down my back. I twisted to deliver another blow and felt my weakness as I swung the axe forward.

I knew the next blow would be weak. What I didn't know was that I was also slightly left of center on the claw which caused the axe to glance off the end and smack right across Shrub's knuckles.

To Shrub's credit he didn't even shout in anger or pain. He quickly looked back at me with confusion. Almost as if to say, "What did you do that for?!"

"Are you okay?" I asked with true horror in my voice. I hoped I hadn't broken his knuckles. At the very least I was sure he was going to have a bruised hand.

Chief looked around the door as I hesitated. "What's going on?" he grumbled.

"Just go!" shouted Shrub. He was determined to keep his composure and get the job done.

I took a deep breath and hammered the axe to the Halligan again and again. I couldn't even count how many times I kept hitting that thing hoping for the door to finally give.

Chief finally exclaimed, "Good! Now push!"

Thankfully Shrub had gotten the Halligan into the right space between the door and the frame and he shoved that door wide open. Boom!

---
What is your favorite fireground tool? How do you keep in shape to meet the demands of the job? How do you keep yourself and your fingers safe during Forcible Entry?

The Flames are Getting Higher! - Extrication and High Angle Rescue

Extrication

It was a cold and overcast day in October when we assembled at the station to learn about Extrication. Extrication is a fascinating and intricate skill. As we filed into the classroom and cracked open our "Essentials of Firefighting and Fire Department Operations" books, we studied vehicle construction including standard combustible fuel engines, diesel, and even the newer hybrid electric/fuel, electric, and hydrogen fueled engines.

© Essentials of Firefighting and Fire Department Operations

It is important for first responders to understand what hazards they are facing on scene. For this reason we must learn to stabilize the scene before we attempt rescue in order to keep ourselves and our victims safe.

I learned how to chock the wheels and frame of a vehicle, remove the paneling/framing of a vehicle to access emergency safety systems such as airbags and seatbelt safety systems.

© Essentials of Firefighting and Fire Department Operations

We also learned to use extrication tools such as the hydraulic spreaders, shears, and extension rams.

This was a very tough day for me. I wasn't feeling well at all but I still had to work through it. My helmet was crushing my head and mind since I had a splitting headache and was a little dehydrated. As I slipped my safety goggles into my Nomex hood and behind my ears I felt the overwhelming pressure on my dry sinuses.

The sound of the generators for the hydraulic power tools kicked on and I immediately felt nauseous from the fumes and the general pain I was going through.

All of this made it difficult to focus and learn but I had to cut through the fog and concentrate on the task at hand.

I opened the hydraulic spreaders between the rear door and the C-post of the vehicle we were tearing apart.

It was amazing how heavy those tools are! It took all of my strength to hold the tool in place.

I spread the door apart and struggled with all of my might to keep the tool in the proper position as it tore the door open from the lock.

High Angle Rescue

West Des Moines Fire Department Training Tower

I was excited about our next class - High Angle Rescue! I felt confident as we marched out to the "Cliff McFarland" training grounds which feature a 5 story tower from which we were about to rappel.

My confidence in this activity came from a rock climbing and rappeling class that my daughter and I took at a local sports center. It was a fascinating and inspiring experience that we both enjoyed immensely.

During that course we trained with a 45' rock wall, harnesses, and an auto-belay system. I discovered and strengthened muscles in my forearms, legs and core that I had not previously known.

I had hoped this would be a similar experience.

"I don't like this…" mumbled Buffalo. "I don't like heights."

The look on his face confirmed this apprehension. He began to look a little pale as we stepped into our harnesses. He peered up at the top of the tower and saw how far the ropes reached to the ground.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, running into the tower. My heart was racing as we climbed the stairs. When we reached the top floor we climbed the ladder through the ceiling to the roof and out into the sky on that bright and brisk November morning.

We met several training instructors from local stations who were dedicated to this particular expertise. The repeated disclaimer was, "No one has ever died. Except for that time that the rookie was running the line. Who's running the line today?"

"The rookie." Said the rookie on the line.

We all chuckled mildly, except for Buffalo. We both peered over the edge of the wall to the ground below and I am pretty sure I saw him physically shiver. Perhaps it was the cold wind or the sheer terror, I don't know.

Buffalo ran the line through the rig on his harness as the instructor said, "Alright, go ahead and climb up on the edge of the wall."

"Are you sure about this?" questioned Buffalo as he struggled to get up on the ledge.

The instructor said, "Sure, just swing one leg up there. Oh, we should probably get the rope through your clip…"

Buffalo looked at me with true fear in his eyes. It took everything in me not to laugh out loud as they finished running the line through the harness and clip.

The instructor gave a few quick instructions,"Okay, you guys are going to lean back off the ledge and drop about 5 feet before the rope catches. Put your feet straight out and walk yourself down the wall from a seated "L" position with your body. For an extra challenge, stop halfway and hang upside down. That's something you can be proud of when you go home today."

Buffalo swung his other leg over and climbed off the ledge but refused to let go of the wall. All I could see were his gloved fingers with a death grip on the ledge and two ropes loosely hanging over the wall.

I leaned over to look at his pale face and ask, "It's alright man, put your feet out and drop into the slack. The harness will catch you."

The instructor looked over the edge and said, "Grab that rope and let yourself down."

Buffalo quickly grabbed the rope, one hand at a time, and dropped a couple of feet. I laughed out loud at the look of mortal fear washed over his face.

"Where is the photographer?! Somebody's gotta take a picture of this!" I yelled, looking around for the photographer.

It seemed she was not there that day so I halted my search for her and went back to the ledge. Buffalo was still in the same spot as when I walked away.

I looked over and asked, "Are you going to hang upside down when you get half-way?"

"%$&* no!" he replied.

Double-D and I laughed as I was getting prepared in my harness.

Buffalo finished walking down the rest of the wall and it was now my turn. The instructor finished running the line through my harness. "Are you going to hang upside down?" he asked.

"Sure." I heard myself saying. I wasn't really sure that was a good idea, but I wanted to go home feeling proud, knowing that I had tried something new today.

I climbed onto the ledge, kicked my leg over, and dropped into the slack while I kicked my feet out.

The wind whipped past my ears, reminding me of how high in the air I actually was. I thought for a second that I shouldn't look down, that I should just get through this. I wasn't really afraid of the height, just the sudden stop at the end of the fall. But, I couldn't help but look down.

I swiveled my head around the rope and looked to the ground. 50 feet sure looks a lot like 100 feet when you are up in the air.

I looked back at the wall and began to walk down. I was starting to rethink agreeing to hang upside down on the wall. After all, I wasn't even sure how the rope and harness worked! But I couldn't back out now!

I reached the halfway point and heard the instructor shout, "Okay, lean back and hang upside down!"

As I looked at my feet, I took a deep breath and leaned back. All I could see as I arched my head toward the ground was sky. I leaned further and the horizon of the trees, dirt, gravel, fences and the hard concrete streamed into view. I leaned a little further until I could see the vertical face of the building above my head - or was it technically below me?

I was still gripping the rope tightly as it ran up the building. Although I could not see him above me, I heard the instructor yell, "Don't cheat yourself out of this experience! Let go of the rope!"

"Are you kidding?!" I yelled.

"Trust me! The harness is what is keeping you secure, not the rope! Let go and reach your hands above your head!" he yelled with confidence.

I decided to give it a try despite my survival instincts to scream against it. I let go of the rope with both hands and reached above my head.

As I hung upside-down from that tower I thought about the prospect of being involved in high angle rescue operations and decided that I would need much more training before I could forget my own fears enough to rescue someone else. I decided that in the future I would be doing some more rock climbing, rappelling, and high angle rescue training.

---
Have you ever been a part of high angle rescue operations? How do you keep your cool during extrication and rescues? Have you overcome your fears to help someone in need?