Flat Headed Ax
One of the most common tools a firefighter uses. This is part of the "IRONS" set. The other tool is the halogan.
Halligan tool
A Halligan bar (also called a Halligan tool or simply Halligan) is a special tool commonly used in the fire and rescue service. It was designed by and named after Hugh Halligan, a First Deputy Fire Commissioner in the New York City Fire Department. The Halligan is a multipurpose prying tool consisting of a claw (or fork), a blade (wedge or adze), and a pick, which is especially useful in quickly forcing open many types of locked doors. Either the adze end or fork end of the tool can be used to break through the latch of a swinging door by forcing the tool between the door and doorjamb and prying the two apart. Along with a K-tool and the adze or fork end a lock can easily be pulled. There are many other uses of the Halligan tool, including vehicle rescue and opening of walls. The Halligan is available in a number of lengths, and of various materials, including titanium, and may be found with replaceable head, handle and fork. A Halligan bar and a flathead axe can be joined together to form what is known as a married set, or set of irons.
Hose clamp
Hose Clamp or Lemon Squeeze. This is mounted on the rear of the engines and is used to clamp down the supply hose incase of breaks or accidental charging of a supply line.
Hydrant Wrench
Hydrant wrench: tool for opening valve of fire hydrant; may be simple spanner, box wrench, or adjustable wrench, or a specialized tool for use on "anti-vandalism" valves. For example, some valves require a magnet to activate a cam in order for the valve to be turned on.
Hydrant Wrench
Another style of hydrant wrench
Spanner Wrench
Spanner: rigid tool for tightening or loosening firehose couplings.
Booster hose spanner
Spanner: rigid tool for tightening or loosening firehose couplings.
Quarter Turn
Hydrant Gate: A gate valve used to control water flow through one of the discharge ports on a hydrant with two or more ports. Typically, one fire hose is initially connected to one discharge and the hydrant gate is connected to one or more of the other outlets. This allows a second hose to be connected to a hydrant that is flowing water without shutting down the main valve to make the connection.
Gated Wye
Wye: hose coupling for splitting one line into two or more outlets, often a larger line split into two smaller ones; often a gated wye having separate valves for each outlet. Not to be confused with Siamese, which is used to bring two smaller lines together into one.
Siamese
Siamese: hose coupling for merging two streams into one, i.e., two female coupling inlets and one male coupling outlet.
Multi Purpose Hook
Hook: forged steel hook at end of insulated pole of varying lengths; used for piercing and pulling building materials away from walls and ceilings. Similar to nautical gaff hook. Short hook with a pointed tip is a pike pole; longer hook on a San Francisco hook; two offset hooks on either side of tip is a universal hook; long p-shaped hook is a Boston rake for pulling plaster and lath; short hook with claw on opposite side of tip is either a gypsum hook or the narrower ceiling hook; pike pole with a short handle is a somewhat useless closet hook.
Sheet Rock Hook
Hook: forged steel hook at end of insulated pole of varying lengths; used for piercing and pulling building materials away from walls and ceilings. Similar to nautical gaff hook. Short hook with a pointed tip is a pike pole; longer hook on a San Francisco hook; two offset hooks on either side of tip is a universal hook; long p-shaped hook is a Boston rake for pulling plaster and lath; short hook with claw on opposite side of tip is either a gypsum hook or the narrower ceiling hook; pike pole with a short handle is a somewhat useless closet hook.
Pike Pole Hook
Hook: forged steel hook at end of insulated pole of varying lengths; used for piercing and pulling building materials away from walls and ceilings. Similar to nautical gaff hook. Short hook with a pointed tip is a pike pole; longer hook on a San Francisco hook; two offset hooks on either side of tip is a universal hook; long p-shaped hook is a Boston rake for pulling plaster and lath; short hook with claw on opposite side of tip is either a gypsum hook or the narrower ceiling hook; pike pole with a short handle is a somewhat useless closet hook.
Gas Shut off
This shut off took is located on the bottom of most hooks as well other tools.
Hard Suction Hose
Hard suction hose: Non-collapsible sections of hose, usually 10 feet long, used when drafting.
Booster Line
Booster hose: Small-diameter fire hose (3/4-1 inch), often carried on booster reel, preconnected to pump of an engine (and the booster tank) for putting out small fires near the truck without having to connect to a fire hydrant; easily recovered with a motorized reel.
Strainer
Strainer: 1) A large metal device attached to the end of a suction hose that prevents debris from entering the hose or the pump. 2) A stationary accumulation of debris in a moving body of water.
Attack Line
Attack hose: A use classification of a fire fighting hose connected to output of a pump or other pressure source (e.g., gravity). Firehose used to apply water or other fire fighting agent directly to a fire or burning substance. Typically of 2 1/2 inches (65 mm) diameter for commercial buildings and 1 3/4 for residential.
K-Tool
K-tool: A forcible entry tool for disabling cylinder locks; used with a Halligan.
Scott Pack- or SCBA
SCBA: Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, or air-pack, worn by firefighers to protect against breathing toxic fumes and smoke, or where the air has insufficient oxygen. Often incorrectly called "oxygen mask" by laypersons. Typically of open circuit style, with a supply of compressed air, where expired air is exhausted, rather than closed circuit where it is filtered, re-oxygenated from compressed oxygen, and inhaled again — which is used where an air supply is needed for an extended period (up to four hours).
Smoke Ejector Fan
Smoke ejector: Powerful fan for moving large amounts of air and smoke as part of ventilation task while fighting fire in a burning structure. Operated by electricity negative pressure ventilation.
Positive Pressure Fan
Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV): Ventilation of an area by the use of a fan to push clean air into that space and controlled use of openings for the escape of smoke and gasses.
High Pressure Airbag
Airbags: (1) inflatable device used for lifting or spreading; (2) vehicle safety device with potential explosion hazard during vehicle extrication if not already blown.
Low Pressure System
Airbags: (1) inflatable device used for lifting or spreading; (2) vehicle safety device with potential explosion hazard during vehicle extrication if not already blown.
Hydraulic spreader, (Jaws of Life):
Hydraulic spreader, (Jaws of Life): mechanical levering device with hydraulic cylinders powered by a pump; used for forcible entry or spreading vehicle or structure parts to permit extrication of a victim. Also called Hurst Tool which is a type that includes cutter and ram/jacking features.
PASS Alarm
PASS device, personal alert safety system: An alarm device which signals that a firefighter is in trouble. It can be activated manually by the firefighter, or activates automatically if the firefighter stops moving. May be integral to SCBA or separately activated.
Thermal Image Camera
Thermal imaging - Ruggedized infrared equipment used by some firefighters to detect hidden people, animals, and heat sources (i.e., fire) when blinded by smoke.
Thermal Image
What firefigters see when looking through a thermal image camera
AFFF
Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) (pronounced "A-Triple-F", also called "Class A"): bubbles that act as surfactant to coat and penetrate ordinary fuels (e.g., wood, paper) to prevent them from burning at normal temperatures; also used on "Class B" (oil/gasoline) fires to spread a non-volatile film over the surface of the fuel. Applied using eductor or Compressed air foam system (CAFS) and pumped through firehose to a foam nozzle (or sometimes a less-effective fog nozzle).