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The Partner Saw is one of the more popular saws used in today’s fire service. Coming in a variety of models, it is truly a versatile piece of equipment. Capable of cutting just about anything from concrete to roof material, a padlock to a roll down gate, it will certainly...

Recently my department had a drill at our county fire academy. Yearly, we go out there four to five times for live fire drills to brush up on tactics, give the new members experience and to keep the senior guys skills sharp. Even as a chief officer I always come away from there...

Recently, we have taken a rather in depth look at the water extinguisher. The comments have been amazing; thank you all so much for taking the time to not only read but to comment as well. One of the most common comments on the site as well as on social media was the use of...

Using The Tools of The Trade After we’ve completed our size-up of the padlock, we need to apply our tools to the problem. Remember, we always want to go after the weakest part of the puzzle, whether that is the lock or the hardware it is attached to. We have a variety of tools at...

When we think forcible entry, we commonly think of inward or outward swinging doors that can be secured in a multitude of ways. However, there is much more to forcible entry than merely forcing a door with a set of irons. One of the other situations we will run into often is the...

Introducing The Hydra Ram Firefighters have a multitude of forcible entry tools at their disposable. One of the most formidable is the Hydra Ram, the brainchild of two FDNY firefighters who set out to improve on the Rabbit Tool. (The Rabbit Tool is a set of jaws that are...

Carrying The Can Modifications to the 2-1/2 gallon water extinguisher can make it easier to carry and increase its versatility and usefulness. There is no doubt about it: this tool is cumbersome. But, there are some things we can do to make it more manageable. There are...

Pressurized Water Extinguisher a/k/a The PW a/k/a The Water Can     Also known as the can, the 2-1/2 gallon water extinguisher is one of the most useful tools in the fire service.  Regular inspection and maintenance is necessary to keep it that way. Visual inspection to...

    The Pressurized Water Extinguisher  a/k/a The Water Can From confining a fire to extinguishing it, the 2-1/2 gallon water extinguisher (or “the can”) is one of the most useful tools in today’s fire service. Considered a very basic tool by many (and...

Most of us don’t realize how much responsibility the engine company shoulders at the scene of a fire.  They are tasked with extinguishing the fire quickly, efficiently, and safely.  That being said, we have all heard the phrase “as goes the first line so goes the...