Forcible Entry - Fire Training Toolbox

SEARCH & DESTROY FIRE TRAINING
FORCIBLE ENTRY DRILL-OF-THE-DAY
SEARCH & DESTROY FIRE TRAINING
5150 HAMPSHIRE DRIVE SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN 48316 (586) 231-1478
S&D is honored to have been asked by Christopher Huston to write a forcible entry drill-of-the-day
for FIRE TRAINING TOOLBOX. I first saw saw this done by the guys at REFINED BY FIRE
TRAINING, and I immediately fell in love with it….because it’s something that any fire department
can do right in the station with next to no equipment and without having to procure funds for
materials or build heavy and expensive props.
Of course it is limited in scope, but it will teach new firefighters the basics of conventional forcible
entry, and help sink home the lessons of the Gap-Set-Force method for even grizzled veterans.
All that is required is:
1. Door hung in a metal frame (although using a wood frame offers its own lessons as well)
2. Roll of duct tape
3. One or two bungee cords
4. Halligan bar
5. Rubber mallet
6. Door wedge
7. Imagination
1 – SET-UP
The first thing you’ll need to do is find a suitable door in your fire station with enough room
around it to operate. It’s helpful to use a door that has already seen a little wear and tear, so
that if it is accidentally scratched or nicked, the chief or station captain doesn’t have an MI.
If you’re concerned about scratches, you can always cover the halligan fork and adz with duct
tape.
To prep the door, push the latch mechanism into the door, and cover the door-edge with one
or two short pieces of duct tape. This will allow the door to move freely around the tool.
2 – SET-UP
Next, attach one side of the bungee-cord to the door-handle (when looking at the
door as if it were an inward-swinging door) and the other side of the bungee-cord to
a fixed object or very heavy object.
This may require a little imagination on your part in finding something to connect the
bungee-cord to. But you should be able to find some suitable object, even if you
have to move something heavy next to the door or extend your bungee with rope or
webbing and tie that to a fixed object some distance away from the door.
3 – PRELIMINARIES
Tailor your training to the experience-level of your participants. Keep it simple for less
experienced personnel. If necessary, break these up into separate training sessions. For
instance, covering outward-swinging doors one day, and inward-swinging doors another day.
Another idea is to use a right-side opening door for one session, and repeating the same
training on a left-side opening for another session. A bonus of this training concept is that it’s
very quickly and easily set-up and broken down.
At each evolution, explain and/or demonstrate the method….then walk each participant
through the method….then have them demonstrate it back to you without your prompting.
4 – PRELIMINARIES
Before you get started, you may want to cover some or all of the following topics:
• Try before you pry!
• Checking the door for heat on fire calls.
• What situations conventional forcible entry is warranted in in your local running orders.
• Shocking the door.
• The Gap-Set-Force method.
• Differences between wood-stop jambs and metal rabbeted jambs.
• Good communication between the halligan-firefighter and axe-firefighter.
• Go over commands of “Hit”, “Stop”, “Drive”, and “Wedge”.
• Nomenclature of the halligan: pick/pike, adz/wedge, fork, bevel-side of fork.
• Different amounts of leverage and a spread offered by the different ends of the halligan.
• Use of the adz/pike on both left-side and right-side opening doors.
• What type of structures are likely to have inward-swinging or outward-swinging doors.
• Emphasize that “Plan A” may not work.....”Plan B” may not either!
• If you use gap-lines and/or set-lines ground onto your halligan, explain their function.
• Any local practices or guidelines you follow in your organization.
5 – PRELIMINARIES
COMMANDS: “HIT” -­‐ Hit the halligan with the axe one /me “DRIVE IT” -­‐ Keep hi3ng un/l I tell you to stop “STOP” -­‐ No more hits for now “WEDGE” -­‐ Hold the purchase with the axe / door wedge 6 – OUTWARD SWINGING
WITH FORK
7 – OUTWARD SWINGING
WITH FORK
1 In our classes, we like to start with the simple stuff, and get
progressively more complex. For that reason, we usually begin with
forcing an outward-swinging door using the fork-end of the halligan.
It’s a very intuitive evolution, and is easily understood.
2 Explain the reason for shocking an outward-swinging door (to batter
the door, and possibly increase the gap between door and frame).
Explain and demonstrate the GAP–SET–FORCE technique.
3 Explain and demonstrate proper communication and commands
between the halligan-FF and the axe-FF. Use the rubber mallet to
strike the halligan in place of a flat-head axe.
Explain that the fork method will provide a 5:1 mechanical advantage
and a maximum spread of about an inch.
Inside View 8 – WEDGING THE DOOR
Explain the use of a door-wedge or the blade of the
axe to hold the purchase while the halligan is
removed and another side of the halligan is used.
In our classes, the halligan-firefighter uses the
command, “WEDGE”, to signal to the axefirefighter to wedge the door with the axe.
9 – OUTWARD SWINGING
WITH ADZ
10 – OUTWARD SWINGING
WITH ADZ
Explain gapping with the adz, and how the adz can be easily used to crush a door over
from the frame in order to create a wider gap for better tool-set. This method is similar to
creating a purchase point for the spreader-tips on a vehicle extrication.
Explain that, while some firefighters prefer to use this method on all outward-swinging
doors (rather than the fork-side), where this method becomes essential is when the door is
next to a wall or at the end of a hallway where the configuration of the building does not
allow for full range-of-motion when attempting to use the fork-method.
Explain and demonstrate properly setting the adz past the door-stop.
1 2 11 – OUTWARD SWINGING
WITH ADZ
Explain the differences in mechanical advantage (leverage) and spread offered by moving the
tool in different directions when prying with the adz.
When prying vertically (up or down, depending on the door configuration), you are using a lever
that offers a 15:1 mechanical advantage, and that has a maximum spread of about 2 inches. A
30 inch-long bar divided by a 2 inch-wide adz is a 15:1 mechanical advantage.
When prying horizontally (side-to-side), you are using a lever that offers a 5:1 mechanical
advantage, and that has a maximum spread of about 6 inches. A 30 inch-long bar divided by a
6 inch-long adz is a 5:1 mechanical advantage.
V
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L HORIZONTAL 12 – OUTWARD SWINGING
WITH ADZ
Explain the difference in technique in rolling the adz on a left-side opening door versus a
right-side opening door. Because of the configuration of the halligan, it is necessary to roll
in the direction opposite the pike to obtain maximum leverage.
On a left-side opening door this is quite easy, because gravity can be your friend.
On a right-side opening door it’s necessary to roll up. The best way to do this is to get
your shoulder beneath the tool and use your legs to push upward.
LeE-­‐side opening door Right-­‐side opening door 13 – OUTWARD SWINGING
WITH PIKE
Explain and/or demonstrate the difference between using the pike of the tool on a left-side opening
door versus a right-side opening door. This method will offer a 5:1 mechanical advantage
approximately, and a maximum possible spread of 6 inches.
LeE-­‐side opening door Right-­‐side opening door 14 – INWARD SWINGING
WITH FORK
15 – INWARD SWINGING
WITH FORK
Explain the reason for shocking an inward-swinging door (to batter the
door, and possibly determine which of the locks are locked). 1 2 Explain that gapping an inward-swinging door is often difficult because
the seam between door and frame is covered by the door-stop.
3 Demonstrate the process of bringing the fork in at a diagonal angle, with
the bevel toward the door.
Demonstrate flattening the angle of the bar once a gap has been
established so that the fork-tips can travel past the door stop and through
the seam between the door and frame.
Allow participants to see the interior-view, and emphasize that the forktips should be locked on to the frame before attempting to force the door.
Explain that the fork method will provide approximately 5:1 mechanical
advantage, and a maximum spread of about an inch.
4 16 – WEDGING THE DOOR
Explain the use of a door-wedge or the blade of the axe to hold the purchase while
the halligan is removed and another side of the halligan is used. In our classes, the
halligan-firefighter uses the command, “WEDGE”, to signal to the axe-firefighter to
wedge the door with the axe.
17 – INWARD SWINGING
WITH ADZ
1 5 Explain and demonstrate gapping the door between
door and door-stop.
2 Explain and demonstrate prying vertically with the
adz to maximize leverage.
3 Explain and demonstrate wedging the door with a
door-wedge or axe.
6 7 Explain and demonstrate setting the tool by locking
the adz onto the interior frame of the door.
4 8 18 – INWARD SWINGING
WITH ADZ
Explain and/or demonstrate the difference in moving the halligan up or down in prying
with the adz on a left-side and right-side opening door. Rolling the tool in the direction
opposite the pick is preferred to maximize leverage.
LeE-­‐side opening door Right-­‐side opening door 19 – INWARD SWINGING
WITH ADZ
Explain and demonstrate the use of
the adz to pry horizontally to “clear the
door”. This motion is often used when
spread is a priority over leverage.
This method will provide a mechanical
advantage of 5:1, and a spread of
about 6 inches.
To the left, the adz is pictured prying
against the door-stop. This is often
used as a method of initially gapping
the door, but may not be suitable on
all doors for fully forcing the door.
To the right, the adz is pictured locked
onto the inside of the frame. This is a
more secure fulcrum point with which
to pry against.
20 – INWARD SWINGING
WITH PIKE
LeE-­‐side opening door Right-­‐side opening door Explain and demonstrate the use of the pike to pry vertically
to “clear the door”. This motion is often used when spread is
a priority over leverage.
1 1 This method will provide a mechanical advantage of 5:1, and
a spread of about 6 inches.
2 3 4 5 To the left, the pike is pictured beginning the gap by prying
against the door-stop. This can be used as a method of
initially gapping the door, but may not be suitable on all
doors for fully forcing the door. Once enough spread has
been created between door and frame, wedge the purchase
with the axe or door-wedge and insert the pike behind the
inside-portion of the frame.
To the right, the pike is pictured locked onto the inside of the
frame. This is a more secure fulcrum point with which to pry
against. The pike method is more often used on right-side
opening doors because gravity and body weight can be
employed to the firefighter’s advantage.
2 3 4 21 – INWARD SWINGING
WITH HYDRA-RAM
If your department carries a Hydra-Ram, Rabbit Tool, or other similar hydraulic or
mechanical prying device, its use can be simulated with your bungee-cord training door.
Emphasize that this tool is designed primarily to force inward-swinging doors set in a
metal jamb.
22 - HAVE FUN!
Thanks for reading! We hope you and your crew has a good time training. If you have
any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.
And thanks to Christopher Huston and the guys at FIRE TRAINING TOOLBOX.
YOUR PASSPORT
TO GOOD TIMES.
SEARCH & DESTROY FIRE TRAINING, LLC
SEAN J. WILSON & SCOTT A. GARDNER, LEAD INSTRUCTORS
5150 HAMPSHIRE DRIVE / SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN 48316
586-231-1478
[email protected]
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SEARCHANDDESTROYFIRETRAINING
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