In the midst of a life-and-death situation, it comes down to a knife that is accessible, deployable and versatile. Saving property follows the firefighter’s No. 1 role of saving lives, so he depends on his equipment to do the job at hand. Though some specific attributes of a firefighter’s knife can come down to personal preference, the reason that a knife goes into a blazing building on a firefighter’s hip or in his pocket is clear.

“As you might assume, a knife is a very important tool in general,” commented Keith Kaiser, who recently retired from the New York City Fire Department, for which he was a member of Ladder 131 in Brooklyn. “To a firefighter, though, it can be a lifesaver for others as well as himself.

“I was in a fire and was crawling through a hallway when I became caught up in a mess of cord. I had to cut my way out of it. Without a knife handy, it would have at best become a source of untold joking on my behalf, and at worst a dangerous situation in a very dark, very hot, fiery hallway. My knives have also been tested in every way you’re told not to use a knife during various situations, such as twisting screws and prying windows.”

While cutting away tangled rope or cord is a prime example of the firefighter’s knife on the job, many first responders also carry knives to cut seatbelts in order to free accident victims, punch through car windows, pry jammed doors and the like. Consequently, depending on the situation, such features as blade serrations, glass breakers incorporated into the handle, pointed- or blunt-tip blades, fixed blades or folders, and even a wrench for an oxygen tank, may, in the firefighter’s opinion, allow him to be more effective on the job.

Kaiser acknowledges that a blunt-tip blade is appropriate for cutting seatbelts, though he has never used such a blade for the task. “I’ve responded to many auto accidents, and a blunt tip could be a safety factor for the victim in certain scenarios,” he said. “However, I’ve always preferred a point on my knives to aid in starting a cut on clothing during medical calls or to bore a hole in fabric or some other material. I guess, like most, it’s a preference call.”

Rick Hinderer of Wooster, Ohio, has been a volunteer firefighter for 11 years and a knifemaker for 20. Designer and maker of the XM-18 and also the designer of the Gerber Hinderer Rescue knife specifically for fire and rescue personnel, Hinderer applies his personal knowledge of what it takes to get the job done in a situation where seconds count.

“The blunt tip is extremely important,” he related. “The reason is that as an EMT [Emergency Medical Technician] and when working around patients, if you happen to accidentally cut a patient your days as an EMT are probably over. You might even get sued. So, you have to have the utmost safety working around patients with a knife. There’s no reason to have a sharp tip; safety wise it’s a must to have a blunt tip. Rescue knives with sharp tips make me cringe. It’s my worst nightmare.”

A 13-year veteran firefighter with the city of Toronto, James McGowan of Whitby, Ontario, Canada, designed the MAK-1 (Multiple Access Knife) and the Extrik-8-R seatbelt cutter and multi-tool for Columbia River Knife & Tool. For him, a user-friendly knife is the best tool to have at hand.

“It comes down to durability, strength and corrosion resistance because we’re in a wet environment most of the time,” he reasoned. “We have a lot of calls with access problems. So, generally, when we get a medical call for someone with breathing problems or an unknown emergency, I’ll have a knife in my bunker pants and use it to pry open a door. It’s good to have a light, flexible tool to get into doors and keep the damage to property at a minimum.”

Fixed or Folding?
Wear and tear on a knife factors into its effectiveness on the job, and in certain situations either the fixed blade or folder may work better than the other.

“Due to the abuse I put my knives through, I would much rather have a fixed blade,” Kaiser noted. “I keep it accessible on the outside of my bunker gear, and I don’t have to bother to open the knife. Fumbling with gloves in the dark is a bad move in my opinion. I just grip the handle, remove the blade and I’m ready.

“I usually carry a folder in my pocket for backup or when I don’t have my bunker gear on,” Kaiser continued. “When it comes to a folder, I always go with [one with] a lock of some kind. Even handsome gentleman’s knives can be found with a good lock. Slip joints can be pretty but I would rather have some more assurance. Assisted-openers can be very useful, but it really depends on the knife. Some work great in certain situations. Some can be a bit too jumpy for my liking. Automatics can be great, too, in an emergency, but I don’t want to realize sometime that my folder is open in my pocket.”

Hinderer said he sees the solution to the hand-in-glove dilemma in a folding knife that can be operated easily.

“With a fixed blade, the problem is carrying them. We carry an immense amount of gear on us, and having one more piece means it may not get carried. A folder you can close [while you are wearing gloves] is important. The reason [for that] is that it’s not as important to open the blade as a firefighter at an accident scene as it is to close the blade. If you can’t close the blade, you will set it down and then you have a live blade sitting there and the chance that somebody will get hurt.”

As noted, McGowan carries both a folder and a fixed blade for a variety of situations he may encounter on the job. “The fixed blade is mainly for access, and I find that for me the fixed blade is better in an emergency. If I’m trapped and only have one-hand access, a fixed blade is much better than trying to get a folder open and closed. The fixed blade is a chisel tip for prying and twisting, and still being able to do a draw cut with the front of the plain [non-serrated] edge. I also carry a cheap folder and a good folder. The cheap folder is to start a cut, and it’s strictly used for cutting. I’m usually tough on knives, and I might pry once or twice [with the folder] and the lock is shot.”

Other Features: Yes or No?
Serrations, like other knife features, are generally optional. Hinderer said, “That’s up to the person using the knife. I like them because they cut through rope, but we don’t cut rope as rescuers much anymore. We cut seat material and upholstery in cars.” McGowan and Kaiser agree that serrations have their place on a firefighter’s knife but that the maintenance and upkeep can be challenging. “They can do a great job on aggressive cuts,” said Keith, “but they can be a tad bit more tedious to touch up.” For McGowan, sharpening the plain edge is a much simpler task than honing serrations. He added that serrations may even break or chip in a working situation.

Though the need for a glass breaker is not always present, it does come in handy at times. Hinderer designed a glass breaker in his knives.

“We don’t break glass on every accident,” he said, “and, in the 10 years I’ve been running, I may have broken seven or eight side windows. But, if you have it and need it, then it’s great. A glass breaker would not be one of the first things I look at, but if you have a design in the knife that includes it and doesn’t compromise anything else like strength or prying ability, then go for it.” Kaiser agrees.

“A glass breaker or skull crusher of some sort has no real down side that I can see, as long as it doesn’t sacrifice anything else,” he reasoned. “I would rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it. The same thing is true with an oxygen wrench, although I’ve never been in a situation when one wasn’t readily available.”

Quality Tool, Practical Price
One interesting point that Hinderer said he has discovered through the years is that firefighters are not necessarily knife enthusiasts. “Firefighters aren’t knife buffs,” he laughed. “I’ve talked at shows to a lot of firefighters from different departments, and it’s interesting to hear their feedback on knives. The knife is a tool for them. They want quality that will do the job at a reasonable price.”

One would expect no less from a group of individuals who put their lives on the line for us all.