Well, we hate to use the term always, so maybe we’ll say… One cut is typically faster than two. This video was referred to us by Stephen Raclaw from Sturtevant, WI, this video shows the brothers from Richmond California forcing entry on an overhead rolling steel door. This one cut method is much quicker than the triangle cut, makes a much larger opening, and is much safer. The brothers from Richmond also get bonus style points for the music selection for this video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydCg_jZizpM[/youtube]Â
The post says easier, faster and safer. The easier and faster I get. Safer due to a larger opening I understand. I was taught that with a trinagle it keeps it more structurally sound. Is there another reason its safer that Im not seeing? Help me learn something. And thanks to VES.com in general. This site is one hell of a rescource. At least for me. Be safe.
it is better to baseball swing with the pike/pike/spike part of the haligan around waist high. Then make your one cut down the middle. then put pike back in hole start pulling out if it hangs up have the axe man help hit it out, when both sides are out the top part of the door may go up on its own or push it up with a hook.
if you stay with the triangle, why not invert it to help get more hot gas and smoke out? sounds to me with your triangle its not to take the door off, if so that way makes more work. hope this helps.stay safe brothers!
Here’s another video of it being done on an actual call:
Click Here
The brothers are doing a helluva good job! Thank you for sharing and keep it coming, this site can NEVER leave.
Now thats some good thinking. Lots of roll ups in the first due, that is teh quickest way I’ve seen yet! There was also a viedo on YouTube from Richmond, CA that came up when I watched that one. The second video was the “7-8-9” cut. That is a good method two, I learned about that one before from a guy I knew from FDNY. Stay Safe.
Flip, the triangle cut leaves alot to be desired. It creates a choke point for operations, if conditions get worse inside, you have all the inside teams trying to get out of a narrow opening. Also if you have a hose line going thru the opening, you cant open the door, since most dont cut the bottom angle iron of the door. While the video from Richmond is good, it is only one method to opening rolling steel doors, most of the doors we encounter now have the slats secured to the tracks on both sides, so you are unable to pull out the slats. In that case you make a cut paralell to the slats from one side or the other about 2/3 rds the width of the opening, then a verticle cut intersecting cut one to the bottom of the door, cut 3 is a small teepee cut so you can get the blade of the saw in and cut the bottom angle iron. You now have a big swinging door or slab to open, and the beauty of this is you can also open the door the rest of the way once entry is made. While it is considered forcible entry, remember what that it is also for emergency egress, ventalation. We are softening the Bldg for our Brothers safety! You can see some good pics of the cut I’m describing
http://www.firetowntrainingspecialist.com Go to tinmans training and look for metal door cut.
Regarding the above post: If you have trouble pulling the slats like what you see being done in the Richmond video, grab the next slat down and try again…if it still doesnt slide out…take your saw and make another cut close to the Jamb…this will release the door from the retaining devices, and allow you to pull the slats. Remember, the larger the opening the safer it is for the brothers!
Flip, you asked about how it is safer to do the cut described and I think it was hit on already but. Removing the door out of the way makes it more safe. You eliminate having guys trying to crawl through the hole and if they have to get out that will be a bottle neck whereas if you remove the whole door, then you dont have a problem. Plus you get more ventilation.
Also, I have seen where u make three straight up and down cuts. One in the middle then the next two on either side next to the wall then you pull into the middle. This cuts any locking devices or padlocks.
chris that should be a “798” or “Coffin” cut
omnus cedo domus!
I wish that would work here in NYC. Our Gates have a piece of angle iron at the bottom. It would be too dangerous to get the aluminum oxide blade in there without the risk of it shattering. But this obviously works for the brothers out west.
I like this method, however I’d be little nervous about the rest of the door coming down. And I do agree that the bigger the opening, the safer it is for the brothers, but I’d be warry to introduce too much oxygen into the buliding. But then again, we’d have to read the building, and of course, the smoke, to make a sound tactical judgement. Overall though, it seams to work slicker than s%&$! Stay safe….
If the remaining door is on rollers, a channel lock in the track can be used to keep it from coming down.
Engine402LT February 25th, 2007 8:11 pm
If the remaining door is on rollers, a channel lock in the track can be used to keep it from coming down
Problem sloved. I never thought of that…. Good thinking.
another way to stop the door from coming down is use the fork end of the haligan, put it in the track and twist.(door will come down some,but will not close you in)that way you stll have your vise grips for other needs. this also works at car fires with the hood hinge instead of losing the tool as a prop of the hood
The other option that was mentioned if the slats don’t pull is to cut near the track, also think of pulling just the large section from the video. The remaining portions will hold the door up. Like our brothers in FDNY most of ours have angle iron at the bottom of the door.
Something else to note, and it has probably already been mentioned. Pulling the slats works well, if the door will let you. Be cautious, if it’s under enough tension, that when released, that the remaining door doesn’t rise up on you and cause you to end up somewhere you don’t want to be (off the loading dock lip, etc). In most cases if it’s an outside drum door (aftermarket install or secondary roll up door for security), cutting the lock and using the door as designed might be the quickest route.
Commonly when we see roll-up doors, we think “great, we get to do some cutting!!!”, but that’s not always the case. Height of the doors, like those in my first due, are well beyond the reach of cutting from the ground. Setting a ground ladder against the door and cutting 6″ at a time is impractical and unsafe. Working from the bucket could work but is timely. It may be easiest,(conditions permitting, of course) to force the nearby man-door, and open the doors from within- unsecuring the door latch, un-hooking the drive chain, whatever. It’s all about options. No one way is perfect- knowing and recognizing the situation and dealing with accordingly is what our job is all about. Great tips from everyone- it’s about time we share info in the fire service!
nice …. I have a couple of buildings in our 1st due in which that would work great.
I would have never thought to take advantage of the panels holding the door together. Great method! I also like that an advertisement for overhead doors popped up on the video. Now we know how to tear em down and where to go to put em back up haha