How can I use ftp to access distribution through a firewall?

[Jim Lynch <jwl@sgi.com>]

I'd like to upgrade using the ftp access method of dpkg/apt, etc.  I am
on the other side of a firewall but there is a socks proxy to get
through it.  On other systems on this side of the firewall, I can use
the r commands, rcp, rftp, rsh etc. but I haven't seen them for Linux. 
I did a google search on socks, ftp, proxy, debian, and it turned up
loads of references to configuring a Debian box to be a firewall, but I
didn't see any references to my situation.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Jim.