By Alan M. Petrillo
for Fire Apparatus Magazine

When firefighters are using their personal protective equipment (PPE) on the fireground, the gear should be responsive and comfortable—not tight, restricting, or difficult to wear. Accordingly, ergonomics and a more tailored fit are buzzwords being used by PPE manufacturers that have spent a great deal of time debriefing firefighters on their use of gear and have crafted PPE styles that allow generous mobility in areas that flex and bend the most—knees, elbows, back, and seat.

Proactive Development

Karen Lehtonen, director of products for Lion, says that because PPE isn’t developed in a vacuum, Lion went out into the field and interviewed firefighters about how their gear fit and where it worked against them while performing tasks. “We also looked at other areas where clothing is trying to do the same thing—protect the wearer yet not be restrictive,” she says. “The military and athletics are such areas, and we were able to take some ideas from them on styling, patterning, and material combinations that improve movement and help reduce stress on the firefighter, because the gear is not fighting him while he’s wearing it.”

Hayley Fudge, Lion’s director of marketing, says the bending areas of a person’s body are where the stress points are located. “We have to think about how a firefighter is moving; what the garment is being asked to do; and where it might need more flex, like in the elbows and the knees,” she says.

As a result, Lion’s Janesville V-Force gear incorporates a flexible elbow area that allows the arm to bend freely and comfortably while still keeping the wrists protected. Fudge says it’s designed similarly to the bellows underarm construction, where a football-shaped insert is set behind the elbow that expands to eliminate tugging at the sleeve or shoulder when a firefighter flexes his arm.

Accommodating Reach

Lehtonen points out the most troublesome areas in bunker gear are those that are involved in reaching forward and upward and stepping up or down. Lion’s bunker pants have a gusset that the knee can fall into when a firefighter is climbing, crawling, bending, or kneeling. Lion also uses its Lite-N-Dri cushioning to give supplemental thermal insulation at the knee and in other high-compression areas such as shoulders, elbows, and the yoke. In addition, Lion eliminated crotch seams in its bunker pants to reduce tension on the gear and provide added wearing comfort.

Lion manages moisture in its gear though its Isodri technology, a combination of materials that blocks outside sourced water, wicks perspiration off the body, and resists storing water inside the protective envelope. Lehtonen points out that Lion shortly will offer a new collar on its bunker coat that has less of an abrasion factor and interfaces better with a fire helmet and a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) face piece.

Read the full article here.

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A study by the Fire Protection Research Association, “Thermal Capacity of Fire Fighter Protective Clothing,” shed new light on the issue of stored energy in 2008:

This laboratory based study shows that the Stored Energy Test (SET) method provides information not provided by any other protective performance test method currently incorporated in NFPA 1971 Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. It supports a hypothesis that sub-flashover burn injuries may occur as the result of two different heat transmission mechanisms, or combination of two thermal phenomena. Tests conducted on moisture preconditioned materials exposed for 1.5 and 2.0 minutes to 0.2 cal/cm2sec radiant heat, predict burns mainly from transmitted thermal energy. For these conditions, the SET functions essentially as a Radiant Protective Performance (RPP) test for moist samples with attached trim or reinforcements. For 1.0 minute radiant heat exposure followed by contact compression, SET performance is more noticeably influenced by thermal energy discharged from the heated turnout materials. Both phenomena could contribute to the burn hazard, depending on the specifics of the heat exposure and other conditions of use. In both scenarios, the presence of non-porous reflective trim or non porous reinforcements reduces test performance when these materials are attached to the outer surface of a turnout composites consisting of a thermal liner, outer shell and a breathable moisture barrier.

This study and others have led to the upcoming changes in the 2012 edition of the NFPA 1971 standard. In its first rendition, the new stored energy requirement will only apply to the garment sleeves. The imposed criteria requires manufacturers to make changes to how trim bands are applied and investigate alternative materials or construction methods for addressing any exterior reinforcements on coat sleeves. LION Connects provided an update on the 2012 edition in August:

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From FireRescue1.com

In fire experiments conducted in uniformly furnished, but vacant Chicago-area townhouses, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers uncovered temperature and heat-flow conditions that can seriously damage facepiece lenses on standard firefighter breathing equipment, a potential contributing factor for first-responder fatalities and injuries.

The findings are detailed in a report* from a research study sponsored by the U.S. Fire Administration and Department of Homeland Security. The work is an important step toward improving what may be the most vulnerable component of a firefighter’s protective gear in high-heat conditions: the facepiece lenses of the so-called self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA.

Failure of the lens can expose a firefighter to toxic gases and can result in burns to the respiratory tract as well as asphyxiation. In several SCBA-related deaths, degraded masks were found affixed to the faces of victims while their equipment continued to supply air.

In two of four realistic living-room fire scenarios tested by NIST, “lenses exhibited bubbling and loss of visual acuity, as well as severe deformation, and, in one case, a hole,” the NIST team says.

Read the full article on FireRescue1.com.

You can read the USFA’s report on facepiece thermal performance here.

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LION is proud to announce its support for the Rotary International World Service Project by committing to provide deeply discounted, high-quality turnout sets and to assist with transportation logistics. Rotary clubs are raising funds for the effort and assisting with press and community outreach.

In true Rotary spirit, this project has been designed to ensure that it is smart and sustainable. We hope you will join us in this exciting project to support these service men and women. You can show your support for the project and track its progress by Liking their Facebook page.

(more…)

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By Mark van der Feyst
for FireRescue1.com

Whenever we arrive at a working fire, time is running against us in terms of executing an interior attack and achieving a quick and effective knockdown of the fire.

Certain delays caused by human, mechanical or unknown error can arise, which handicap the efforts of our interior fire attack.

Some of these handicaps are attributed to our personal protective equipment malfunctioning right at the time of our operation.

A basic part of our personal protective equipment is the self contained breathing apparatus. This piece of equipment is an integral part of our personal protection as it provides for protection against heat, smoke, toxic gases and other products of combustion from entering into our respiratory system.

Knowing SCBA inside and out is vital to the survivability of the individual using it. Knowing the limitations, the mechanical operation and being able to troubleshoot problems as they arise will benefit the user and remove any handicaps.

Read the full article on FireRescue1.com.

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With research showing that 40 percent of victims involved in building collapses suffer from crush injuries, Dr. David Tan describes some important tips for treating these injuries and examines crush injuries in the USAR setting.

FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

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A comfortable boot is essential to safety on the fireground because, when your feet hurt, you can lose mobility and stamina.

The Shoe Technology Company, STC, has put together a boot fitting guide to assist you in selecting the right boot for your foot.

STC feels it is very important for people to take a few minutes to properly fit the shoes that you will spend 8 + hours a day in. When you go to the store and buy casual shoes, athletic shoes or possibly dress shoes it would be a normal thing to try on 2-3 pairs before you get the one that fits you best. Hence it only makes sense to do the same with your boots. We recommend trying on one in the size you measure on a proper footwear measuring device like a Brannock device and then trying the ½ size up or down or either way on width to really get the best fit possible. A couple of things to consider are that if the boots are not comfortable when you try them on you should not count on them becoming more comfortable with wear in order to make them bearable. You also should be looking for a fit that does not have your heel lifting up and down whilst walking. If your heel is lifting, the footwear will prematurely wear out and also cause you discomfort. It is better to try your boots on later in the day as your feet tend to swell over the course of the day. This will help you select footwear that is not too snug. Try your boots on wearing the socks you would wear whilst working and lastly a good wool sock or wool polypropylene blend will give you a lot more all day comfort then a cotton sock.

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The FDNY Center of Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness is one of the most technologically advanced organizations of its kind in the world, entrusted to keep New York City safe from any and every threat imaginable. Part of their ongoing training and planning involves the LION MT94 multi-threat CRBN garment. The Center put together an overview video to highlight its many advanced capabilities and precautions, and you can see the MT94 being discussed in the PPE section around the 4 minute mark:

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One of our favorite things here at LION is hearing from firefighters who tell us how our products have enhanced their health, performance and safety in the line of duty. Recently we’ve heard from two firefighters who wear our structural firefighting boots and have contacted us to share their feedback. Now we’d like to share their thoughts with you:

“At 0630 on September 11, a possible house fire alarm came in. I had already changed out of my uniform into my civilian clothes. I wore sandals to work the morning before….that is correct no socks. I jumped in to my LION Technical Footwear™ Marshall boots, pulled up my bunker pants and hopped on the engine.  The fire alarm was in fact a working fire. Two story residential dwelling with fire and smoke coming out the D side of the house. During this house fire, another firefighter became trapped in a burned out staircase in front of myself and a Captain.  We quickly helped the trapped firefighter out of the stairwell literally seconds before the room behind us became fully charged with smoke and flames.

Your boots with the Lock-Fit Ankle Support System™ worked very well. I would have had to worry about possible blisters on my heels from not wearing socks in my boots, but your boots protected my heels and didn’t slip at all while fighting this working fire and rescuing a fellow firefighter.

Thank you!”

– Ron Brickell, firefighter, Omaha, Nebraska

“I had the opportunity to attend the FDIC conference last year and stopped at the LION booth. I tried on numerous pair of boots, not only at the LION booth but many other vendors. I made my decision that the boots from LION were the best fit and price for me. After returning to Minot, I tossed around the thought of buying a pair of boots from LION. I made my decision, and just as I went to send the order in, I received an email notification that I had won a pair (exact same I tried on at FDIC). I have been wearing them now for about 6 months and I love them, they are the best boot I have ever worn. My fire department has purchased Black Diamond, I wore a pair of them for a while and I honestly would go barefoot before I would wear them again. Thank you LION for all of your hard work in making such great boots!!!

Keep up the good work!”

– Ken Sisk, firefighter, Minot, ND

How about you? Do you love your LION Janesville® turnout gear or LION Paul Conway Helmet®? Have you worn our LION Technical Footwear® boots or our new LION Protective Gloves®? If so, let us know what you like about our products. You can always post your pics and feedback on our Facebook wall, or you can e-mail us directly. We’d love to share your stories and photos next.

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LION announces the CLOSEOUT of all wildlands products. All Nomex® and Advance® wildlands shirts, coveralls and cargo pants are now available to the fire service at factory direct closeout pricing. All garments are in-stock and ready to ship making now the best time ever to take advantage of these products priced well below wholesale.

Check out our webpage for detailed product information including pricing and sizing.

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