Structural firefighting turnout gear has its place in the fire service, without a doubt, but it’s not the best protection for most rescue work and it certainly doesn’t belong in the back country on the scene of a wildland fire.

Most fire departments in the United States can’t afford to have multiple sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) available for each first responder for every situation.

Climate change has sparked more, and larger, wildland fires. Firefighters are also increasingly aware of health risks from exposure to bloodborne pathogens they might encounter on a vehicle extrication or emergency rescue operation.

Viking Life-Saving Equipment recognized the issues and developed a solution – one set of gear for multiple purposes called the VIKING Shield.

The fit-for-purpose modular gear is the only PPE certified by Underwriters’ Laboratories to be compliant with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1977, 1951 and 1999 standards, with optional full bloodborne pathogen protection, for wildland, technical rescue and emergency medical operations, respectively.

MODULAR SYSTEM

Grant Grinstead, Viking’s Fire Segment Sales Manager for North America, explained that the VIKING Shield modular system employs a Gore® SR moisture barrier liner that snaps into the Shield gear with push buttons to provide the user with protection from water ingress, bloodborne pathogens and many chemicals.

“The VIKING Shield is unique in design in the fact that it is a modular system which means that you can have it staged at all times on your apparatus or in your garment locker with the Gore® SR liner in it for vehicle extrications and emergency medical operations which require a little faster response, and if you get toned out for a wildland-type situation, you just snap out the SR liner and it turns into a fully compliant NFPA 1977 wildland garment,” Grinstead said. “So, you basically have three uses for this garment if you purchase it with that component.”

The key to the VIKING Shield is the Gore® SR moisture barrier. Grinstead explained it is very much like the barrier used in structural turnout gear. It’s a lightweight film laminated to a substrate to make the barrier more durable and tear resistant.

“It’s about the thickness of two sheets of printer paper,” Grinstead said. “It’s smooth and very comfortable on your skin.” He added that it is held in place as a liner with waterproof press buttons making is very easy to snap apart and remove and replace as needed. In place, it is fully compliant for rescue and emergency medical operations. Removed, it reduces the vapor barrier and associated with it, making it compliant for wildland firefighting.

The beauty of the system is the Gore® SR barrier provides the protection from bloodborne pathogens and many chemicals that might be encountered during rescues but can be removed to meet the Total Heat Loss (THL) requirements for use in wildland firefighting, Grinstead said.

“In an extended technical rescue, or wildland fire, or a confined space rescue, you could take the liner out because you are not expecting to see the exposure to the bloodborne pathogens so you could wear the gear for a much longer period of time,” Grinstead said. “… The SR barrier is for protection for vehicle extrication, emergency medical operations and high-risk evolutions.”

The outer shell of the VIKING Shield gear is made from a Safety Component’s Sigma with a comfort twill weave and unique blend of fibers to provide all the flame spread and fire resistance required for NFPA standards for compliance.