Life jackets, personal flotation devices (PFDs) ... whatever you want to call them, they're a necessary part of an equipment list for departments that work around water.

However, a regular foam-filled PFD can add bulk and quite possibly compromise some level of safety when worn with bunker gear. The added bulk can restrict movement, not allowing a firefighter to react as quickly as possible when needed.
 
For those of us who must occasionally wear a PFD with bunker gear, we can reduce the bulk of the load by wearing an inflatable PFD. (I still recommend a regular PFD for times when we aren't in bunker gear.)

These PFDs inflate in one of two ways: 1) Automatically—when they get wet; or 2) manually—when you pull a lanyard. In our line of work, most of us would probably prefer the manual inflation. One of our guys was washing one off the other day when he got the automatic inflator wet and poof! The PFD was inflated. Once inflated, though, PFDs are easy to deflate and return to service. Periodic maintenance is also required.
 
Inflatable PFDs come in different sizes and styles; you can find them at the local Wal-Mart stores or on the Internet by searching for "Inflatable PFDs."

FireRescue Technical Editor Scott Cook welcomes reader feedback, and invites you to contribute your notes to his column on firefighter ingenuity and street wisdom. You can reach Scott by e-mail at scott.cook1@sbcglobal.net.