Filed under: Truck ops
Ok, it’s been a while, life is busy aren’t we all?!…
We were on a call the other day, in 7’s area with E-1, for an alarm activation in a large commercial and ran across this door.
I had to get a picture, this door is on the 1 side near the rear, on a very large construction supply store on Racetrack Rd. This door is located by the Bathrooms and opens to a small foyer type area before entering into the hallway. and the building is an older converted grocery store with wide open spaces and a couple of 2nd story areas as well as office area inside the middle of the store. The entire store is stocked with home improvement items.
This is the door with the security bar in place…nothing to it right?…look closer
The bar is unique in how it is attached to the door, check out the spacing and where it is secured to the door frame…
This is the kicker, the door/bar is also secured with a pad lock(from the inside) note the arrows…we discussed as a crew on how to force this door. So now the scenario…
It’s 2:30AM, “light smoke” from the front and eaves and your crew is tasked to “open up the building” and force all the doors…Your size up is a metal door incased in concrete with pin bolts to tip you off on a cross bar type of security, go to work!
What would your crew do? what tools would you bring? Alternative means of ingress?
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Tool choice is key here. When tasked with taking doors in a commecial occupancy irons and a hook are a gimme. A sledge hammer would be added to that, as well as a cut off saw (strap your tools, you can carry more). Take a six sided approach to the occupancy (top, bottom, left, right, front, rear). Is it easier to take the door or go through the cinder block with the sledge? A simple task to accomplish. Use the 3-2-1- approach. Start one course of block above the bottom row with breaking out 3 full blocks on that course. Move up a course taking two blocks out on the second course and ending with removing the last block above your second row. The down side is you don’t always know what’s on the other side of the wall. Pre-fire plans can pay off! Maybe use the cut-off saw to triangle cut around the bolts, thus making the bar fall away upon last cut. Make your cut large enough so you can place a protected arm inside the door to activate the panic bar to open it and then use door wedge or hindge hook (preferred) to secure it open. Great recon of the commercial AF. Good eyes!
Comment by Fireman Rick May 22, 2008 @ 3:37 pmCriteria says : I absolutely agree with this !
Comment by criteria June 4, 2008 @ 7:50 am2 minutes…..TOPS…. 1 firefighter, 1 K12, doggy door cut, your in……If ya gotta, doggy door cut the top half to let out the smoke.
Comment by Austin July 21, 2008 @ 8:24 pm