The Kelly tool is a tool used in

fire and rescue service A fire department (North American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and ...

for

forcible entry Forcible entry is "the unlawful taking of possession of real property by force or threats of force or unlawful entry into or onto another's property, especially when accompanied by force". The term is also sometimes used for entry by military, pol ...

and other prying and striking tasks. The predecessor of the

Halligan bar A Halligan bar (also known as a Halligan tool or Hooligan tool) is a forcible entry tool used by firefighters. History The Halligan bar was designed by New York City Fire Department (FDNY) First Deputy Chief Hugh Halligan in 1948 and was named ...

, it has largely been superseded by the latter, but still sees some use.

Design and uses

The Kelly tool is named after its designer, Captain John F. Kelly of H&L Company 163 (

FDNY 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 five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fire Suppression Services, ...

). It consists of a straight steel bar, generally about 28 inches long.FDNY Forcible Entry Manual Page 15
Accessed: 6/14/2012 One end is formed into a chisel; the opposite end has a 90 degree

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 ...

. The primary advantage over the claw tool it replaced is that the striking end (the adze) is in a straight line with the rest of the tool; on the claw tool the corresponding end was curved into a hook with no flat surfaces. The Kelly tool was intended specifically for opening doors and other barriers. Modern versions often are modified along the lines of the Halligan bar, especially at the chisel end. Originally the chisel blade was flat and straight; more recently it has tended to take on a curved and forked form, similar to the claw of a carpenter's

hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...

. There are similar tools referred to generically as "Kelly tools", but in general they are variations on the original form.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly Tool Firefighter tools