Different Firefighting Tools for Forcible Entry
The International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) defines forcible entry as the method to get into buildings or confined areas when standard means of entry are locked or blocked. Firefighters often encounter challenging entryways when a structure partially collapses or when a building has enhanced security measures that prevent easy entry. Because forcible entry is essential to a successful firefighting mission, firefighters are taught various methods to accommodate various emergency scenarios. For each different type of forcible entry tactic, firefighters use a range of effective firefighting equipment. Explore the different firefighting tools for forcible entry.
For Pushing or Pulling
- The pike pole: Of the different firefighting tools for forcible entry, pike poles are some of the oldest in the firefighting field. They help firefighters pull ceilings and walls down and break windows when necessary.
For Prying
- The Halligan: Named after first FDNY deputy fire commissioner and innovator of the tool Hugh Halligan, the Halligan bar is highly versatile. It has a claw, blade, and pick, each utilized differently for quickly gaining entry through locked doors.
For Striking
- Firefighters usually have a range of striking tools, such as sledgehammers, battering rams, flat-head axes, mauls, mallets, and more. Striking tools often accompany another type of tool when forcible entry is required.
- Mauls and sledgehammers: These two tools are the most preferred for striking because they’re heavier and have a greater striking surface, which allows for the most efficient entry.
For Cutting
- The axe: Axes are the most commonly used tool for firefighters to use for cutting—and have been for years. The basic type of axes are pick-head and flat-head, and firefighters use them specifically for forcible entry.
- The rescue axe: A more recent popular choice of axes is the rescue axe. This high-tech camp hatchet has become the premier tool for auto extractions, trench rescues, and any other kind of rescue scenarios that involve limited space for firefighters.
