Pulaski (tool)
The pulaski is a special hand tool used in wildland firefighting.
The tool combines an axe and an adze in one head, similar to that of the cutter mattock, with a rigid handle of wood, plastic, or fiberglass. The pulaski is a versatile tool for constructing firebreaks, as it can be used to both dig soil and chop wood. It is also well adapted for trail construction, gardening, and other outdoor work. As a gardening or excavation tool, it is effective for digging holes in root-bound or hard soil.
The invention of the pulaski is credited to Ed Pulaski, a ranger with the United States Forest Service, in 1911,[2] although a similar tool was first introduced in 1876 by the Collins Tool Company. Ed Pulaski was famous for taking action to save the lives of a crew of 45 firefighters during the disastrous August 1910 wildfires in Idaho. His invention (or reinvention) of the tool that bears his name may have been a direct result of the disaster, as he saw the need for better firefighting tools. The pulaski came into wide use by the Forest Service after 1913, and in 1920 the Forest Service began contracting for the tool to be commercially manufactured.
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- ^ Hallman, Richard; Hutcheson, William; Mrkich, Dale (1997). Handtools for trail work. USDA Forest Service, Technology & Development Program. pp. 18. "Avoid raising the pick overhead while swinging; this wastes energy and creates a safety hazard because the heavy, narrow tool head cannot be easily controlled or directed."
- ^ Spadafora, Ronald (2007). McGraw-Hill's Firefighter Exams. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 230. "Invented by USFS ranger Ed Pulaski in 1911."
