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Moke: Usually I carry it mated with my roof hook. Some guys will carry it mated with an axe, which is the classic way to carry it…known as ‘the irons’ or ‘the marriage’. I have my axe in an axe belt and carry the other combinations in one hand, so the other is free to work. The tools kind of fit together so you’re not trying to wrangle individual tools.
When departments were fully funded, and there were more guys on each rig, there was a fireman on each rig specifically tasked with carrying the irons, in fact that’s what his riding position was called: ‘Irons’ (each seat is called a riding position, and each one has a name for radio communications…”Truck 23 Captain, this is Truck 23 Irons, the doors are forced and open”). His job was to get the doors open for the guys moving the hose line. We lost all the Irons seats many years ago.
Now that short-staffing is normal, often Engine Captains carry the forcible entry tools with them to the door while their fireman lays out the attack hose line. If they’re worth their salt, they’ll have the doors open before the fireman is ready to go inside.
Since I work on a Ladder Truck, and we spend most of our time on the roof, the Halligan isn’t much use to us, but I still take it to the base of the ladder so I know where one is on the fireground (habit from being an Engine Captain for so many years before moving over to a Truck about 6 years ago). If our assignment isn’t to go to the roof for ventilation, we’re usually tasked with forcible entry and search (especially on commercial buildings with more stout doors…Truck companies love to break stuff 😁). So then we’ll bring several Halligan, axes (flat headed for striking, axes aren’t used for cutting anymore), a sledge hammer and a hydraulic door opener called a rabbet tool. We come heavy, and loaded for bear.
These are some images I found on the inter webs on the ‘mated’ tools. The top one is a roof hook and a Halligan, the bottom is the traditional Irons configuration. Not my stuff, but it explains it well enough…
When departments were fully funded, and there were more guys on each rig, there was a fireman on each rig specifically tasked with carrying the irons, in fact that’s what his riding position was called: ‘Irons’ (each seat is called a riding position, and each one has a name for radio communications…”Truck 23 Captain, this is Truck 23 Irons, the doors are forced and open”). His job was to get the doors open for the guys moving the hose line. We lost all the Irons seats many years ago.
Now that short-staffing is normal, often Engine Captains carry the forcible entry tools with them to the door while their fireman lays out the attack hose line. If they’re worth their salt, they’ll have the doors open before the fireman is ready to go inside.
Since I work on a Ladder Truck, and we spend most of our time on the roof, the Halligan isn’t much use to us, but I still take it to the base of the ladder so I know where one is on the fireground (habit from being an Engine Captain for so many years before moving over to a Truck about 6 years ago). If our assignment isn’t to go to the roof for ventilation, we’re usually tasked with forcible entry and search (especially on commercial buildings with more stout doors…Truck companies love to break stuff 😁). So then we’ll bring several Halligan, axes (flat headed for striking, axes aren’t used for cutting anymore), a sledge hammer and a hydraulic door opener called a rabbet tool. We come heavy, and loaded for bear.
These are some images I found on the inter webs on the ‘mated’ tools. The top one is a roof hook and a Halligan, the bottom is the traditional Irons configuration. Not my stuff, but it explains it well enough…
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
