Members that ride on a special service piece of fire apparatus,
Rescue Company or Truck/Tower Ladder, have a multitude of tools to utilize
during fireground operations.
While an Engine Company’s duties are to stretch lines and
confine/extinguish the fire, special service units have many tasks that need to
be accomplished in all parts of the building. Obviously due to manpower limitations we cannot carry
every single tool on the rig with us on the fireground, so we need to bring the
tools that will best allow us to carry out our duties. This is why it is important for
all members to fully understand their assigned position on the rig and their
companies assigned position on the fireground. Since I am a Technician, which in my jurisdiction means I am
assigned as the driver for a particular piece of apparatus, I will address the
set of tools I find most beneficial for a Rescue Company or Truck/Tower Ladder
driver to carry on the fireground: the 6’ New York Roof Hook, also commonly
referred to as the Halligan Hook and a 30” Halligan Bar or “The Hook and Bar”.
The 6’ New York Roof Hook needs to have a chisel end and steel
shaft. The Halligan Bar needs to
be a single piece, drop forged 30” bar. In my opinion, the construction
features of these tools make them better suited for carrying out various
fireground tasks compared to other similar tools. The two tools can be carried together using a marrying
strap or velcro which will allow the member to easily carry the tools in one
hand.
Unlike an Engine driver, the driver of a special service
piece of fire apparatus is not necessarily attached to their rig. While the Engine driver can assist with
line deployment and initial placement of portable ladders, they primarily
operate in the vicinity of the rig.
The staffing levels in your respective departments will probably dictate
the tasks assigned to a special service driver. These tasks may vary from deploying portable ladders,
lighting, and operating the aerial to being part of an inside team on the fire
floor or floor above, opening the roof, or functioning as part of an outside
team opening up or conducting VES operations. The Hook and Bar will assist in completing all of the latter
mentioned tasks.
Unfortunately due to the economic state of our country, many
departments are understaffed and operate on a daily basis with a less than
ideal number of members on the fireground. Even though we may be operating with less members, we still
have to complete the same tasks.
While we should always try to operate in teams of two, members may find
themselves having to complete fireground tasks by themselves. One of these tasks could be forcible
entry operations to the rear of a strip shopping center. Many of these type of buildings contain
a common cockloft and it is not unusual to have fire conditions in more than
one occupancy. With that said,
multiple doors may need to be forced on side Charlie. In my jurisdiction this is the responsibility of the Rescue
Company. Typically these doors are
heavily fortified, outward opening doors.
With a proper size-up of the door, members should be able to get an idea
what tools are appropriate for conducting forcible entry. The driver of the Rescue Company
can conduct forcible entry operations on these doors utilizing the Hook and
Bar. The shaft of the hook can be
used to strike the bar and in turn drive the adz end of the bar. If additional
leverage is required once the bar is set, the hook can be used to effectively
lengthen the bar. This is
completed by placing the chisel end of the hook between the pike of the bar and
the door and the shaft between the forks of the bar and the door. This technique extends a 30” bar by 3’,
thus providing more leverage.
With that said, available space may limit your ability to use this
technique.
Depending on SOP’s/SOG’s, the Rescue Company or Truck/Tower
Ladder driver could be utilized as part of an interior team to conduct search
operations and other interior tasks.
The hook and bar can obviously be used to probe and extend our reach while
conducting a search. In addition
to searching for victims, members should be searching for fire. This may require ceilings, walls, or
baseboards be opened and the hook or bar can be used to do this. When opening these areas up, the member
can sink the tool they are not using into a wall to avoid losing the tool in
debris or smoke conditions.
Working above the fire is often referred to as the most
dangerous place to be on the fireground.
The floor in this area can easily be compromised and burned
through. If a member finds a hole
in the floor, the bar can be used to remove an interior door and subsequently
place the door over the hole to continue their search or move to an area of safe
refuge. This can be accomplished
by placing the forks of the bar in between the door and frame on the hinge side
of the door and closing the door.
When the door is pulled closed, the bar will displace the hinges and
free the door. It is best to start
at the top hinge and move downward when completing this task, as the weight of
the door will help in freeing the lower hinge. If members operating on an upper floor find themselves cut
off from their means of egress, the hook or bar can be utilized as an anchor
for a rope bailout.
If staffing permits, a special service may be split into two
crews: an inside team and outside team.
Typically if this occurs, the driver will be utilized as a member of the
outside team. The outside team can
be responsible for a number of tasks to include: placement of portable ladders
and lighting, ventilation, utility control, and VES operations. The hook and bar can be utilized to
assist in all of these tasks.
If a member has to deploy a portable ladder in an
unsupported manner, the heel of the ladder cannot be placed against the
building, the pike of the bar can be sunk into the ground and ladder raised
with the beam placed against the bar to facilitate a “supported” raise. The hook or bar can be used to complete
horizontal ventilation and clear a window in its entirety. Members may encounter fences that
block access to the rear of an occupancy, the hook or bar can be utilized to
overcome this obstacle. The bar
can be placed against a fence at an angle and the members can use the bar as a
step. The hook can be placed
against a fence and a webbing loop can be girth hitched around the head of the
hook, thus creating a step. An
alternative to this method is to use a prussik cord loop wrapped around the
shaft of the hook. This may allow
access to the rear of the occupancy which sometimes facilitates a task such as
securing gas to the building. Gas
can be shut off at the meter utilizing the forks of the bar.
Vent Enter Search(VES) tactics may be employed by the
outside team to gain access to areas the inside team is unable to search. VES should be done in a coordinated
manner and communicated so that other companies on the fireground are aware of
the areas where VES is being conducted. Once a portable ladder has been deployed to the
desired VES room, the member can ascend the ladder and finish clearing out the
window using the hook or bar.
Before entering the room, the member can utilize the hook or bar to
determine the stability of the floor.
Upon confirming the stability of the floor, the member can enter the
room and place the head of the hook on the window sill and extended into the
room. This will serve as a
landmark for the member’s point of egress. The search can begin utilizing the bar to probe for any
victims. As the search is
completed, the member should find their way back to the hook which denotes the
egress point.
In many departments, the Truck/Tower Ladder driver is part
of the crew responsible for completing vertical ventilation. Obviously a saw and axe should be
brought to the roof to complete the cutting portion of vertical ventilation. However, making the cut is only part of
vertical ventilation, and other tools will be needed to complete the task of
vertical ventilation. The hook and
bar are great tools to accomplish this.
On a pitched roof, the bar can be utilized as a foot hold, with the pike
of the bar being driven through the roof.
This will allow the member to extend their reach in a safe, supported
manner. Once the cuts have
been made, the hook or bar can be used to punch out the cut. The hook can now be utilized to punch
through the ceiling below.
Vertical ventilation on flat roofs varies from pitched roofs,
and often offers different building features to assist with ventilation. Some examples of these features
may be skylights, roof top ventilation fans, scuttles, or bulkheads. Obviously before we start cutting, we
should try to use existing features to assist with ventilation efforts. After notifying crews working below, to
avoid injuries from falling glass, the crew on the roof can use the hook to
open skylights. The hook can be
used to pull open scuttles or roof top fan covers. This will allow the member to stand away from the opening
and the products of combustion that are released. A bulkhead door may need to be forced open to
ventilate, in which case the technique described above using the hook and bar
on an outward opening door can be employed. Once the roof is actually being cut, members can utilize the
hook or bar to remove any “build-up” and to punch out or pull the portion of
the roof that has been cut.
Horizontal ventilation of the upper floor(s) can be handled
by the roof crew utilizing the hook and/or bar. This action may provide the ventilation needed for the
Engine companies to make the seat of the fire. As with all ventilation efforts, this needs to be a
coordinated event between the roof crew and Engine companies. Venting too early or in the wrong
location may cause the fire to intensify or spread before the Engine Company is
ready to get a line on the fire.
The members of the roof crew can attach rope or webbing to the bar or
hook to facilitate horizontal ventilation. In order to figure out the amount of rope needed,
simply attach the hook or bar and lower to the desired window. Once you have completed this, place a
foot on the running end of the rope and hoist the hook or bar back to the
roof. The members can now throw
the hook or bar over the edge and it will strike the window. Members working near the edge of the
roof should be cognizant of the edge and assume the prone position while
looking over or working at the edge.
Some companies utilize a hook and bar with a chain links welded to them,
which provides an easy attachment point for rope, webbing, or carabiners.
There are many other uses for the 6’ New York Roof Hook and Halligan
Bar, however I feel these are common tasks the Rescue Company or Truck/Tower
Ladder driver may have to carry out on the fireground. By utilizing these two tools, a driver
is able to accomplish many tasks effectively and efficiently. When dealing with today’s fires,
the quicker that tasks get accomplished the more likelihood there is of a
successful outcome. Running back
and forth to the rig to get several different tools is far from efficient or
effective. Take the time to think
about the tools we bring to the fireground with us and ensure we are using the
right tools for the right jobs.
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