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

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 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 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 i ...

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 and ...

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 r ...

. Carrying straps or rings can be found. The 18-inch Halligan is often referred to as an officer's tool. The Irons12

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

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 A jamb (from French ''jambe'', "leg"), in architecture, is the side-post or lining of a doorway or other aperture. The jambs of a window outside the frame are called “reveals.” Small shafts to doors and windows with caps and bases are know ...

and prying the two apart, striking it with a

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. ...

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 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 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.

References

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

External links

* {{Hand tools Firefighter tools Hand tools

History

Design

Uses

See also

References

Further reading

External links