The Prop Shop- Forcible Entry Door Simulator

By: Andrew Brassard

Forcible entry door simulators have been around in some shape or form since there was a need on the fireground to force a door. Most of these door props where spawned in the stuffy old basements of many firehouses, where most of these props still stand today. Props were built by welding the steel directly to the structural supports of the firehouse, where they were used to drill the firefighters in the true art of forcible entry, by challenging everyone who used them from the probie to the senior man. These props offered the most realistic training that could be provided without using an acquired structure.

Construction

Door props like this are very basic in construction, typically pieces of heavy gauge “C” channel or tube steel where used to create the door frame and a heavy piece of flat stock metal was welded on to create a door stop. The door hinges can be constructed in a variety of different ways, the key with hinges is that you make it very easy to change the doors that will be forced in and out of the frame. An easy way to construct a basic hinge set up is to weld a piece of ¼” sheet metal onto three standard door hinges. Drill rows of 1/4 inch holes into the sheet metal; this will allow you to screw the doors in at various heights and in various places to get around damage of the door, windows, etc.

To lock the door, use a piece of “C” channel and drill three evenly spaced out ¼ inch holes in one side and seven to nine  10/32 holes into the other end. The end with the 3 holes will bolt to the “C” channel frame using two or three 10/32 machine screws and other end will be screwed into the door using 1 inch self tapping metal screws. When building the frame, screw the same hole pattern that is on your “C” channel resistance bracket onto the door frame at various heights, this will allow you to place the “lock” at various heights and it will also allow you to lock the door in multiple different spots at the same time to simulate multiple locks on the rear of the door. Having the ability to lock the door at any level will also allow you to use the entire side of the door and get more evolutions out of each side of the door.

A Prop Variation

In my department there was absolutely no way that they would allow me to weld a forcible entry prop into the structural components of the firehouse so I set out to find a way to make a prop that would hold up to the abuse of constant forces and I also wanted to be able to convert it into a wall breech prop. I searched around on the internet, looked at different props that people had made, talked to people about different things they liked and did not like about ones they had made, etc. One of the biggest things that I noticed was that a lot of these portable door props that I saw where very flimsy and would be moving all over the place when you tried to force a door in them. I used channel steel and ¼ inch diamond plate to make the base. I then used 4×4 metal tubes to make the uprights and the header. One inch steel tubing was then used to make the braces that supported the “C” channel that made up the frame for the door.

Doors

The biggest complaints that I hear about this type of door prop is that it is very material and labor intensive, in this case both complaints are very true. This type of forcible entry training is requires a lot of material to put on. You will need a steady supply of doors coming in since you will only get about 10-15 forces out of a door, the best places to look for doors is at the following places:

Ø      Demolition Sites- Stop by and talk to the Forman, most of the time they are more than willing to give you any of the doors that they are going to be throwing away.

Ø      Door Factories- If you have a door manufacturing facility in your city or town pay them a visit and see if they will give you some doors the have “manufacturing defects”.

Ø      Door Instillation Companies- I you talk to the owner allot of the time they will be more than willing to help out with getting you some old doors.

Ø      Hardware Stores- Talk to the store manager and see if he will put aside all the doors that get scratched, dented, water damaged, etc. Most of the times these doors will be going into the garbage anyway they will usually be very happy to give them to the local fire department.

Ø      Scrap Yards- most scrap yard come by metal doors quite frequently, if you make the arrangements (case of beer) with the scrap yard manager they will probably put them aside for you.

This type of forcible door prop will require a large quantity of the self-tapping screws and machine bolts.  Consider purchasing these items in bulk from a wholesale distributor instead of from your local hardware or “big box” type store to save money.

Another big thing that I see with doors is the fantastic opportunity for forcible entry saw training. After both sides of the door have been used the door can be taken out of the frame and then used for forcible entry saw training.

Wall Breach Option

Another great option for having a very sturdy forcible entry prop is setting it up for a wall breach scenario for rapid intervention operations. You can utilize two hardwood skids bolted into the door frame secured in place with two long pieces of threaded rod (similar to a H.U.D. window) and depending on how difficult you want to make it, the pallets  could be covered by plywood and drywall.

There are many fantastic forcible entry training props on the market today but nothing will compare to forcing real doors if you have the resources to do so. Forcing doors with traditional forcible entry tools (axe and halligan) is a dying art, it is a skill like any other we posses it must be practiced often to remain sharp. The more realistic that we can make training for our members the more we can help to ensure that they will go home to their loved ones at the end of their tour.

Things are not always what they seem, this door is a good example of that. This door is on a private dwelling on the side of the house. The door is hollow core metal and the frame is wood. What looks like a fairly easy door to take with conventional forcible entry techniques may cause some unexpected delays during forcible entry operations.

The interior view reveals that the door has been covered over with plywood and then drywall. Covering doors in private dwellings is nothing new but what makes this one different is the fact that they kept the window of the door present and are using it as an interior window. This door would still be very “doable” with conventional forcible entry techniques, but it may be tougher than you may think when you go to force it. This is a great door to show the firefighters that always say “just smash out the glass and unlock the door”.

This door is a great example of the fact that you can never take anything for granted, you must always be prepared to force the toughest door of your career every time you get off the rig at a fire because the day you are not fully prepared is the day that you will encounter a door that will test your skill, knowledge, experience, and preparation…….. and all of those things come back to your level of training!!

As the forcible entry and nozzle teams ascend to the second floor, they are met with a heavy smoke condition.  As they near this apartment, heavy smoke and fire are pushing from the cracks in the door shown above.  The paint is peeling, the top one third of the door glowing and distorted.  Time to go to work!

Destroying the integrity of this door during a forcible entry operation will certainly spell disaster for anyone (civilian or firefighter) operating or caught above the fire floor.  Many uninformed firefighters will opt to simply “bash” the door out of the frame (usually from the hinged side) with a sledge hammer/maul.  This technique is dangerous and unprofessional, and in many cases will not work!

If you are a firefighter that likes to “bash” the door in like a SWAT team, ask yourself these questions:

- What is the plan for door control if the engine is on a frozen/broken hydrant?
- What is the plan if the engine loses water?
- What is the plan if the fire cannot be controlled?

We are professionals, and our forcible entry operation should reflect as such:  This door (as should all doors) should be taken with the Irons, using conventional forcible entry techniques.  Gap the door, set the forks, and force the door ON THE LOCK SIDE.  Then CONTROL THE DOOR by grabbing the door with the Halligan or reaching in with a hook (pike pole) to close the door until a charged attack line is in position.  If any of the questions above surface during our operation, members can withdraw to the safety of the public hallway, and close the door until the problem is rectified, then resume the attack.

Note the cable wire (held in place in the ceiling corner by a plastic cover).  This plastic covering melts with very little exposure to heat, dropping the cable onto members entering/leaving the doorway below.

This photo shows two side-by-side doorways, typically both apartments will share the wall that runs between the doorways to an exterior wall.  A firefighter entering the right door to perform a search should know that there are probably no rooms on the left wall, and probably all of the rooms will be on the right wall.  The apartment on the left will most likely be a mirror image of the right apartment.

This fire was on the second floor of a 6 story brick apartment building.  Several civilians were trapped on the floors above, including 6 unconscious civilians (an entire family) that were trying to make their way to the roof, but were trapped behind a locked steel gate in the bulkhead.  The civilians were actually found by the first and second due Roof Firefighters performing a sweep of the bulkhead (after forcing the bulkhead door to vent). All six civilians survived.

Although some departments may not have H-types or 6 story apartment buildings, the rules above also apply to garden apartments, “Main Street type” apartment buildings or private houses converted to apartments.

Feel free to leave your comments or questions.

Look at the following photos and answer the attached questions.

Questions for disscussion.

1) What type of door construction and building construction are we dealing with?

2) Forcible entry tool selection?

3) What would your forcible entry techniques be to force this door?

Inside of the door will be shown later.

This next door comes to us from Eric Hankins from Yuba City Fire Department, this door has an interesting gate over the front of it’s doors.

Questions for discussion.

1) What would your primary means of forcing entry into this type of gate?

2) What is your secondary means of forcing entry into this type of gate?

3) What about the door behind the gate, how would you force it?

All of the questions can be cut and pasted into your answers. The Interior views will be posted at a later time so you can see how close your tactics where.

Special thanks to Brother Eric Hankins from Yuba City FD for letting us use his photos.

All answers must be posted with your full name, no unsigned posts will be posted.

CALLING THE MAYDAY

There are many reasons to call a mayday, such as being disoriented, trapped by fire or collapse, air supply issues, or being injured just to name a few.  It is of the utmost importance to recognize any situation that could inhibit your ability to exit the structure.  This is not the time to try to “work through” your problem, nor is the time to let your pride stand in the way of calling for assistance.  Remember we are operating inside a hostile environment with a very limited supply of breathable air…time is of the essence.

Now is the time to stop and take a deep breath, get control of your emotions and breathing rate, and think about what information you are going to give over the radio that will give you the best possible chances of surviving this ordeal.  The easy to remember mnemonic L.U.N.A.R. is a simple memory tool that will quickly relay the vital information required by the Rapid Intervention Team to find and remove you.

L-location, in the fire building

U-unit, company designation and assignment

N-name(s), of person(s) requiring assistance

A-air supply, remaining

R-resources, needed

A typical mayday announcement should begin with keying the radio microphone, counting to three (to yourself) and as calmly and slowly as possible announce “MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY”, release the button count to three again, depress the microphone button and announce  “MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY” and give your L.U.N.A.R.  The reason for giving a second round of maydays is to make sure that everyone has a moment to absorb what is taking place and the mayday announcement is not lost in the normal “noise” of the fireground.  The mayday should also be given in plain English so that there is no misunderstanding.  An example of a mayday announcement should sound similar to:

“MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY, (pause) MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY, third floor-rear bedroom, Ladder 8 was division three search, Lt. Smith, firefighters Jones and Williams, we have approximately ten minutes of air remaining, we need a ladder at the rear and tools to remove the window bars, we are cut off by the fire.”

The transmission of this L.U.N.A.R. would take roughly 20 seconds to complete, and gives the Incident Commander an adequate picture of the company’s situation.  It also gives the R.I.T. an idea of what obstacles they will be facing and what equipment they will need to bring with them.  While there is a multitude of mnemonics that could be used, the one you choose for your operations should include L-location as the first letter.  The reason for this is if only one piece of MAYDAY information is transmitted before the loss of communications, the location will ensure precious time is not lost having to search the entire structure for your position.

            Once a mayday transmission is heard, everyone should clear the radio of any traffic.  After the mayday information is given to Command it should acknowledged by echoing (repeating) the information back to the fire company that requested assistance.  If the Incident Commander does not acknowledge the mayday, the Dispatcher should activate some form of emergency radio tones and relay the mayday information to Command.  Additionally, the R.I.T. should be staged near the command post and monitoring radio traffic for any MAYDAY transmission as part of their standard operations. 

            After relaying the pertinent information, you should activate your P.A.S.S. device and begin working towards getting yourself free of the situation. Remember calling for assistance early can make the difference between going home and going to…well you get the idea.

The Brothers from the Norcal FOOLS have out done themselves with a fantastic website full of great training articles, photos, and training links. Be sure to add it to your favorites and check it out frequently. Great Job Brothers! Keep up the great work!!

http://norcalfools.homestead.com/

The wake will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2009 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. and on Monday, October 5, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Fred H. McGrath & Son, Inc. Funeral Home, 20 Cedar Street, Bronxville, New York 10708, (914) 337-6770.

The funeral will be held on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Margaret of Cortona Parish, 6000 Riverdale Avenue (W. 260th Street), Bronx, New York 10471, (718) 549-8053.