Firefighters have many tools at their disposal. They have hand tools, and personal protective equipment. First let’s take a look at the hand tools. One that needs no explanation is the fire hose. But another popular tool is the pick pole. Pick poles are 4 to 12 feet long and are used to find hidden fires behind walls and hard to get places. Today the pick poles are made out of fiberglass with metal hooks on the end. They are used to pull items out of intense flames and ventilating structures by breaking windows. In some places it is referred to as a ceiling hook.
A Halligan bar is a special tool that is used to break into buildings or any other place that needs forcible entry. Hugh Halligan designed this tool, which worked well with the dorgard, and he was a First Deputy Fire Chief in the New York. The fire department didn’t want to buy the invention from him initially. They were unsure if they wanted to buy from a member of the team, compared to a professional manufacture .The first major buyer was a fire department in Boston.
Let’s take a look at the personal fire safety equipment. Firefighters and use bunker gear, it is the outer protective clothing. This includes trousers, boots, gloves, helmets and jackets. A self contained breathing apparatus is a device worn by firefighters, to produce breathable air in an IDLH (Immediate Danger to Life and Health) atmosphere. A PASS device (Personal Alert Safety System) is a personal safety device used primarily by firefighters entering (IDLH) environments; for example, a burning building. It sounds a loud audible alert to notify others fire fighters in the area that a fellow firefighter is in
distress.
If the PASS doesn’t detect motion after 15 to 30 second, the alert is automatically signaled. The pass device can also be turned on manually if the firefighter is lost or in trouble. Older PASS devices require the fire marshall to manually turn on the device. Current PASS devices integrate into the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). It automatically arms when the SCBA air supply is engaged or when the SCBA somehow come off the mounting bracket. These devices are powered by batteries, and can easily been turned on while the firefighter is wearing gloves.