By Chris Sheppard

A lot has changed in the nearly 15 years that I’ve been involved in the fire and rescue industry. From post 9/11 influxes of grant money to recession-driven station closures, the one constant has always been the advancement of firefighter safety. Modern personal protective equipment (PPE) features lighter, high-tech fabrics designed to shield better, yet allow for maximum movement and durability. There are also new safety and health protocols that require the gear to be washed after a run to remove possible contaminants and carcinogens. Obviously, today’s PPE represents a quantum leap in personal protection for the firefighter, but also presents a multitude of new care and storage issues for station designers.

The first things you need to do when retrofitting your PPE care and storage system is to develop a list of the upgrades that you feel are necessary, and of course, the budget figure that you’ll need to acquire them. Since this is not an article about obtaining grants, I’ll leave the funding to experts in that field and focus on the cleaning, storage, and access of your gear.

Many older stations are already filled to capacity with more equipment and apparatus than they were ever intended to house. You need to look at the organization of not just the PPE, but all the surplus gear, hoses, SCBA, and tools to maximize your square footage. If you need to install a new industrial washer and dryer in a station that was built in 1950, where are you going to put them and what’s in that space right now? This equipment will also require building-code-approved electrical, gas, water, sewage, and ventilation systems, so it is recommended to hire professional licensed contractors. We wouldn’t want to be responding to an extra alarm fire at our own station, would we?

Ideally, you have a storage room right off the apparatus bay or an area in the back of the bay that can be converted into a PPE-only laundry. This will save the hassle and contamination risks of dragging soiled PPE through the living quarters. Take an inventory of everything in the room and place a level of importance on it—surplus hose, air cylinders, and backboards rate higher than Christmas lights! You want to reduce as much of the accumulated clutter as possible and prioritize the valuable gear for long term storage. There are now a great many options for specialized surplus gear storage that can get it off the floor and organized so that you can convert that coveted floor space. Choosing a modular system that was designed to stand up to the rugged demands of the Fire Service over a big box store product made for residential use will pay dividends for years to come. I know many of you are saying “Lots of our guys work in the trades, they could just build something for less money.” Maybe, but unlikely when you consider the cost of materials, labor, time, and insurance liability. 

Specifying the washing and extracting machines is not difficult, since there are many fine manufacturers marketing their equipment specifically to fire departments. A great deal depends on the capacity you need based on your station size and the number of runs you handle per year. This goes the same for drying units, which include traditional tumble dry style and newer drying cabinets. Some PPE manufacturers specify drying cabinets for their brands incorporating the latest technology materials, so it is advisable to check with your supplier before ordering a drying system. Once you have made your decisions, download the man

MSA Cairns® 1010/1044 fire helmets with new impact cap offers new features.

Features include:

• Defender® Visor provides upgrade hardware built right in for significant time and money savings. Retractable eyewear system stows neatly, cleanly, securely inside helmet.
• Soft Goods are simple to replace, remove or launder. PBI/Kevlar or blood borne pathogen materials and under chin extension are also available for earlaps.

• Helmet Shell flexes with impact to absorb energy, with lower profile than many competitive helmets.
• Unique Shell Release System (SRS) helps to ensure that impact cap stays on your head if helmet shell is dislodged. Exclusive headband interface provides easy adjustment to fit a variety of SCBA. Standard six-point configuration.

For more information, visit www.msasafety.com.

Little Giant Ladder Systems®, (www.littlegiantladders.com), the industry leader in ladder safety innovations, unveiled at the FDIC International Conference, the largest gathering of fire professionals worldwide, the patent pending Little Giant Overhaul Firefighter’s Ladder System containing features specifically engineered to address the hazards firefighters face everyday. 

Designed by firefighters for firefighters, the Overhaul™ Ladder System is introduced to combat the challenging conditions present during overhaul, the firefighting process to contain areas that could cause a fire to spread or a building to tumble once the active fire has been extinguished.

“As a former Chief of FDNY R&D, this ladder offers more versatility than anything I have ever seen,” said Robert Keys. “The Overhaul is the biggest innovation in ladder design in my 30-year firefighting career! Climbing up a straight ladder from an uneven surface without chocking or blocks is so much safer when using the Little Giant Ratchet Levelers.  It can fit in an elevator and give firefighters access to a penthouse cockloft. Just unbelievable.”

“During the overhaul process, firefighters have traditionally used long ladders that are awkward and heavy to access dangerous parts of a structure,” said Art Wing, Chairman and President of Little Giant Ladder Systems. “When minutes count, these difficult-to-maneuver ladders add unnecessarily strain and can put lives at risk. The new Overhaul Ladder System reduces fatigue because it is much lighter and easier to maneuver, allowing firefighters to reserve their strength for saving lives.”

At just 4 feet 7 inches tall when retracted, the Overhaul ladder actually extends to 17 feet, but is compact enough to carry into an elevator, up a flight of stairs, or around tight corners. The large solid aluminum carrying handle makes it easy to grip, even while wearing firefighting gloves. Its heavy-duty caster wheels enable quick and easy transport, because in firefighting, every second counts.  

“There is a deep sense of brotherhood and sisterhood that exists in the firefighting community; people’s lives depend on it,” said Captain Aaron Ernsberger of the Phoenix Fire Department.  “As safety professionals, anytime we can engage with a product that truly makes a difference it’s a big, big deal. Little Giant’s Overhaul ladder is that type of product. It’s a game changer when it comes to how we do work around the country. It solves so many problems universal to all firefighting professionals, and enables us to work faster, safer, and more effectively than ever before.”

In addition to easy transport and easy carrying, the Overhaul ladder system also features the following innovations to help firefighters be successful:

1. Ratchet Levelers – Specifically designed for easy operation while wearing heavy firefighting gloves and bunker boots, Ratchet Levelers are ideal for workin

Industrial Scientific Corporation's gas detectors are built with one goal in mind: saving a life. At one moment or another in the lifetime of each of their products, it will be called upon to alert you of a potentially life-threatening situation.

Be ready for gas hazards and more with the new Ventis Pro Series, ready for the moment when you need it most and backed by the industry’s only Guaranteed for Life™ warranty.

Raise the bar on firefighter and first responder safety with:

• Combustible and toxic gas detection (CO, HCN, LEL, H2S and O2) for fire investigations, overhaul, and hazmat operations
• Custom start-up messages, alarm action messages, and acknowledgeable gas alerts
• Man-down alarms and a dedicated panic button
• Pump options for confined space monitoring

More at http://www.indsci.com/fire/