Whether it’s using a wedge to keep doors open or grabbing a pike pole to retrieve keys stuck in a tree, firefighters are known for being inventive on and off the fireground.
So we asked the FireRescue1 community to share their best firefighter hacks and skills they use to get by in everyday life.
Here are some of the most compelling responses.
Have your own hacks or skills? Share them in the comment section below.
1. “Turnout pants are great for shoveling snow.” — Jake Porter
2. “I daisy chain my electrical extension cords. I love watching my wife try and put it back together.” — Cary Wayne Brugh
3. “I size up every building I walk into.” — Lou Mannheimer
4. “Using a pike pole to retrieve keys out of a tree that a teenager threw up there.” — Catie Chadwick
5. “I wear an old Nomex under a hat in the winter. Keeps the face and ears nice and warm.” — Keenan Arenth
6. “Hip and foot make wonderful forcible entry tools.” — Patrick D. Lefebvre
7. “I carry a flashlight leatherman and small adjustable wrench on my hip every day. You just never know.” — Wally Eaton
8. “I’ve used the lockout kit to get into my car multiple times.” — Anthony Priftis
9. “I use my knots training to make clothes lines throughout my house when my dryer isn’t working.” — Ash Bronzburg
10. “I work a part-time job. My manager was trying to cut a hardened padlock with bolt cutters. Grabbed the irons ... done in 20 seconds!” — Doc Quack
11. “I use wedges to hold my door open.” — Branden Emroy Bock
This article, originally published on Nov. 4, 2014, has been updated.
