TRAINING
Tips from the Bucket www.vententersearch.com
A place to share various ideas and techniques
Halligan as a step
Click the website
above for the video
The Halligan Bar serves many purposes on the fire ground. One use outside of the normal forcible entry is use as a step to get us into taller windows such as windows found on many of your older style queens and shotguns. Note on the video it is critical that we clean the entire window frame to lessen the likelihood of being cut upon entry or egress.
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Method of carrying Hook and Halligan
Any easy method of carrying a Hook and Halligan in one hand is pictured above. Place the adz of the Halligan over the hook and hold together with one hand. A velcro strap placed tightly around the two tools helps out significantly.
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Halligan into roof
The Halligan placed pick end into the roof provides good footing and leverage when working on peaked (or pitched) roofs. Anytime we exceed a pitch greater than 4 / 12 roof ladders are a safer alternative.
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Ladder carry with OVM Tools
The Outside Vent Man (OVM) has to carry a bunch of tools one method of making it easier is pictured above. Carry the ladder with a low shoulder carry, place your hook and halligan on the bottom beam of the ladder, and clamp in place with your hand. Not visible is the cut sledge in the belt of the SCBA.
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Halligan Saw Holder
After making the cut you need to put the saw down in order to free up your hands to remove the cut section. Burry the pick end of the Halligan into the roof decking with the saw hanging from the adz. Don’t forget saws and equipment should be hung on the unburned side of the roof operations out of your means of egress, but close enough for access.
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Webbing Storage
Webbing is an amazing tool for the fireground. Every firefighter should carry at least one 20 foot section. Check out some of the other tips that demonstrate the multiple uses of webbing. A good place to store a loop of webbing is in the removable kneepad in your bunker pants, it's easy to get to and really doesn't get in the way.
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Hook & Webbing Step
Your hook can also be converted into a step. This works well for a window that is too tall to reach with the Halligan step. This technique also works well when you have to get over a tall block-wall fence. The key to this technique is to get the hook set firmly into the ground and against the wall before climbing. While climbing, you can then use the top of the hook (as a step) for that little bit of extra leverage you may need to get you up and over. It is very important to stay in-line with the hook. If you kick sideways, the hook will slide. It may work better if the hook is flat against the wall, the hook in the pictures has a large D handle on the bottom so this position worked best. This method takes a lot of practice, and you are almost guaranteed to fall a few times. It's obviously not the preferred method, but it is another tool for the toolbox.
Take your 20 foot loop of webbing and form a girth hitch, or simple loop over the top of your hook. Make a dip in the webbing down to the level you would like the step to be (above left.) Tie a simple overhand knot back up at the tip of the hook and place over the hook (above right.) Take the slack of your webbing and hold in your hand as you scale the wall. This allows you to retrieve your hook with ease.
Hook & Prussik Step
Start off with tying your prussik in a girth hitch over the top of your hook (above left.) Here you can also see the firefighter using the top of the hook as a step. The other method is to tie the prussik loop around the shaft of the hook with a two wrap prussik knot (above right.) This allows you to place your foot in the loop and advance the prussik as high as possible.
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Wall Breach/Low Profile Training Prop
A wall breach/low profile training prop can be made quickly with a small amount of lumber. The prop pictured is 4 feet high and 5 feet wide, but any size will do. The two wall sections on the right are placed 16 inches on-center, and the one to the left is 24 inches on-center. A short piece of electrical wire is strung through holes drilled about 16 inches from the bottom. A 4 inch section of 4x4 is nailed to simulate an electrical outlet. We have found that a hurricane strap wrapped around the simulated electrical outlet and stud will prevent the outlet from being broken off. The 16 inch wall section with the electrical outlet obstruction is quite challenging.
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Through the Lock Training Prop
The best kind of props are free props! Lieutenant Rich Taylor from Winter Park Truck 61 came up with this great idea.
Find a structure in your area that is being demolished, and cut out a section of the door with the lock mechanisms still intact. (After obtaining the Demolition Company's permission, of course!) This section can be brought back to the firehouse and disassembled. This allows everyone to study the internal workings of different types of locks and mechanisms. In addition everyone can practice with the different key tools normally used in conjunction with the "A" or "K" tools.
The lock section pictured to the left was removed from a commercial door and can be be utilized in the same fashion. This lock is a little bit trickier to manipulate, normally requiring the 90 degree side of the key tool.
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Framing Square Forcible Entry
Battalion Chief Tom Cole from Miami Dade Fire Rescue sent in this great forcible entry method.
Click on this supplemental page for step by step instructions on how to use a framing square as a forcible entry tool.
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Spin Hitch
Firefighter Jeff Spinelli from Winter Park Firehouse 62 came up with this method of using webbing to move a victim. This method is called the Spin Hitch for obvious reasons.
Start off with a loop of webbing and girth hitch it around the victim. (we found that it actually works better to make the girth on the front instead of on the back like pictured below.) Make two bights out of the webbing and pull those bights around the arms (pictured right.) Like previously mentioned these pictures are basically backward, just picture the victim facing the opposite way. We found that this method works well when moving up stairs, as it lets two firemen stand in front of the victim pulling up and forward. It's hard to describe, and the pictures certainly aren't doing it justice. It's best to go out and give a try.
