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A Halligan bar (also known as a Halligan tool or Hooligan tool) is a
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 ...
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.


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 an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...
(FDNY) First Deputy Chief Hugh Halligan in 1948 and was named after him. That same year, blacksmith Peter Clarke made the first prototype of the tool. 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 The Boston Fire Department provides fire protection and first responder emergency medical services to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It also responds to such incidents as motor vehicle accidents, hazardous material spills, utility mishaps, ...
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 Kelly tool is a tool used in fire and rescue service for forcible entry and other prying and striking tasks. The predecessor of the Halligan bar, it has largely been superseded by the latter, but still sees some use. Design and uses The Ke ...
, 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 triangular shaped tool, and is 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 converti ...
or
adze An adze (; alternative spelling: 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 ...
), 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 with the 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 but can contain other elements as well. Beryllium copper combines high strength with non- magnetic an ...
or
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
. 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, often metal head, attached to a long handle. The long handle combined with a heavy head allows the sledgehammer to gather momentum during a swing and apply a large force compared to hammers designed t ...
as an alternative.


Uses

* Doors and locks ** Either the
adze An adze (; alternative spelling: 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 ...
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 security b ...
and door jamb and prying the two apart, striking it with a
sledgehammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, often metal head, attached to a long handle. The long handle combined with a heavy head allows the sledgehammer to gather momentum during a swing and apply a large force compared to hammers designed t ...
or a flat-head
axe An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...
. ** 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. ** 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 locks with a shackle that may be passed through an opening (such as a chain link, or hasp staple) to prevent use, theft, vandalism or harm. Naming and etymology The term ''padlock'' is from the late fifteenth century. T ...
or hasp and twisted or pried to break it free. ** Using a
K-tool The K-tool, also known as a "K-spreader" or a "K-tool spreader," is a specialized forcible entry tool used by firefighters to gain access to buildings or other structures in emergency situations. It is named for its distinctive "K" shape, which a ...
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 vehicle from around a person who has been involved in a motor vehicle collision, when conventional means of exit are impossible or inadvisable. A delicate approach is needed to minimize injury to th ...
, 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 ga ...
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.


See also

* *
Pulaski (tool) The Pulaski is a special hand tool used in fighting fires, particularly wildfires, which combines an axe and an adze in one head. Similar to a cutter mattock, it has a rigid handle of wood, plastic, or fiberglass. The Pulaski is used for constru ...


References

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


Further reading

* ''
Essentials of Fire Fighting ''Essentials of Fire Fighting'' is a fire service training manual produced by Fire Protection Publications (FPP) and the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA). Fire Protection Publications is a department of Oklahoma State Univer ...
''; Hall, Richard and Adams, Barbara, eds.; 4th Ed., 1998: Board of Regents,
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Oklahoma State University–Stillwater (officially Oklahoma State University; informally Oklahoma State, OK State, OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act. Originall ...
. *
FDNY Forcible Entry Reference Guide, Techniques and Procedures
'


External links

* {{Hand tools Firefighter tools Hand tools