Aluminum and glass doors on commercial occupancies are most commonly secured with a pivoting deadbolt. Pivoting deadbolts are in the mortise family of locks. The mechanism of mortise locks is in a cavity inside of doors and is operated by a cam on the back of a threaded cylinder that screws into the lock and is held in place by a small set screw.
In photo 1, the cam on the back side of the lock cylinder identifies this as a mortise lock. When a key is inserted into a mortise lock cylinder and rotated, the cam engages a spring-loaded lever, pivoting the deadbolt. Although the key will rotate 360 degrees, the action of operating a pivoting deadbolt only takes place between 5-7 o’clock positions.
(Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training and Safety Division photo)
If we can pull the lock cylinder with our “Rex” officer’s tool, photo 2, or unscrew it with Vice Grips, we can duplicate the function of the cam with a screw driver.
(Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training and Safety Division photo)
In photo 3 you can see a hole in the shape of a light bulb in the lever that pivots the deadbolt.
(Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training and Safety Division photo)
Insert a screwdriver into this lightbulb-shaped hole, push the spring-loaded lever down and move it from 5-7 o’clock or 7-5 o’clock to unlock the door (photo 4).
(Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training and Safety Division photo)
Say you force entry into a business in the early morning hours and no one can be notified to secure it. In this case remove the thin aluminum cover on the edge of the door that conceals the lock and, with a small screw driver, back out the setscrew that holds the cylinder in place (photo 5) and relock the door.
(Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training and Safety Division photo)
Although you may have stripped the soft fine threads of the cylinder when you pulled it, you can usually screw it back into the door. It doesn’t matter if the lock cylinder will unlock the door; you have succeeded in securing the business. Make sure to leave notice at the business so that the owner can call your station and get information from the on-coming shift.
Cylinder Guards
Through the lock forcible entry is fast and easy to perform. This makes commercial aluminum and glass doors vulnerable to burglary and businessmen often take measures to keep burglars and, consequently, firefighters from pulling or unscrewing their lock cylinders.
A “Scotsman” is a metal plate or box (photo 6) that fastens to the face of door to protect the lock cylinder.
(Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training and Safety Division photo)
Another type of cylinder guard covers the gap in the door where the deadbolt engages the doorframe. The cover may thwart a determined burglar who intends to cut the deadbolt with a hack saw blade, but not a skilled firefighter operating a rotary saw. When cutting a pivoting dead bolt, gently tap an axe blade or adz of a Halligan in the gap between the door and its frame just enough to enlarge it so that the saw’s blade can spin freely.
NOTE: Keep in mind the “throw” of a pivoting deadbolt; that is how much of it projects into the door fame, can be as much as two inches. This makes it impossible to conventionally force aluminum and glass doors without breaking the glass in the door and usually the window next to it and damaging the door and frame. Whenever you encounter a cylinder guard or experience any difficulty in pulling the cylinder, go to your Plan B; gap the door and cut the deadbolt.
As professional firefighters we take pride in meticulously forcing entry to minimize property damage. There are times, however, when fire conditions may necessitate breaking the glass in a storefront door. Similarly, small businesses and cafeterias may have storefront doors that swing inward; opposite the direction of exit travel. In this case, there will be no gap between the door and frame to insert a saw blade to cut the pivoting deadbolt. This too may necessitate breaking the glass and cutting any security mesh or bars that delay us getting water on a fire and, if something goes wrong, our hasty retreat.
As professionals the damage we cause performing forcible entry is always consistent with our three tactical priorities of fire operations:
1. Life safety; including ours.
2. Fire control
3. Property conservation
