PRO-BAR HALLIGAN - This is the "Official Forcible Entry Tool used by FDNY".
Nowhere else in the United States will you find a forcible entry tool quite like the
"PRO-BAR". Developed by a Forcible Entry Instuctor of FDNY, this Halligan-type forcible entry tool is the result
of years of research and countless interviews with fire chief's and firefighters in FDNY and many other large and small
departments located in the eastern sections of the US.
The PRO-BAR is 30" long and is Drop Forged, One Piece Construction of alloy steel.
The PRO-BAR (also called a Halligan bar, 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
(or adz), and a pick, which is especially useful in quickly breaking through many types of locked doors. The
adz (An edge tool used to cut and shape wood) or fork end of the tool can be used to break in through an outward
swinging door by forcing the tool between the (A swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a
room or building or vehicle) door and doorjamb and prying the two apart. Along with the K-tool and the adz 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. A Halligan bar and an axe can be joined together to form what is known as a married set, or set
of irons.
Message from the manufacturer, Fire Hooks Unlimited: The PRO-BAR is the only
Halligan type tool used by the the New York City Fire
and Police Departments for the last 30 years. It is
carried by every Engine, Ladder, Rescue and SOC Unit in
the F.D.N.Y. It is also carried by every Unit in the
Emergency Services and the Highway Patrol.
The specifications by the New York City Fire Department
is rigid, calling for a one piece drop forged Halligan
with the PRO-BAR design. The PRO-BAR specifications is
used by the F.D.N.Y. to meet that requirement. Others
have tried, but failed. The PRO-BAR has a record of
excellence without failure 30 years. What other tools
could boast this record?
Bob Farrell, Captain E-82-L-31 F.D.N.Y. Retired
HALLIGAN HISTORY: Halligan is much more than the name of one of the most veratile of firefighting tools.
The tool's namesake was a fireman who made more that a name for himself. Hugh A. Halligan was appointed a
New York City Firefighter on June 16, 1916 and was assigned to Engine Company 88. Halligan's career was
interrupted by service in the army during World War I. Upon his return, he was assigned to Engine 35 and worked
there until he was promoted to Lieutenant on April 16, 1922. The new officer worked in Engine 22 for two years
before he was promoted to Captain on February 1, 1924. He commanded Engine 86, 82, 35 and 73 before being
appointed a Battalion Chief on June 1, 1929. On October 1, 1934, two weeks after his 40th birthday, Hugh Halligan
reached the rank of Deputy Chief. Commissioner Patrick Walsh appointed Halligan First Deputy Fire Commissioner on
August 20, 1941. He had risen from the ranks and became one of the top men on both sides of the command structure
in just 22 years. It is the tool Chief Halligan designed, refined and manufactured that virtually gave him fire service
immortality. Every curve, corner and dimension of the tool was studied and changed many times by the "trial and error"
method. The result was a tool that could be held in one hand; one that would not chip or break at crucial moments; would
not fatigue a firefighter; and could be used with safety and full efficiency. Today, this tool is an "industry standard".
(Informtion obtained courtesy of Paul Hashagen, FDNY Rescue 1, Ret.)
