Brennan Q&A December 2003

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TOM BRENNAN has more than 35 years of fire service experience having responded to 33,000 fire alarms. His career spans more than 20 years with the Fire Department of New York as well as four years as chief of the Waterbury (Conn.) Fire Department. He has a bachelor of science degree, summa cum laude, John Jay College; Alumnus of the Year Award, John Jay College; chairman of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association and a charter member of the National Fire Protection Association, Fire Service Section. He has delivered courses and seminars throughout the United States and has instructed at the National Fire Academy. He was the editor of Fire Engineering Magazine for eight years, is currently a technical editor, and his column “Random Thoughts,” is a regular monthly feature. He is co-editor of The Fire Chief’s Handbook, Fifth Edition. He is the recipient of the 1998 Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award.

DECEMBER 2003

Question: We have been facing a “rebirth” of Police Locks in our response area, which consists of mostly middle- and low-income apartment buildings. Would the easiest way be to pull the cylinder and drive the assembly off of the back of the door and then go to work forcing the rest of the door restrictions without worrying about the bar?

Answer: Well, first, let’s inform our readers about what (I think) you mean by the Police Lock. It is actually made by the Fox Police Lock Company. The one model that you are talking about is the Fox Police Vertical Bar Lock or “tenement lock.”

It is the strongest lock you can buy for an inward swinging door, save the Saf-T-Bar Lock, and it is very cheaply priced at around $20; so I don’t understand why there are not more around.

After checking, by door movement and feel, that the door is locked AND that the bar lock is in place, you have to get the bar out of the system or force the hinges or go another way.

Pull the cylinder, of course; then, using a square or screwdriver key tool, turn the mechanism to move the bar to the release position inside the door. This lock is an “add-on” lock, and there are usually an additional one or two lock cylinders (see Seinfeld’s door). If you regularly pull cylinders, pull them all and then use either the key tools for all or drive all the locks off the inside of the door with the halligan point.

I personally like the key tool, but the lock companies are putting too much “fudge” on the back of the lock bodies after the cylinder stem is removed. So the answer becomes: pull the cylinders and drive the locks off the door in areas that have frequent fire activity in occupied dwellings.

The hydraulic ram tool (rabbit tool) can bend this bar, but you must have it installed on a steel buck door assembly, because the frame fails first on other door assemblies.

There is an additional “trick” to use only if the owner failed to properly install the small brass butt plate in the floor to receive the bar forming the triangle. You can pound on the cylinder location with the back of the axe or maul, driving the bar deeper into the floor effectively freeing it from the door assembly. This bullet may work when you find yourself alone and looking to force an area of refuge.

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Write if you agree or don’t agree or on anything. Tbrennan@firenuggets.com

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