BY CESAR FABAL
There are many ways to accomplish forcible entry objectives when faced with challenging obstacles, such as the rear door of a commercial occupancy that is typically secured by a horizontal security crossbar, indicated by exposed rounded carriage bolt heads seen on the exterior (photo 1). These carriage bolts extend through the door, securing multiple brackets inside that support the security crossbar horizontally on the interior (photo 2).
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Traditional ways to gain entry through these challenging doors include shearing off the carriage bolt heads with a power saw, the blade of an ax, or the adz end of a halligan and cutting through the multiple locking mechanisms that secure the door. Depending on the wall’s construction, consider breaching the wall at the rear of the occupancy if efforts to force the door fail. However, this alternate entry method may also fail because of obstacles inside such as packed shelving and heavy machinery.
GAS-POWERED SAW
Evaluating the tools available or obtainable and the situation at hand will dictate the best tactic and weapon to use. When confronted by a heavily secured metal door and frame with interior crossbar, my favorite tool has always been the gas-powered rotary saw with combination blade. Successfully accomplishing any task with a gas-powered saw depends on two very important factors, the blade selected and operator technique.
In the past, choosing a blade for the saw was as simple as identifying the materials that had to be cut. For heavy-duty metal construction, we used a metal cutting aluminum oxide blade or a combination metal/concrete aluminum oxide blade (photo 3). The major drawback to using these blades was operator technique. Proper technique involves balancing blade revolutions per minute (rpm), cutting angle, and stability and allowing the tool to do its job without forcing it. Improper technique, however, can result in a shattered blade or unnecessary blade wear, which will render the blade ineffective halfway through the operation.
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Recently, I was introduced to a diamond-tip combination blade with a reputation so impressive it compelled me to see how it performed. The blade, it was claimed, excelled at dry cutting concrete and metal. I was very impressed with its performance and versatility; it not only easily cut through concrete and metal, it even sliced through a thick wooden door frame while simultaneously cutting concrete and metal (photos 4, 5).
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ALTERNATE METHOD
An alternate technique for gaining entry through such a challenging door avoids the horizontal crossbar and all the fancy locking mechanisms altogether. Locate the lowest security mechanism on the door, and draw an imaginary horizontal line below it along which to cut the door in two, creating a top door and a bottom door, like a Dutch door. This cut line should also be below the lowest protruding mechanisma doorknob, for examplethat would interfere with the saw’s blade guard and saw arm (photos 6, 7).
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Make the cut completely across the door; through the door frame; and into the brick, concrete, or metal wall (photo 8). For regular outward-swinging security doors, cut a few inches past the frame to separate the upper secured door section from the lower unsecured portion after the cut is complete. A few seconds spent on cutting past the frame and into the wall will pay off. If not, you may have to make another cut to free the bottom portion.
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Once the cut is complete, pry the lower door portion from the opening (photo 9). If you wish to remove the lower door portion completely, insert a tool close to the hinge and close the door on it (photo 10). This action creates an outward force that will shear the screw heads off the hinge (photo 11).
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The more recessed the door, the longer the distance you have to horizontally cut past the door frame and into the wall. This is especially true when there are doors behind doors (photo 12). Some business owners use this type of configuration to provide ventilation while maintaining security. When open for business, employees open the exterior door while keeping the interior ventilation door closed and secure. Luckily, this horizontal cutting technique may be used for exterior as well as interior swinging doors (photos 13, 14).
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While the cutting operation is taking place, other personnel should stage any tools or equipment they anticipate using to completely open the top and bottom doors. This may include the irons, bolt cutters, hydraulic forcible entry tools, and a charged hoseline, to name a few. The opening created will be large enough for a firefighter to enter, because most locking mechanisms don’t extend lower than thigh level (photo 15).
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Once inside, inspect the crossbar for locking devices. Metal crossbars are notorious for having interior padlocks holding them in place at opposite ends. In many cases, the crossbar can be lifted freely, since a great number are made of scrap wood. Simply lift the bar out of place and inspect the door’s locking mechanism. If there are two doors, the interior door will swing inward (toward you), probably have less expensive locks (usually padlocks) (photo 16), and should pose no challenge.
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Once the interior door is opened, inspect the exterior door’s locking mechanism. The door may display locking devices that easily unlock. If not, your last objective is to force this metal door off its frame from an interior position. Remember, the exterior door now swings away from you. You can force this door easily using a hydraulic forcible entry tool, such as a hydraulic ram. The ram we carry provides 10,000 pounds of force and opens to a full four inches (photos 17, 18). Metal swinging doors are no match for hydraulic tools, no matter which one your company carries.
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If hand tools are your only option, the irons will get the job done, just not as quickly or as safely. That brings up another issue. It’s a good idea to light up the exterior as well as the interior close to where the firefighter is attempting to open the door. Good lighting speeds up the operation.
There are many ways of skinning a cat, especially this cat. But most important is opening up the entire opening, especially when stretching hoselines past the opening. The only time I would not concentrate on opening the top portion of the door is in a rapid intervention team situationaccessing a firefighter in distress “when seconds count.” This technique is an excellent, quick method of gaining access when saving our own. Otherwise, opening the entire space, top and bottom, will accommodate a greater number of personnel in case a sudden shift in strategy occurs and everyone needs to exit in a hurry.
CESAR FABAL is a 19-year veteran of the fire service and a chief fire officer with Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue, assigned to the Special Operations Division. He is the department’s lead instructor in marine firefighting, firefighter survival, and USAR structural collapse technician training and also instructs local departments in rapid intervention team training (RIT) and firefighter survival. Fabal is a rescue team manager for Florida’s FEMA USAR FL-TF1 and an international training instructor for Michigan State University. He has a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Saint Thomas University.
