6.2 Door & Window Entry Configurations

Section 6.2: Door & Window Entry Configurations

Breaching doors and windows requires firefighters to evaluate the construction, framing, and locking mechanisms of the entry point. Selecting the correct technique prevents unnecessary property damage, conserves firefighter energy, and ensures rapid access to victims.

Inward-Opening vs. Outward-Opening Doors

The first step in any door breaching operation is determining which way the door swings. This dictates tool placement and the direction of force.

       INWARD-OPENING DOOR               OUTWARD-OPENING DOOR
       (Hinges Hidden)                   (Hinges Visible)

           Outside                           Outside
       ┌───────────────┐                 ┌─────────o─────┐
       │   Door  →     │                 │   ← Door      │
       └───┬───────┬───┘                 └───┬───────┬───┘
           │ Lock  │                         │ Lock  │
           │       │                         │       │
           Inside                            Inside

Identification

• Hinges: If the hinges are visible from the exterior, the door opens outward (towards the firefighter). If the hinges are hidden or not visible, the door opens inward (away from the firefighter).
• Location: Outward-opening doors are common in commercial buildings to allow rapid egress during an evacuation. Inward-opening doors are the standard for residential exterior doors and interior rooms.

Framing Configurations

• Stop Jamb: A door frame where a small strip of metal or wood (the stop) is attached to prevent the door from swinging past the jamb.
• Rabbetted (Rabbit) Jamb: A solid metal or wood frame with a recess (rabbet) milled directly into the jamb. The door nests inside this recess. Breaching a rabbetted jamb is more difficult because the frame itself blocks direct access to the latch.

Comparison and Entry Parameters

The differences between inward-opening and outward-opening configurations dictate distinct tactical approaches:

Prying Techniques

For inward-opening doors, the bevel of the Halligan's fork should face the door. Drive the fork into the gap between the door and the frame near the lock. Once driven past the frame, the firefighter pulls the Halligan handle toward the door, which forces the fork to slide around the door edge and creates leverage against the frame, popping the lock.

For outward-opening doors, the adze end of the Halligan is preferred. Slide the adze into the gap between the door and the frame near the latch. Once inserted, pry the handle away from the door. This utilizes the door frame as a fulcrum to pull the door outward, releasing the latch from the strike plate. Alternatively, the fork can be driven between the door and frame with the bevel facing the frame, prying outward.

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Residential vs. Commercial Door Configurations

Understanding the differences in construction materials and locking mechanisms between residential and commercial doors prevents tool damage and operational delays.

Residential Doors

Residential exterior doors are typically made of wood (either solid-core or hollow-core), fiberglass, or light-gauge steel skins over a foam core. They are set in wood frames and secured by standard locksets, such as key-in-knob locks and deadbolts.

• Vulnerability: The wood frame is the weakest link. Under prying forces from a Halligan, wood frames will easily split, allowing the latch to slip past the strike plate.
• Hollow-core vs. Solid-core: Hollow-core doors offer almost no resistance and can be easily breached by kicking or striking. Solid-core wood doors offer moderate resistance but yield to prying at the lock.

Commercial Doors

Commercial doors are designed for security and high durability. They typically feature heavy-gauge hollow metal (steel) construction or aluminum frames with glass panels (storefront doors). They are set in heavy steel frames, which are often filled with mortar or concrete during installation.

• Locking Mechanisms: Commercial doors use high-security locks, such as mortise locks, rim locks, or multi-point latching systems. Storefront doors often use pivoting deadbolts (Adams Rite style).
• Breaching Challenge: Prying commercial steel frames is extremely difficult because they resist flexing. The concrete fill prevents the frame from being compressed. Firefighters must often rely on power saws or through-the-lock techniques.

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High-Security Door Features: Drop Bars

A drop bar is a heavy wood or steel bar that rests in brackets welded or bolted to the inside of a door frame, preventing the door from opening even if the locks are destroyed. They are commonly found on commercial rear exit doors and warehouse doors.

Exterior Identification

Firefighters can identify the presence of a drop bar from the outside by looking for a horizontal line of exposed carriage bolt heads or rivets across the face of the door. These bolts secure the mounting brackets on the inside.

Breaching Techniques

Three primary methods are used to defeat drop bars:

1. Cutting Bolt Heads: Using a rotary saw with a metal-cutting blade, cut off the heads of the carriage bolts on the exterior of the door. Once the heads are cut, use a Halligan pick or drift punch to drive the bolts through the door. This drops the bracket on the inside, releasing the bar.
2. Triangular Cut (Access Hole): Cut a small triangular hole (approximately 6 inches on each side) through the door panel just above the level of the drop bar. Insert a tool (like a rubbish hook) or a gloved hand through the hole to lift the bar out of the brackets.
3. Seam Cut: For double doors, run a rotary saw vertically down the seam between the doors, cutting directly through the drop bar.

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Tempered Glass Breaching

Tempered glass is a high-strength safety glass commonly used in commercial storefront doors, side windows of vehicles, and sliding glass doors.

Physical Properties

Tempered glass is manufactured by heating annealed glass to over 1,100°F (600°C) and then rapidly cooling its outer surfaces with high-pressure air blasts. This creates high compressive stress on the exterior layers and tensile stress in the interior core. As a result, tempered glass is 4 to 5 times stronger than standard plate glass.

Breaking Behavior

Unlike plate glass, which breaks into large, razor-sharp shards, tempered glass is designed to shatter into thousands of small, cubical granules with relatively dull edges. This minimizes laceration hazards for occupants and firefighters.

Breaching Protocol

Because of its surface tension, tempered glass resists blunt impacts from tools like axes or sledgehammers. It must be struck in a lower corner using a pointed tool, such as the pick of a Halligan, a pick-head axe, or a spring-loaded center punch.

1. PPE: The firefighter must wear full PPE, including a structure helmet with eye protection or face shield, and firefighting gloves.
2. Positioning: Stand to the windward (upwind) side of the glass to prevent inhaling glass dust or being covered in falling granules.
3. Execution: Strike the lower corner of the pane. Once the glass shatters, use a tool (such as a pike pole or Halligan) to clear any remaining glass fragments from the window frame before entering.