When an engine company combats a structure fire, the doors of the building, both interior and exterior, can either help or hinder the attack. They can help by preventing fire and smoke spread, but they can also decrease water supply if the attack line becomes pinched or trapped by the door. To avoid these problems, we must control all doors we encounter while initiating a coordinated fire attack and provide for timely placement of attack lines. Controlling the door may mean we leave it closed until charged lines are in place to prevent smoke and fire spread, or after it’s open, propping it open with something to prohibit it from closing on our hoselines or exit passageway.
One simple way to control doors is to use door chocks. You can make your own wooden door chocks, use a metal hinge hook or purchase commercial chocks. Whichever one you choose, carry at least one or two at all times; you can easily carry a few in a coat pocket and a couple on your helmet. You should also practice using them to determine the best method of deployment and identify any problems you might encounter.
Homemade Chocks
One problem we’ve discovered with commercial models is that some aren’t strong enough to hold every type of door (exterior doors are generally heavier than interior), and those that can hold heavier doors often end up in someone else’s pocket after the fire–which means you just lost your money. So for our department, the best and most cost-effective door chocks have been the ones we’ve made out of scrap wood.
Most of the time, exact dimensions aren’t important; the chocks just need to be long enough and tall enough to hold the doors you might encounter. Again, training and deployment prior to use on the fireground is key.
Chock Placement
The first engine company firefighter who enters the building must chock open each door they stretch hose through–even if they aren’t self-closing–while making their way to the fire. Subsequent firefighters entering the building should check to ensure that each door remains securely chocked.
Prior to positioning any chock, first make sure that the door is fully open. If the door isn’t fully open, bumping it might cause the chock to be released.
The most effective way to chock a door is to place the chock between the door and jamb on the hinge side. You can either chock it above the first hinge or at ground level if the layout of the door and frame allows. The chock is less likely to fall out if it’s at ground level and supported by the frame and jamb. Tip: When chocking the interior door to the fire apartment or a door leading from the stairs and hallway on the fire floor, always place the chock near the floor so you can safely withdraw it if/when smoke, heat or fire starts venting above your head.
When to Get Creative
If working a structure fire in a building with a door to the exterior that features a piano hinge, you’ll have to get creative and place the chock at the top or bottom of the door. If neither of those options exists, you have no choice but to chock the door at the floor. This can be problematic, as the chock may get kicked by a passing firefighter or it may get caught by a hose coupling, either of which could cause the door to close. The entryway floor may also be smooth and slippery, allowing the weight of a self-closing door to push the chock out of position.
But firefighters don’t just encounter basic doors; you may also have to chock gates to courtyards, ingress/egress points to walkways between buildings, bay doors and garage doors. Tip: Try to resist the urge to use one of your forcible-entry or overhaul tools to chock these types of doors. If no chocks are available, be creative; use a doormat, large potted plant, newspaper or chair.
Note: If you decide to use a nail to chock open a door, remember that nails work well on wooden doors, but can be more difficult on steel doors with steel frames. Although a nail will hold a steel door open, it often falls out when the door comes in contact with advancing hoselines or firefighters. Nails are a good option if you want to hold a door open for other means, such as ventilation or overhaul, where people aren’t likely to bump into the door, causing the nail to fall.
Outward vs. Inward
When you come to a door that’s keeping a fire condition in check, you must control the door whenever you open it or force it open–to avoid fire spread, you want to keep the door closed but prevent it from locking.
Generally, outward-swinging doors are easiest to control; you can close one with your hand or a tool, if needed. But most of the time, we encounter inward-swinging doors that lead to rooms or living spaces in multi-family occupancies.
The inward-swinging door can be harder to control if the firefighters opening the door don’t take the necessary precautions. Often when forcing an inward-swinging door, it will spring away from firefighters upon being opened. The easiest way to maintain control in this situation is to tie a rope or other device around the doorknob prior to opening the door.
If you don’t have a rope or are unable to tie something around the knob and you open the door, you’ll have to attempt to regain control of it using a tool or other device, potentially in an extremely hostile fire situation. The push from the exiting smoke, heat and fire can turn a habitable hallway into an inferno, especially if the fire is wind-driven. When this happens, if the fire attack hoseline isn’t ready, the resulting fire and smoke spread can injure firefighters and hamper rescue efforts.
After the inward-swinging door is opened and controlled, and the attack is ready to ensue, remember to chock the door properly.
Got Chocks?
During a structure fire, each and every door we pass through while carrying a hoseline must be chocked in the open position to maintain egress and to prevent the door from reducing or cutting off the water supply.
Without the proper water supply, our efforts to control a fire and save lives and property would be in vain. Always keep chocks on hand and remember these simple tips:
- Since chocks tend to get left behind at incidents, restock after use to ensure chocks are available when needed.
- Keep a supply of extra chocks in the fire station.
- Other than carrying chocks on your helmet or in your pocket, you can also store them in hydraulic forcible-entry bags, standpipe equipment bags or in hosebeds.
Perhaps most important: Train regularly on the use of chocks, so that it’s second nature during real operations.
