Ever since 9/11, firefighters have come to be more noticed in the public eye. In this series of articles, I will explain some of the common tools and techniques that we use every day to help keep people safe.

The Halligan Bar

History:

The Halligan bar was designed by Chief Hugh Halligan of FDNY in 1948. It was an improvement on the older designed "Kelly tool" and added on the "pick" of the bar. Interestingly, it took the FDNY a long time to adopt the tool because of the conflict of interest present in purchasing the tool from a member of the department. The halligan has gone on to become the go-to prying tool for the fire service. Together with the flathead axe, it makes the "marriage" or the "irons" and is used in almost every situation that can be found on the fireground.

Design:

There are three key parts to a halligan bar, each with their own unique set of uses. These are the fork, the adz, and the pick. The fork is the "crowbar" end of the halligan bar and is the side most often used for prying. On the opposite end of the bar from the fork is the adz and the pick. The adz is wide and slightly curved to allow for better leverage when it is used for pulling and prying. The pick comes off at a 90 degree angle to the adz and is just what it sounds like, a tapered point.

Uses:

The halligan bar is used for so many things in the fire service that it is beyond the scope of this article to list them all. It truly is the firefighter's multitool. Here are a few common uses for this multifaceted tool:

-Forcible entry. This is the quinessential use for the halligan and what it was designed for. There are a number of different techniques and tactics which it can be used for. These will be covered more in my article on forcible entry in the fire service.

-Vehicle rescue. The halligan has many different uses at a vehicular rescue scene. The first is gaining entry to the hood of the vehicle. This can be done in several ways. Firstly, the front grill of the car can be broken off, and the cable inside can be manipulated, unlocking the hood. Also, the fork can be stuck under the side of the sheet metal to gain access to the battery cable which needs to be cut in order to perform the rescue. The halligan bar can also be used to pry stuck doors, but this job is usually performed by hydraulic rescue tools.

-Escape. Sometimes in a fire, the primary way out becomes blocked off and difficult to go through. There are circumstances where a firefighter might have to bail out of a basement window which is too high to reach easily. The halligan can be placed fork-down on the ground to create a step up that we can use to get out of a bad spot.

-Roof ventilation. One of the more dangerous jobs in the fire service is ventilating the roof. We have to get up on the roof of a building that is on fire and cut a hole to allow the toxic smoke and heat to escape. While this job is usually handled by the pickhead axe, the halligan can be swung pick-first at the roof to make a step for the firefighter to brace himself on and avoid slipping off of the roof.

-Search and Rescue. One of the most important jobs a firefighter can perform is search and rescue. Our #1 focus at any fire is to make sure everyone is out safely. However, searching a room filled with thick dark smoke severely limits visibility. The halligan is valuable in this circumstance because it can be used to extend reach and help the firefighter to cover more of the room, looking for people trapped inside.

The halligan tool is one that comes off of the truck every single time at every single fire. It is the quintessential tool of the fire service and there is almost nothing we can't do with one.