Halligan Tool
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A Halligan bar (also known as a Halligan tool or Hooligan tool) is a forcible entry tool used by
firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...
s.


History

The Halligan bar was designed by
New York City Fire Department The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fi ...
(FDNY) First Deputy Chief Hugh Halligan in 1948 and was named after him.
"Created by Hugh Halligan, allegedly modeled on a burglar's tool found in the rubble of a bank fire during overhaul operations."
New York City Fire Museum The New York City Fire Museum is a museum dedicated to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in the Hudson Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is housed in the former quarters of the FDNY's Engine Company No. 30, a renovated 1 ...
That same year, blacksmith Peter Clarke made the first prototype of the tool.
"Due to a dispute between the Department and Halligan, the tool was not purchased by the FDNY until the patent expired and the Department was able to buy comparable tools from other vendors. Nonetheless it was widely used; firefighters purchased their own "Halligans" out-of-pocket, a tribute to its effectiveness and dependability. The FDNY now issues a modified Halligan Tool called the "PRO-BAR," manufactured by Fire Hooks Unlimited, for use as the primary forcible entry tool."
New York City Fire Museum The New York City Fire Museum is a museum dedicated to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in the Hudson Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is housed in the former quarters of the FDNY's Engine Company No. 30, a renovated 1 ...
Despite its popularity among FDNY ladder companies, the department initially refrained from purchasing the tool to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.''Fire Department City of New York: The Bravest; An Illustrated History 1865–2002'', page 72. However, the Boston Fire Department was the first major customer of the Halligan bar, purchasing one for every fire company in the city. This led to widespread adoption of the tool, first in North America and eventually worldwide. The Halligan bar has become the most versatile hand tool for fireground tasks over the past seven decades.


Design

Based on the earlier Kelly tool, the Halligan is a multipurpose tool for prying, twisting, punching, or striking. It consists of a claw (or fork), a blade (
wedge A wedge is a triangle, triangular shaped tool, a portable inclined plane, and one of the six simple machines. It can be used to separate two objects or portions of an object, lift up an object, or hold an object in place. It functions by conver ...
or
adze An adze () or adz is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing or carving wood in ha ...
), and a tapered pick, which is especially useful in quickly breaching many types of locked doors. One variant of the Halligan has a heavy sliding collar on the shaft. Once the prying end of the tool is wedged into position, the sliding "hammer" is used to force the wedge, allowing for proper seating before prying. The adze end is also assisted by using the sliding hammer to generate forced traction on a hooked cylinder. Another variant has an end that resembles a lever-type can opener, used for making large holes for access or ventilation in sheet metal. The Halligan is available in a number of lengths – typically  – and of various materials, including
titanium Titanium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...
,
beryllium copper Beryllium copper (BeCu), also known as copper beryllium (CuBe), beryllium bronze, and spring copper, is a copper alloy with 0.5–3% beryllium. Copper beryllium alloys are often used because of their high strength and good conductivity of both ...
or
stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...
. Carrying straps or rings can be found. The 18-inch Halligan is often referred to as an officer's tool. A Halligan bar and a flathead axe can be joined (and partially interlocked, head-to-toe) to form what is known as a ''married set'', ''set of irons'' or simply ''the irons''. This combination of tools is most common within the fire service. However, the Halligan may also be combined with a Halligan hook or
sledgehammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, massive, often metal head, attached to a long wooden or solid handle. The long handle is combined with a heavy head which allows the sledgehammer to pick up momentum during a swing and applying a large ...
as an alternative.


Uses

* Doors and locks ** Either the
adze An adze () or adz is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing or carving wood in ha ...
end or fork end of the tool can be used to break through the latch of a swinging door by forcing the tool between the
door A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide securit ...
and door jamb and prying the two apart, striking it with a
sledgehammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, massive, often metal head, attached to a long wooden or solid handle. The long handle is combined with a heavy head which allows the sledgehammer to pick up momentum during a swing and applying a large ...
or a flat-head
axe An axe (; sometimes spelled ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, a ...
. ** The firefighter holding the Halligan can use a "baseball bat swing" to sink the pick into the door frame near the door handle and then force the door by applying pressure to the adze.White, Billy & Johnson, Fergus. "The Backup Firefighter's Role in the Initial Fire Attack". '' Fire Engineering''. 2011-06-02. ** Another option is to use the Halligan to pry the door off the top hinges. The pick and adze (only when properly used) provide protection to the arms, hands, and body of the holder during forcible entry operation. ** The pick can be placed into the shackle (or eye) of a
padlock Padlocks are portable Lock (security device), locks with a shackle that may be passed through an opening (such as a chain, chain link, or hasp staple) to prevent wikt:use, use, theft, vandalism or harm. Naming and etymology The term '':wikt: ...
or hasp and twisted or pried to break it free. ** Using a K-tool and the adze end, a lock cylinder can easily be pulled. * Vehicles ** The Halligan can be used to make a purchase point on a car hood to cut the battery. ** The Halligan can also be used for
vehicle extrication Vehicle extrication is the process of removing a patient from a vehicle which has been involved in a motor vehicle collision. Patients who have not already exited a crashed vehicle may be medically (cannot exit a vehicle due to their injuries) or ...
, among other things. ** The tool can be used to pry open the hood of a car when it is jammed from an accident. * The Halligan can be used to knock down a wall in a house to get to another area. * The point can be used to break glass on a car or building for access or ventilation. * It can also be driven into a roof to provide a foothold for firefighters engaged in vertical ventilation. * The fork end is routinely used to shut off
gas meter A gas meter is a specialized flow meter, used to measure the volume of fuel gases such as natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. Gas meters are used at residential, commercial, and industrial buildings that consume fuel gas supplied by a g ...
valves. * The Halligan can be used as a step to get up on a window that is at head level. * The Halligan can be tied to a rope and act as an anchor in the window frame, for improvised bailout.Thomas Delmar Learning. The Firefighter's Handbook. Thomas and Delmar Learning. Clifton Park, New York. 2000. * The Halligan is considerably better than Crowbar when it comes to breaking and destroying things - as in addition to Crowbar's forked claw, Halligan has blade and tapered pick.


See also

* *
Pulaski (tool) The Pulaski is a specialty hand tool used in fighting fires, particularly wildfires, which combines an axe and an adze in one head. Similar to a Mattock, cutter mattock, it has a rigid handle of wood, plastic, or fiberglass. The Pulaski was devel ...
*
Glass breaker A glass breaker is a hand tool designed to break through a window glass in an emergency. It is a common safety device found in vehicles to aid in the emergency extrication of occupants from a vehicle, as well as in some buildings. Most glass br ...


References

* Ryan, Gregory
Firefighter's Escape Implement
Patent. 2007.


Further reading

* '' Essentials of Fire Fighting''; Hall, Richard and Adams, Barbara, eds.; 4th Ed., 1998: Board of Regents,
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
. *
FDNY Forcible Entry Reference Guide, Techniques and Procedures
'


External links

* {{Hand tools Firefighter tools Hand tools