For many departments, the first-due engine is staffed with three to four firefighters, in some cases even fewer. There are five key job functions that must occur: size up, action plan, water supply, the initial stretch and forcible entry. These items will quickly tie up a short-staffed rig.
Luckily, in many parts of the country forcible entry is fairly simple. In many communities key-in-knob locks are the primary, if not the only device keeping the “bad guys” out of peoples homes. A short throw on the locking mechanism combined with wooden doorjambs means a very basic forcible-entry effort is all that’s needed.
Recent UL studies — as well as years of studies from overseas, particularly Northern Europe — all point to the importance of door control on fire progression. Smooth forcible entry not only allows us to put the line in the right place, but also provides for better door control.
For many departments, the forcible-entry team will also be on the initial hand line. Quick and easy forcible entry allows for the team to still have the energy needed to make the attack.
Barring the way
It doesn’t take more than a stroll through the local big-box home store to see that are several off-the-shelf devices to make door harder to force. These cheap and easy contraptions not only sell to homeowner’s fears of invasion, but also require no skill to install.
The most prevalent are bars to buttress inward-swinging doors closed. And because they don’t require additional hardware on the door or jamb, you won’t necessarily know it is buttressed when sounding the door.
During a recent structure fire at a center hall colonial, after performing my 360 with no visible flame or smoke on the interior, it became clear that the unlocked side door gave the easiest, most direct line of attack for the first-due engine. The homeowners weren’t home yet, but luckily the fire remained external due to a lightning strike. While walking through the house we discovered a store-bought device on the locked front door.
As we discussed the event later, some things became clear. Had the fire progressed to the interior, I would likely have placed the initial line through the front door.
The likely outcome
Our first-due engine would have begun forcible entry on that door and would have met with more resistance than seemed appropriate. The front door didn’t have sidelights that would have made it possible to view the device from the exterior.
These slow downs would have likely led to a change in tactics, such as heading to the side door, and possible even a change in strategy given my team would have wasted time and energy on the front door.
Worse yet, had they headed in the side door, our truck crew would have begun to soften egress points incase the interior teams had to escape. Naturally the interior teams would consider the front door at the base of the stairs a natural exit, only to find it barricaded.
A quick web search of home door security bars will show the myriad of devices out there for the general public. Don’t get me wrong; we can overcome these devices.
However, the standard size up isn’t going to see the device and command is likely going to create an action plan that doesn’t fit the tougher forcible-entry profile these devices create.
Add that to short staffing and everything slows down except the fire growth.
