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In the early morning hours, downtown companies were alerted for a reported building fire two blocks north of the firehouse. On arrival, fire was showing from the south end, suite 1, through a failed storefront window. The occupancy was a one-story, Type 3, commercial, flat-roof building consisting of three storefront suites. I instantly recognized the building on arrival from a prior callout from my days as a SWAT operator. When the SWAT team made entry, we found someone sleeping in a suite. This was in the back of my mind while positioning the truck.
Being that the truck chauffeur must finish dressing out on arrival, I am always one step behind my crew. My initial actions on commercials may include grabbing my Rex tool from my compartment, running up to the point of entry, and opening the involved occupancy by means of through the lock, all before dressing out. I did not get a great initial look at the door while spotting my turntable as the driver side of the truck was away from the building. Stepping off, I could see the urgency in my step firefighter as he jumped out. I knew he was well versed in through-the-lock forcible entry and carried a modified Adz-Rex, so I decided to get dressed before making my way around the truck for a look. Within seconds I heard the distinct metal-on-metal strikes from tools as my company was gaining access.
After I finished dressing out—a mere 10-15 seconds from the truck break—I grabbed my tools and walked up to the building. I could not help but smile with pride as I observed members using the through-the-lock method of entry; the gold-standard technique on aluminum stile doors. The step firefighter, Koehler, had already removed the cylinder, manipulated the lock, and was finishing masking up. The can firefighter, Ozbun, having emptied his pressurized water extinguisher on the fire through the failed storefront window to the right of the entry door, was masking up as well.
Koehler recognized another entry door to Suite 2 (bravo exposure) in the same alcove as the involved suite. He knew that quick access would be paramount to identify and control any horizontal extension. When he noticed me approaching, he asked, “Maurer, do you have your Rex?” Koehler knew he would have to contend with removing the cylinder in the blades of his Rex and pull another cylinder, delaying the search.
The superior lock puller, the Rex tool, is hard to beat, in my opinion, with its ease of cylinder removal and the versatility of the hand tool variety with a pry end. That said, I have pulled more cylinders with the Adz-Rex tool, especially before my chauffeur days, when I was riding the backstep. The Adz-Rex tool is a compact version of the original hand tool. It contains the head of the Rex and a strap that accommodates the adz of a halligan. Another variation, the “Lil-Rex,” uses the pike of the halligan, but I personally have no experience with it.
Both work in the same manner: one hand holds the Rex on the cylinder while the other hand provides strikes with the halligan to seat it. Comparatively, setting this tool requires a little more skill than its full-size predecessor. An added bonus of this tool combination is using the pike of the halligan to manipulate the lock without needing to fumble around in your pockets for a key tool.
After purchasing my Adz-Rex, I stowed it in my right coat pocket but found that it weighed down that side of my coat and also wore out the pocket quickly. After a few months, not seeing the need to drag around the extra weight in residential fires, I placed it between my feet below the seat. En route to a reported commercial fire, I would do one of two things: throw it in my pocket or, after dressing out, hold it in my gloved hand. If I did not see an immediate need for it on arrival, I would toss it on the floor as I stepped off the truck.
I found more of a need to always have the Adz-Rex when I became a chauffeur. With our limited staffing—three firefighters and an officer—it is not uncommon to operate alone in an outside-vent (OV) capacity. This requires prioritizing tools to the task at hand. Companies in a downtown response district tend to have more automatic alarms and elevator emergencies compared to other districts. Love it or hate it, that comes with the territory.
I have gained an invaluable amount of experience gaining access into and throughout buildings in my 11 years on a downtown truck company. It is not uncommon to have any number of circumstances including outdated keys in the lock box, if one is present; no building representative on site; and, my personal favorite, when the correct keys cannot be found at all.
When these circumstances present themselves, I always have my Adz-Rex, in a pouch, on my truck belt. The pouch sits in the small of my back and the waist pad rests on top of it. This helps take some weight of the cylinder off my shoulders and does not impede removing the tool from it.
I recall an elevator alarm where I found myself standing at a locked bulkhead door after trekking 15 flights with the irons, dry chem extinguisher, and the elevator bag. As luck would have it, I did not receive the correct keys. To make matters more difficult, the door contained a “Segal” lock, shoulder high, in a narrow corner that put constraints on the halligan and striking tool. I am by no means complaining—if you get the chance to force one of these locks, I highly recommend it. Looking back, this was the alarm that prompted me to put the Adz-Rex on my belt so I always have it. The time and energy I could have saved by using the through-the-lock method would have been put towards the next obstacle—forcing the door to the elevator machine room.
This tool has proven invaluable throughout my career. I have shared my experiences with members of my company; some are good, some come with a hard lesson. They liked the idea of having the ability to pull cylinders without relying on a boss who may or may not carry a lock puller, whether it be hand tool, Adz-Rex, or K-Tool, or running back to the truck to grab one. Nearly half the company now carries an Adz-Rex. So I ask you, “Who has a Rex?”
