A Guide to Handling Vehicle Lockouts
TRAINING
Calls from civilians who are locked out of their vehicles are becoming quite common. However, with the new anti-theft devices and plastic latch and lock components, conventional forcible entry tools are not always the key. Here are some considerations on how to attack this problem.
Proper size up of an emergency situation by the commanding officer forms the foundation for an efficient and successful operation. This holds true for fire incidents, medical emergencies, and other requests for fire department services.
One such special request is the vehicle lockout call. Handled properly, the local fire department can win much community support and recognition; if mishandled, the would-be heroes become the villians quickly and unintentionally.
At the scene of a vehicle lockout, size up requires a systematic “cover all the bases” approach. Specific bits of information must be gathered as our actions are planned. There are many fine points that are often overlooked, but must be considered if we are to do a good job.
First and foremost among the considerations of the company commander is the determination of the presence of a life-threatening emergency. Is a person inside the automobile in need of immediate attention? Is there a potential for a hazardous condition to develop making every second count? Linder these circumstances, the justifiable emergency action would be use of forcible entry to quickly gain access to the interior of the automobile.
If there is no immediate life-threatening emergency, the command officer must at least temporarily suppress forcible entry methods and take other factors into consideration, not the least of which is vehicle ownership. The officer would be justified in seeking proper identification of the civilian outside, who is claiming to have his keys locked inside.
If the automobile engine is running, there is a hazard present in that the vehicle could move under its own power. The wheels immediately should be blocked or chocked to minimize movement. With a front or outside hood latch release mechanism, firefighters working from the side of the vehicle should be directed to open the hood, stall out the engine, and disconnect the electrical system. With the increasingly common inside hood release assembly, consideration might be given to forcible entry or jacking the vehicle’s drive wheels off the ground. If a child is locked inside a vehicle while the automatic engine is running, consideration should be given to distracting the child away from the front seat instrument panel and gear selector lever area. Remember, after P for park comes R for reverse.
A progressive fire officer also will leave nothing to doubt. Determine if all doors are truly locked. Try them first, you’ll never be sorry.
Ask if there is a second set of keys, sometimes located somewhere on the exterior of the vehicle in a magnetic key holder, or tucked away inside the home. This second set of keys might have been forgotten by the distraught owner.
Small children locked inside the vehicle might be able to be directed to unlock the door or roll down the window for the quickest means of access to the vehicle interior.
If the officer has exercised all the previously mentioned simple options to no avail, then fire department members must attempt forcible entry. All possible entry areas of the vehicle should be worked simultaneously.
Consider as the first viable access areas into an automobile each door lock and latch assembly, and each vent and door window. Other openings available, although considered more difficult forcible entry, would be the windshield glass area, trunk, tailgate, and hatchback.
Once committed, members must continue until the task is accomplished. Make entry attempts with your vehicle access tools, such as the door unlocking tool (Slim Jim or Loc Joe type tools), coat hangers (do you carry any on your apparatus?), as well as window glass prying and pushing tools. Work all possible openings, rotating personnel if they become fatigued.
In recent years, auto manufacturers, both foreign and domestic, have increased the theft resistancy of their products. (It really only slows us down, not the professional thief.) Mushroom shaped door lock buttons have been replaced by “anti-theft” knobs. Door lock mechanisms are increasingly being hidden inside or under door armrests, making access to them difficult.
Metal plates are being installed inside doors, above the lock mechanisms. These plates serve to limit the effectiveness of the door unlocking tools such as the Slim Jim. Plastic latch and lock components exist now and are designed to fall apart inside the auto door if contacted by entry tools.
Fire service personnel must realize what they are confronted with on the vehicle lockout call. Plan on it, with standard operating procedures for all to follow. Practice for it, with training and visits to local locksmiths and car dealerships. Finally, deal with it, with a good size up of each vehicle lockout call, and a systematic approach to handle the situation effectively.
