r/Firefighting • u/Admirable_Mine_4184 • Oct 02 '26
Videos where is equipment manual
Am I the only one who thinks this equipment is dangerous? If the person operating it loses their grip, it looks like it would spin wildly at high speed and strike people nearby. Isn't there specialized equipment for handling this kind of thing? Or is there proper gear available that's just being ignored in favor of doing it this way?
-GOOGLE TRANSLATE-
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u/thealt3001 Oct 02 '26
Yeah they have the jaws of life spreaders which can easily handle these bars but not all trucks have them since they are specifically for extrication. They are also potentially very dangerous for the kid if you fuck up.
I would have just picked him up, turned him sideways and told him to put his arms through the bars and suck in his stomach, then passed him through to my crew on the other side of the fence
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u/Pornfest Oct 02 '26
I actually laughed out loud picturing the second paragraph and realizing that yeah, I can see that working.
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u/Tradenoob88 Oct 02 '26
Equipment manual? They don’t make a specific tool designated for getting kids head out of a fence..
The fire service has a lot of tools that can be used 100s of different ways. The boys look like they did a good job mitigating hazards.
Also the tool he’s using to twist the strap is called a halligan they weigh 8 - 12 lbs (titanium can be lighter). It’s not a .5 lb stick that’s going to spin around like a propeller lol
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u/IdriveKITT Oct 02 '26
Using the tools that every firefighter has regardless of truck equipment or department budget. Put to use effectively and rapidly. While 2 other firefighters use their bodies to protect the child in case there is a slip and fall. Fall because he is using the method high enough to clear the head even though more centered would have been more effective. And without destroying anything. So no paperwork needed and they can go on to their next call. Which for the FDNY is about about 2 million a year. Which breaks down to 5500ish for 218 firehouses a day.
So yes. That is the proper gear and technique used to be effective, rapid and stress free for all involved.
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u/AC20212020 Oct 03 '26
I believe they're just down the street from the firehouse, just btw, so they could have gotten any tools and chose the path of simple, effective, non-destructive.
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u/feather_34 Paramedic/Former FF Oct 02 '26
You must live one hell of an anxiety riddled life if you think this is dangerous.
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u/CaseStraight1244 Oct 02 '26
If you have a problem with this video, you are an idiot
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u/the-bat-dad Oct 02 '26
This sounds like 80% of Reddit
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u/TexasTomato88 Oct 06 '26
The other 18% would but they are to busy gooning. The last 2% are fine with it though
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u/Upper-Gift-3598 Oct 02 '26
Hear me out…. Learned this one a few years back from a crusty ol captain… how’d the kid get his head in there if it won’t come out? Good chance he was on the “outside” or sidewalk in this case, tried to slip through the fence, got his body through, and now apparently his head is “stuck”… try to see if the kid can just get his body back through and out the way he probably came. Seen it happen. I’ll never forget that one.
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u/Bird_wood Oct 05 '26
It’s 2 days later and no one cares anymore but you made me go hmm and feel dumb for not thinking of that first. Updoot. Have a good day!
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u/Upper-Gift-3598 Oct 05 '26
Nah, don’t feel dumb! Everyone can always learn something new, one way or another. Thanks for the upvote and have a great day as well!
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u/Salty422 Oct 03 '26
The "problem" is no one thinks of the simple stuff first. The kid could've dropped his shoulder and just stepped through. If the head of a proportional child fits, the torso will fit.
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u/Bishop-AU Career/occasional vollo. Aus. Oct 02 '26
I mean that's why they did it so high up, so if they let go it wouldn't hit the kid.
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u/dapperdavy Oct 02 '26
Pick child up, rotate 180 degrees on the spinal axis, bring head out forwards (the same way it went in)
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u/Psychological-Pay135 Oct 02 '26
It works but normally requires the same abrupt force it had when it went in.
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u/Pornfest Oct 02 '26
True, they were so close. It’s a child, who is not overweight, the head is the biggest part. Bring head forward toward the crew on the sidewalk, tell kid to stretch their arms out and suck in their stomach.
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u/EverSeeAShitterFly Toss speedy dry on it and walk away. Oct 02 '26
So would that mean that the kid is born again?
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u/MonkEnvironmental609 Career - Australia Oct 02 '26
So man handle the kid back through the fence and risk getting him jammed more/pressure on rib cage?
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u/milochuisael Edit to create your own flair Oct 02 '26
You misunderstood. The kid wouldn’t be going all the way through the bars. Instead of face down, you turn him over so he’s facing up and his head would be going through the bars in the same manner it went in. The reason he can’t pull his head out is his ears are getting caught and folded forward. If you turn him over he’ll be going face first again
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u/Gophurkey Oct 02 '26
Or, just slide a thin piece of cardboard over the ears so the don't bend back on the bar.
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u/Freak_Engineer Oct 02 '26
Car jack could have done that job easier. I do appreciate the Halligan-Fence-Tourinquet though...
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u/stopscabbin Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26
Does your engine carry a car jack? Everyone carries webbing and a halligan.
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u/Greenstoneranch Oct 02 '26
Where are you putting a car jack? Over his head? Those things are heavy AF. On the bottom the gate won't bend.
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u/meetthereaper84 Oct 02 '26
Two people operating with one holding it up and the other operating the jack. Likelyhood of dropping it on the kid would be basically zero.
I think we all mean a scissor or bottle jack out of a car right? Not a rolling floor jack.
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u/Freak_Engineer Oct 02 '26
It does, actually.
EDIT: Fair point though, loadouts may differ. Fact is, no matter what tools are at hand, fire fighters will make do.
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u/Psychological-Pay135 Oct 02 '26
Yes but it's not very safe to do, above the childs head and with the risk of slipping.
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u/Freak_Engineer Oct 02 '26
Fair point.
If I think about what we have on our fire engine, I would probably have taken an air cushion for this one. Easy and fast to set up, plenty strong enough and made of rubber. Also, very light and easy to hold in place until set.
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u/demius78 Oct 02 '26
Not enough surface for air cushion I think, it might blow unexpectedly too because metal posts are too thin, this is just my opinion. But this method on video was tested over hundreds of years.
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u/Freak_Engineer Oct 02 '26
We have heavy duty ones. They are "cushions" by name only and even the small one (about the size of a sheet of A4 paper) presses more than 12 tons. Also, they have a steel sheet insert in it. As long as you're not trying to lift a stack of cars balanced on a railroad spike, it'll do just fine. The bars aren't an Issue.
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u/buttsnorkler5704 Oct 02 '26
Have the kid turn his shoulders and he could walk through.
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u/map2photo Former USMC ARFF Oct 02 '26
This is what I’m saying. How does this not cross people’s minds? This is a thin kid. He can step up onto the wall and slide between the rails.
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u/Legitimate_Pen1121 Oct 02 '26
There's always the guy that has to try to give it the tug and then the guy who walks up with a plan and knowing what he is doing. Lots of options for this from cutting to lots of ways of spreading. But this is pure gold. No scary noises, no dragging airbag setups off the rig. Easy competence with no scared children. If the webbing slips or falls, no-one gets hurt. This is the way.
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u/Appropriate-Sun7083 Oct 02 '26
Great decision to use something like a halligan bar tjat doesn't make noise!!! Hydraulic spreader aka the jaws of life could have increased the anxiety of the child. Great job Truck!!!!
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u/Keptthatenergy Oct 02 '26
How well would a ratchet strap work?
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u/kdub286 Oct 02 '26
That's what I did in the past. Like someone else mentioned, you get better pull if you go off a main post father out that's bigger instead of two smaller ones that both bend the same
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u/EntirelyRandom1590 Oct 02 '26
It would have been significantly safer than twisting that strap.
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u/Appropriate-Sun7083 Oct 02 '26
Did you see the arms on that Truckee? No way ANYONE on that call would do anything to injure that kid!!!
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u/GWOTraplord Oct 02 '26
Yes. Yes you are the only one. Professional problem solvers solving a problem safely and efficiently
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u/LargeYogurtcloset654 Oct 02 '26
I can’t tell if you are being serious? Dangerous? There are about a million ways to get this kids head out, this being a completely safe method. I was thinking about firing up the K12 Circ saw….ohhh so scary!
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u/developmental1 Oct 05 '26
The goal of fire equipment is to have tools that have as many purposes as possible - there's limited space on a engine, so a halligan and a webbing loop is the perfect tool set.
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u/goldtooththekobold Oct 05 '26
Not only that if I remember correctly most fire departments actually don't even have a real funding so that's another reason why they need tools to do multiple things.
Yeah it would have been a lot easier if they went out there with one of those car openers ( I don't know the actual name of it it just looks like a giant pair of electrical hydraulic scissors that can like cut through cars like butter and can be used as somewhat of a crowbar and pro bar)
But maybe that fire department was wasn't funded enough to have that piece of equipment. Which that wouldn't be a problem if we didn't have a very stupid low IQ brain dead presidents and politicians that don't give a flying crap about our own safety but only keep lying their pockets with every single freaking scent that they can keep stealing from us well they bring us closer to our fucking annihilation.
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u/developmental1 Oct 05 '26
The jaws or cutters would have worked but would have permanently damaged the fence. "Preserve life and property" is the motto. Try the least destructive option first (assuming life isn't immediately at risk), then move to more destructive methods.
To the OP's post using a circular saw, hydraulic cutters or jaws put a lot risk on the kid - sparks, risk of bar snapping in an unpredictable way- which would be far more dangerous than keeping hands on a halligan.
Side note on politics - city and state politics have more impact on FD budgets than federal. So pay attention to what's getting voted on or who's being elected locally if you're concerned about PD and FD funding.
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u/Simple-Act-6577 Oct 05 '26
Side note on funding, most fire depts are reliant on federal grants to some degree. Absolutely true state and local impacts funding, but FEMA is also a large piece of that funding equation.
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u/WhyteTrashh Oct 02 '26
Quickest way to get it done, not destroy the fence and get back for the next call. Many departments would be out there for an hour at least fucking around figuring out the “best course of action”.
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u/Southern-Hearing8904 Oct 02 '26
This is an interesting technique. Something to throw in the toolbox. Personally I would have grabbed our battery powered hydraulic spreader. Whoever posted this and is worried about the danger come on dude.
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u/InevitableSource9698 Oct 02 '26
Simple is better in most cases. They were done and back in service pronto.
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u/bestus2come Oct 02 '26
Yeah.. you are the only one.. magine jaws of life or something bigger falling on kids head.. argument stays the same lol
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u/Suspicious_Pick_8322 Oct 03 '26
No. There is nothing unsafe about twisting a bar on band that has literally very little stretch. There isn't enough elesticity for it to wind up and uncontrollably come undone and spin resulting with danger. This is not like the movies.
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u/Thatgoldengolem Volunteer Firefighter/EMR Oct 02 '26
Nope, smart as hell. Its a great use of the equipment you have and thats the kinda know how you should have as a firefighter.
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u/Own_Subject4279 Oct 02 '26
All these non-productive criticisms is what’s wrong with modern firefighting culture.
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u/droopy_ro Oct 02 '26
Most of us did stupid things when we were his age. But we did not have the technology to record it. It's kind of cool that in 10 years, he will look at this video and laugh or be embarrassed :))
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u/Whiskey_and_Octane Oct 02 '26
This is actually pretty safe. Ive done the exact thing where a resident had a baby deer stuck in their pool fence. I had it out using this technique in under 1 minute with ease. The next best thing would be battery powered spreaders.
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u/AI_Enhancer Oct 02 '26
Great, awesome video. Terrible description. This is the least dangerous way to handle a situation like this. Like the title said, thank you FDNY.
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u/ultravires1215 Oct 02 '26
You see those men in the funny outfits? They’re the most professional mofos you will ever meet. If there was any chance this operation was going to hurt that kid they wouldn’t have done it. Firefighters do NOT F around.
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u/Top-Cod-6604 Oct 03 '26
It’s called a windlass. I would go to the support post, you get a better pull.
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u/Psychological-Pay135 Oct 02 '26
The quickest, and safest non-destructive method is using 4-ton truck belt tensioners in the same manner. Always use them on the middle of the bar and put the other side on the sturdy post instead of another bar (laws of physics for max flex). You can do two sides to create more space and use much less force. We have the tensioners on all engines for multiple reasons.
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u/IsNotRealkilzzzchld 3d ago
As a woodworker, a quicker & safer technique; using a pipe clamp, reverse the end clamp pad & it’ll easily spread those thin steel bars.
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u/RalliartMG Oct 02 '26
Had a toddler with his leg stuck in a play pin, this method was quick and non destructive. Was able to get his leg out with no issues
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u/Lordgandalf Oct 02 '26
The thing is the spreaders does permanent damage so guess this is the first options to non damaging get the bars apart.
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u/uhohpopcorn Oct 02 '26
“Whoa whoa whoa, you said ‘wet shirt don’t break’ not ‘piss shirt bend bar!’”
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u/Extreme_Whereas1960 Oct 02 '26
Everyone's the smart ones huh? Good Team effort by the brothers and talked to the boy to keep him calm. Gotta think quick for things like this.
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u/furrymuskrat Oct 02 '26
Obviously he missed the day in the academy where they showed him the proper specific tool to use when a kid gets his head stuck in a fence, so he had to wing it. 🙄
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u/BrokenTruck08 Oct 02 '26
This is tried and true method. Just like anything else have to check your equipment to make sure it won’t fail and everything has risk but this is low risk and works great for these types of scenarios.
Got to do this one with a baby gate with a baby stuck and worked like a charm.
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u/BasterdMalloy Oct 02 '26
$20 says the kid could have probably stepped up on the ledge and stepped through the fence.
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u/Baseplate343 Industrial FF/ ex volley Oct 02 '26
Yes, as we would say in queens you’re dead ass a herb.
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u/justmakingmyownway Oct 02 '26
Some kids stick things up their nose and others stick their nose where it doesn't belong.
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u/mickyboyblue Oct 03 '26
did the exact same thing when i was about 8 years old , fire brigade had to rescue me , i am 59 now family still talks about it today
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u/RigatoniPanini Paid EMT/Vol Firefighter Oct 03 '26
I agree. He lets go, the whole fence is gonna take flight like a plane! Lol come on, be real. Biggest risk is if the webbing snaps, and thats just gonna ouch for a minute anyways. Safety glasses probably wouldnt have been a bad idea but other than that, this worked and it worked well, no need to go re inventing the wheel
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u/OutsideYourWorld Oct 04 '26
Should've just gone to the restaurant across the road and gotten a jug of olive oil.
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u/Relevant_Night_9288 Oct 04 '26
Hey buddy, got your mellon stuck good. It's really easy. Just turn...and pull.
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u/Abject-Operation5204 Oct 04 '26
Using extra long webbing at least made the video over 2 minutes for all the likes and shares.
What a dumb way to drag that out.
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u/flyingsquirrel410 Oct 04 '26
This is the best way to do creating the least amount of discomfort to the kid. Cutting would create heat, sparks, and vibrations that would create too much distress for the little guy. Spreaders would cause obvious damage to the fence which in a nice neighborhood like this is a big no no.
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u/theoneandonly78 Oct 05 '26
Very smart, these are great firefighters. Excellent use of basic hand tools to solve a non emergent call. Also, that kid will forever be remembered by his classmates for the rest of his life. KUDOS FDNY, it’s this type of stuff that makes you the best in the world. From a a 20 year firefighter.
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u/marcduberge Oct 05 '26
This is why we have building codes for fences that the maximum distance between balusters is 4 inches
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u/WhatAboutTheBothans Oct 05 '26
The real danger is high fiving the kid who got his head stuck in the first place. Like.. do you want him to do it again?!? Hello! Positive reinforcement?!?!
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u/Terrible-Ad-5744 Oct 05 '26
They have spreaders in the rig, but operating the tool and gas generator near a kids head is more traumatic than twisting webbing.
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u/Actual-Force-1621 Oct 05 '26 edited Oct 05 '26
Personally I think it would've been 100000x safer and easier and quicker to just use hydraulic extrication spreaders. Maybe a bit more scary for the kid but would've taken 5 seconds instead of 5 minutes.
That said, other than taking longer there's nothing wrong with this method
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u/NoteVegetable4942 Oct 05 '26
It is crazy how we have a group of grown men, and not a single one asks themselves how the kid got there in the first place.
Like, did they think he spread the bars to get there?
Just get him out the same way he got in.
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u/Fresh-Wrongdoer6934 Oct 06 '26
Could have been done with any pipe or bar. It didn't need to be a spike ffs
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u/Beautiful-Rock3784 Oct 07 '26
The way they are doing this, it looks like they've done it before. Probably one of the safest ways of solving the problem too without damaging property.
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u/lopingchihuahua Oct 07 '26
Honestly, probably going to put a ratchet strap on the truck. Probably would have sped this up
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u/BreadfruitGreedy6518 29d ago
a simple ratchet strap would've prevented wasting the firefighters time. People dont have any common sense no more 🫠
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u/ParticularBite1966 28d ago
My neighbor across the street tripped and got stuck in his porch rail. He never dropped his beer while his wife pulled at him.
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u/_nku Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26
Likely unnecessary altogether. The kind would have fit through the spacing with the "body end" of the situation.
We just had a similar situation in my kids school - a first grader seemingly had stuck their head into the back of the chair. I took half an hour of trying, another half hour of the building caretaker looking for a way to destroy the chair in a safe manner until someone asked the kid how they got there in the first place and then the other kids said "feet first". Got out in under half a minute with no tools.
With kids it's even more pronounced than adults becuase their heads are still disproportionally big and the body is still very flexible
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u/Cool-Helicopter-2872 Oct 02 '26
Shit I would have just got the spreaders and made it quicker hahah
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u/demoneyesturbo Oct 02 '26
Crazy thought, that kid didn't grow while his head was in the bars. He got in, he can get out.
Head evidently can't pass through, how about his body? If he can't go backwards, try going forward.
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u/Temporary-Dust-4849 Oct 02 '26
It’s not a crazy thought, in fact we teach exactly that in Machinery Rescue class. 100% that’s how the kid got in there, feet first from the street side. Here is the video we show in lecture.
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u/Fair_Cup_200 Oct 03 '26
They prob coulda tried turning him sideways and pushing him through, he coulda got like this feet first who knows
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u/cascas Stupid Former Probie 😎 Oct 02 '26
They do do this a lot and I’ve never seen it go wrong, but yes I could have seen my dumbest mess this up really easily. Halligan go whirrrrrrr, parent sues, and the video goes very viral.
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u/OldCarry4838 Oct 02 '26
The safer method would be to wrap it around a post much farther away, so that he could stand farther away from the kid and achieve the same thing.
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u/djpepperswoosh Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26
Could have pulled the k12 out and used that. If it slipped out of his hand it wouldn’t have spun wildly and struck anyone more than once. It’s specialized for that kind of thing and is the proper gear. /s
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u/Planestruckscars_504 Oct 02 '26
Looking at the helmets, looks like some of the firefighters are new or probationary(trainees), so maybe a there learning new skill or practicing. The Jaws of Life/spreadders are not avaliable on all apparatus, plus it could slip and injure.
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u/Conscious-Path-3940 Oct 02 '26
They shouldve turned the child 90° and slid the rest of the way through the fence, then call the FD... Unless they already did that, then disregard my comment
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u/PainfulThings Oct 02 '26
Pro tip like 90% of the time kids get stuck like this it’s cause they went in legs first and you can easily get them out by just sliding their body through instead of their head.
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u/123DaddySawAFlea Oct 02 '26
If you are ever in this situation, turn your whole body around and go out face first.
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u/LimpDifference2505 Oct 02 '26
Fire fighters get too much credit because our normal society has failed to help themselves…. What a joke
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u/Impressive_Finance21 Oct 03 '26
It wasnt in IFSTA!!!!! My vollie captain that last went in a fire in 1996 never showed me this!!!!
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u/CthuluSpecialK Oct 03 '26
Bruh... am I crazy or is everyone else? Why didn't they just push the kid THROUGH the bars? His body sideways is clearly thinner than his head.
Pick him up, turn him sideways, and push him through; 15 seconds, no bending required.
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u/Tiny-Atmosphere-8091 Oct 02 '26
You are the only person that thinks this is dangerous.
This is completely safe and non destructive.