The claw tool (also known as the Hayward Claw Tool) is a forcible entry tool used by
firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
s, made of steel, that has a hook on one end and a forked end on the other. The tool was a major component in the
Fire Department of New York during the early 20th century. Over the last fifty years, the claw tool has lost prominence due to the advent of newer and more efficient forcible entry tools.
History
The exact origin of the claw tool, which later became the Halligan bar, is not well documented, but according to FDNY
folklore, it was discovered by firefighters responding to a fire at a
lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
bank. The fire was started to cover up a burglary, and during the investigation, firefighters found an unusual tool with a claw-like end that the burglars had used to break into the bank. The firefighters believed that if the tool was good enough to break into a bank, it was good enough for their use, so they labeled it the "claw tool" and reproduced it many times over. It became the primary forcible entry tool used by the FDNY and is thought to be the first tool designed solely for that purpose. FDNY Deputy Chief Hugh Halligan later incorporated the fork end of the claw tool into his design of the
Halligan bar in 1948
Design and use
The original claw tool weighed 12 pounds and was approximately 36 inches in length. It was designed with a claw on one end and a tapered fork on the other end.
FDNY Forcible Entry Manual Page 14
Accessed: 6/14/2012
See also
* Halligan bar
* Kelly tool
References
{{Hand tools
Firefighter tools
Hand tools