Ch9 Forcible Entry Flashcards
What is the main rule of forcible entry?
Try before you pry.
What are the four categories of forcible entry tools?
Cutting tools, push/pull tools, prying tools, striking tools
What tools are considered the “Irons”?
Flat head axe and halligan bar
What factors must be considered when deciding where and how to perform forcible entry?
Size of the fire
No other way in
Ventilation effects
Time constraints
Why must forcible entry tools be regularly cleaned and maintained?
Tools will function as designed
Tool failure will result in delays, injury, or death
Describe the basic principals of forcible entry…
Forcible entry refers to techniques used to gain access into a compartment, structure, facility, or site when the normal means of entry is locked or blocked. Forcible entry techniques do minimal damage to the structure or structural components and provide quick access to the emergency.
Manual bolt cutters are less effective than they once were because they cannot cut modern high-security chains, hasps, and padlock shackles.
Do not use bolt cutters to cut case-hardened materials found in locks and other security devices.
If the swinging door is metal or metal-clad in a metal frame set in concrete or masonry wall, you may need other forcible entry techniques.
In some cases, you can use a hydraulic door opener (often called a rabbit tool) to force the door open.
This was on an exam. p397
Some prying tools can also be used effectively as striking tools, although most cannot… p379
You need to be familiar with the capabilities and limitations of each manual prying tool, such as knowing which surfaces are used for prying and which surfaces are for striking.
Be aware that there will be a sudden release of energy when the door, window or wall, is opened when doing forcible entry.
True. p383
Why is it important to keep blades and chains sharpened? p384
Keep blades and chains sharpened. A dull saw is more likely to cause an accident than a sharp one.
How well an axe head is maintained directly affects how well it will perform.
True. p386
Care of wooden handles… p386
Applying a coat of boiled linseed oil to the handle to preserve it and prevent roughness and warping.
DO NOT paint or varnish the handle.
Care and maintenance of unprotected metal surfaces… p387
DO NOT paint metal surfaces - paint hides defects.
DO NOT make the blade edge too sharp; this may cause the blade to chip or break.
DO NOT use a mechanical grinder to sharpen blade edge because it may cause loss of temper through overheating.
Oil the metal surface lightly. Light machine oil works best.
AVOID using any metal protectant that contains 1-1-1 trichloroethane. This chemical may damage and weaken the handle.
Consider the following ways to reduce the amount of damage that will result from forcible entry… p387
Begin the decision making process with the minimum amount of damage and proceed to the maximum amount.
Determine the severity of the emergency and the speed with entry must be gained.
Try to open the door in a normal fashion.
Look for a window or side light panel that you can break to gain access.
Determine if it is quicker to: force the lock, remove hinge pins, force the door, or pry door from the jam.
When breaking door glass p396
Consider that glass doors or glass in doors are part of the barrier to ventilation. Breaking glass will have the same effect on flow path as opening the door; however, the glass cannot be “unbroken”. Once the glass is broken, that doorway is a ventilated opening to the fire for the remainder of the operation.
A-Tool… p401
The A-tool is a prying tool with a sharp notch with cutting edges machined into it. The notch resembles the letter A. The A-tool can often accomplish the same job as the K-tool, but it can cause slightly more damage to the door.
K-Tool… p400
The K-tool is a V-blade tool useful in pulling lock cylinders. The K-tool is forced behind the cylinder’s ring and face until the wedging blades bite into cylinder.
J-Tool… p401
The J-tool is a device made of rigid, heavy gauge wire designed to fit through the space between double swinging doors equipped with panic hardware.
What is a shove knife… p401
This flat steel tool, resembling a wide bladed putty knife with a notch cut in one edge of the blade, can provide firefighters rapid access to outward swinging latch-type doors.
In order to gain entry, firefighters must use correct location and the proper technique.
True. p371
The pick axe is a versatile forcible entry tool that can be used for cutting, prying, and digging.
True. p374
Unlike the pick-head axe, the striking face of a flat head axe can be used to strike another tool, forcing the bit end into a doorjamb or windowsill.
True. p374
Do not use bolt cutters to cut any energized cables unless the cutters are insulated and designed for that task.
True. p375
Pre-incident surveys will help determine which tools will be required to force entry into a particular building or through a particular door, window, or wall in that building.
True. p383
Store composite blades in compartments where gasoline fumes will not accumulate because hydrocarbons can attack the bonding material in these blades causing them to deteriorate and violently shatter during use.
True. p384
Rapid entry lock box systems provide a means to open locked doors without forcing entry because the lock box holds all necessary keys or numeric key pad combinations to unlock the building, storage areas, gates, and elevators.
True. p388
What is creating a hole in a wall known as? p408
Breaching
Name some prying tools… p378
Crowbar Pinch point pry bar Claw tool Pry axe Rambar Halligan Hux bar Kelly tool Flat bar
What is the BEST method for caring for cutting edges on axes?
File the edges by hand; grinding can weaken the tool.
What are some of the easiest locks to open?
Cylindrical locks (door knob with a lock) are the most common type of lockset found in residential applications.
Rim Lock… p392
A rim lock is mounted on the interior door surface and is used as a supplemental lock for doors that may or may not have other types of locks. Turning a thumb-turn knob on the inside of the door operates rim locks. This lock is found in all types of occupancies, including: houses, apartments, and some commercial buildings.
Night latch - This rim lock has a spring loaded bolt with a beveled edge facing the door frame. This feature allows the door to lock when it is closed.
Deadbolt - This rim lock has a rectangular bolt that you must manually retract before the door can be closed and the bolt engaged with the receiver. If the bolt is extended, the door cannot be closed.
Vertical dead bolt - This rim lock has a bolt that slides vertically into receiver and does not cross the door opening and makes it impossible to open by spreading the door from the doorjamb.
What is considered a high security lock… p393
Multiple bolt locks - When engaged, it projects multiple bolts into two or more points on one edge of the door (tops and sides).
Electronic keyless locks - They are used for areas that require continuous security and controlled access.
Electromagnetic locks - Consists of an electromagnet attached to the door frame and an armature plate mounted on the door.
Tempered glass doors… p398
Only as a last resort should you break tempered plate glass doors. If tempered plate glass doors must be broken, use the following guild lines…
Use the pick end of a pick head axe and strike the glass at a bottom corner.
Wear proper PPE to protect against eye injury
Place a salvage cover against the glass and strike through the cover to shatter glass
Scrape any glass that remains in frame
Which tool was developed to force entry on locks manufactured with collars or protective cone shaped covers on them? p401
A-tool
Tools for forcing pad locks… p401
Duck billed lock breaker - Wedge shaped tool that will widen and break the shackles of pad locks, much like the hook of a halligan-type tool. Insert this tool into the lock shackle, and strike the tool with a maul or flat head axe until the shackle breaks.
Hammerhead pick - Has a pick on one end of the tool and a hammerhead or striking surface on the other. Insert the pick into the padlock shackle and strike the tool with a maul of flat head axe until the pad lock shackle breaks.
Locking pliers and chain - Lock the pliers firmly around the lock body. This keeps the lock steady while another firefighter cuts the lock with a cutting tool.
Hockey puck lock breaker - Adjust the pipe wrench to grip the hockey puck lock firmly. Apply downward pressure to the end of the wrench’s handle to twist the lock and break its interior mechanism.
When it comes to breaching brick or concrete walls… p409
Power tools such as rotary saws with masonry blades or pneumatic or electric jack hammers are best for breaching brick and concrete block walls. They are faster and usually require only one person to operate.
When cutting an opening in metal walls… p410
The opening should be at least 6 feet tall and as wide as needed.
What is there to know about reinforced gypsum walls… p411
This wall board is designed to resist breaching using conventional forcible entry hand tools. If firefighters are to breach this material in a timely fashion, they must know that they are not dealing with ordinary wall board and must bring a power saw with them. The only way for firefighters to know that the wall board has been reinforced in through pre-incident planning.
What are the four basic types of locks?
Mortise lock
Cylindrical lock
Rim lock
High security locks
When breaching exterior walls with hand tools, what is the best practice?
Work from the center of the wall outward.
Describe reinforced gypsum walls/drywall…
Designed to resist breaching using conventional tools forcible entry hand tools. This wall board has a reinforcing layer of Lexan.
Any entry into a structure is a form of…
Ventilation that allows an exchange of fresh air and products of combustion.
What is one of the fastest and least destructive techniques for forcing a locked door…
Breaking the door’s glass
