As you rapidly scope out a property to identify trapped occupants, you might break down the front door (or pry open a window) with a Halligan bar. This firefighting tool has been a staple for close to a century, helping professionals access buildings or other confined areas when normal means of entry are locked or blocked.
When Chief Hugh Halligan devised the Halligan bar in the first half of the 20th century, professionals already used a couple of forcible entry tools. One was the claw tool, a type of pry bar designed for striking surfaces and removing locks. The other was the Kelly tool, a short, heavy steel instrument with a chiseled end also built for striking and prying.
Chief Halligan examined the pros and cons of these tools at the time, aiming to develop something lightweight yet powerful that wouldn't come apart in extreme conditions. The result was a drop-forged tool constructed of high carbon steel that incorporated elements from the adz, ideal for prying or use as a lever; a pick for opening locked doors; and a fork for striking stubborn locks. As another plus for fire departments contending with heavy tools, the original Halligan bar weighed just over eight pounds and measured about 30 inches - characteristics ideal for carrying and swinging.
After Chief Halligan's patent expired, other manufacturers began designing their versions of the tool, which encouraged wider adoption among fire departments outside the New York City area. While large-scale production moderately altered the original Halligan bar, its features and functionalities remain relatively unchanged. Today, it serves as a trusted multipurpose forcible entry tool that gets through locked doors, opens stuck windows, pries out hinge pins and breaks padlocks and chains.
Features:
- 24-inch forcible entry tool
- Halligan bars can cut through bolts, pry open windows and doors, offer foot support, break down interior walls, turn off gas lines, open manhole covers, remove nails or create an anchor or purchase point
