Sean Gray from Cobb County (GA) Company 19 sent in these photos of a homemade lock they recently found while out in their first due. The Company was out sizing-up doors and discussing forcible entry options on the different types they came across. This type of training is extremely valuable to perform periodically and keeps everyone at least thinking about different locks and forcible entry options. As you can see from the photos this is a homemade lock made from channel steel that operates similar to a Fox Lock. The obvious difference, and what makes this one a little more challenging is the absence of a key way centered on the exterior of the door. Normally the centered key way is a dead giveaway that a Fox Lock is present, and of course allows for the lock to be defeated with a through the lock technique.

As you can see from the photo below, additional sections of channel steel allow for the lock to be secured (via padlock) in either the opened or closed positions.

Jerry Smith from Baltimore City (MD) Truck 15 sent in these photos of some easily to defeat window bars. Jerry and the crew of Truck 15 A Shift were out performing some building inspections and found these bars on a local apartment building. Taking the time to learn about this style of window bars ahead of time can save a significant amount of time on the fireground. Check out the supplemental page with detailed pictures and information on how to defeat these bars.