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New hand tool excels at breaking things

Whether it’s RIT or overhaul, this tool can blast through glass and drywall; it also has a self-rescue dimension

JN RIT tool.png

During training, when no lives are on the line, there’s something inherently fun about breaking stuff.

And it was with that enthusiasm for busting things up that myself and those on my department test-drove a new tool marketed for RIT crews.

J&N Tactical’s R.I.T.3 has two multi-pronged heads on a 3-foot bar, with a strap bracket near the middle and a shovel handle at the end. It also comes in a 5-foot version, but without the strap option.

It looks like it can cause serious damage — and it does.

SWAT-inspired
Jeff Herr, J&N’s president and CEO, said he designed the tool for police SWAT teams. The idea was to give police a way to quickly and safely take out windows during hostage situations. And, you can break out window glass without putting your body in front of it — great for cops trying not to get shot.

Herr modified the original design and began marketing it to fire departments. Most noticeable is the different color — the SWAT units are black for low visibility and the fire units yellow for high visibility.

During our test drive, we had three houses slated for demolition that fire and police were using for training. For security reasons, we couldn’t (at least not yet) break the glass.

We could rip up the interior, though. And rip we did.

3 houses, 3 walls
Although located on the same block, each house had different interior walls: one had modern drywall, one had plaster and the other had plaster on lattice.

The tool absolutely destroyed the drywall. We did side-by-side tests with other hand tools and could breach a wall much faster and with less effort using the J&N tool.

As would be expected, it was less effective on the plaster and virtually useless on the lattice walls. That said, the other tools didn’t fare any better — with the exception of an ax, and even that was a workout.

Where the J&N tool really shone was pulling ceiling. We used the 5-foot version compared with pike poles and other tools. The piercing points on the heads of the J&N tool punched through the ceiling, and the claws on the back of the heads ripped down large sections.

For me, the 3-foot version is a bit bulky as a search and rescue tool, even with the strap. Yet as we all know, hand tools are very much a matter of preference, and others may find this one well-suited for search and rescue.

RIT and rescue
It has several features that argue for its inclusion on the RIT tarp. Besides its ability to blast through drywall and glass, it is long enough to span 16-inch studs for use as an anchor in window bailouts.

It can also function as a one-step ladder. That extra foot and a half of reach may be the difference in being able to self-rescue from a basement window and having to wait for help to arrive.

The department I serve on has a fairly low call volume, especially when it comes to structure fires. So to get a better idea of how the tool works, I reached out to Tim Holmes, assistant fire chief in Nisswa, Minn. Chief Holmes has used it on glass.

“No problem getting through any glass we have tried: sliding glass windows, double pane, double hung, and even side window glass on vehicles,” he said.

Chief Holmes also sang the tool’s praises in overhaul and RIT operations.

"[One thing] I really like about the tool is the size,” Chief Holmes said. “It is a tool that you can sling and carry with you for RIT or a ventilation assignment.” He also liked that the tool is robust enough to pry studs free once the drywall has been removed.

When pressed for what he didn’t like about the tool, Chief Holmes said that it cannot be used to breach doors or concrete walls. “It certainly could be used as an impact tool for interior doors, but there would be a problem with exterior or steel doors.”

The 3-foot and 5-foot versions sell for $399 through the company’s website; they come with a lifetime warranty.

This tool definitely has the ability to break a lot of things. And even if it never gets pressed into duty to save a firefighter’s life; it can certainly make overhaul a lot less taxing — and perhaps a bit of fun.

Rick Markley is the former editor-in-chief of FireRescue1 and Fire Chief, a volunteer firefighter and fire investigator. He serves on the board of directors of and is actively involved with the International Fire Relief Mission, a humanitarian aid organization that delivers unused fire and EMS equipment to firefighters in developing countries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s of fine arts. He has logged more than 15 years as an editor-in-chief and written numerous articles on firefighting. He can be reached at Rick.Markley11@gmail1.com.

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