By Jeffrey O. and Grace G. Stull
As the old adage goes, a chain is only as good as its weakest link. This is also the case for firefighter protective clothing and equipment, where different items must fit together and permit consistent overall protection to the firefighter during emergency operations. The failure of any one item of clothing or equipment can put the firefighter in jeopardy of injury or death.
These items, which as a minimum include coat and pants, helmet, hood, gloves, footwear, SCBA, and PASS, make up the specific ensemble that firefighters must wear to provide protection against a variety of hazards. The fact that most of these items are purchased separately and have their own separate design and performance criteria puts the task of integration on the individual fire departments and end users who make specific item selections. With a few possible exceptions, there are no "systems" that an organization can acquire. Fire departments and firefighters must carefully consider each item as part of an overall ensemble to ensure complete and reliable protection.
PPE integration is a factor that is often overlooked in the selection process for firefighter PPE. Integration means choosing items in such a way as to ensure that each item works together with the others and does not compromise the protection provided to the firefighter. Integration further has to account for creating an ensemble that minimizes stress on the individual and does not limit the movement or functionality of firefighters. Consequently, integration has to be assessed dynamically, by observing how clothing and equipment fit on the individual firefighter during the types of tasks and operations where the ensemble will be used.
Ensemble integration also looks at the junctures where different items come together. These junctures are referred to as interface areas and are important because items must overlap to provide protection and not interfere with one another. Key interface areas of the firefighting protective ensemble include:
- Coat collar to hood
- Hood to helmet
- Hood to SCBA facepiece
- Glove to coat sleeve
- Footwear to pants cuff
- Coat to pants overlap
Standards for firefighter protective clothing only partly deal with interface issues. For example, NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural and Proximity Fire Fighting, specifies protective hoods and wristlets as interface devices. Hoods serve to join the helmet, SCBA facepiece, and coat area of the ensemble. NFPA 1971 specifies certain requirements for how the hood covers the neck and head region of the body, but given the fact that several items are overlapping in this area (such as helmet ear covers and coat collar), lower levels of insulation are permitted.
Similarly, wristlets as part of coat sleeves are prescribed as an interface device for joining gloves and coat. Requirements for the coat indicate that the lining must extend to within one inch of the coat sleeve end. Gloves must extend at least two inches past the wearer’s wrist crease (where the hand joins the arm). Likewise, there are similar requirements for the minimum height of firefighter boots and the extension of the lining at the bottom cuff of the pants. These requirements are an attempt to set design criteria that specify how clothing items overlap, but in reality overlap must be assessed on the individual in the way that the protective ensemble is to be worn.
NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, specifies the only true interface evaluation for firefighting program ensembles. Part of the requirements for selecting structural firefighting protective coat and trousers specifies at least a 2 inch overlap of all layers. The minimum overlap is determined by measuring the garments on the wearer, without SCBA, in two different positions:
(1) Position A – standing, hands together reaching overhead as high as possible
(2) Position B – standing, hands together reaching overhead, with body bent forward at a 90-degree angle, to the side (either left or right), and to the back
These orientations are used to ensure there is no gaping of the total thermal protection when the protective garments are worn. But this is the only interface area that is addressed in any standard by evaluating the clothing on the individual firefighter. No other criteria are provided to help departments determine what is suitable in terms of overlap or the quality of the interface area.
Other assessments are needed to help with the evaluation and appropriate selection and integration of clothing. The first step is to properly fitting firefighters with clothing and equipment that feels comfortable, but at the same time does not constrain or restrict movement or motion. The process of fitting is important as there are features of clothing that affect how clothing and other items fit or can be adjusted for the individual firefighter.
Clothing items such as coats and pants, must be offered in a large number of sizes but many fire departments choose to have their firefighters individually fitted by the manufacturer and the clothing custom made for that individual. The latter process is the most effective way of ensuring proper fit but is not always available for each department as some organizations choose to buy in stock clothing in common sizes. Beyond clothing, footwear is the next item that is specified in a relatively large number of sizes. Footwear must be offered by manufacturers in a large range of unique sizes for both men and women, including half sizes, and at least three widths. Gloves must be offered in a total of 7 sizes, but some manufacturers may offer additional sizes. Hoods are generally offered in one to three sizes. Helmets are adjustable through the suspension system.
The second part of the assessment is to have the firefighter wear the selected, fitted clothing items in simulate fire ground and other emergency response activity. Fire departments employ different training procedures that are ideal in evaluating this aspect of integration. Exercises such as the mask confidence course, fitness assessments, and simulated fire ground operations will include a span of physical motions that allow individual firefighters to determine how well they can function in their clothing. When observed by trained individuals, deficiencies in clothing and equipment interface areas can be readily identified and adjustments can be made with respect to selection or sizing of specific items. These types of evaluations together with field tests should be a mandatory part of any selection process.
Integration must also account for other features. For example, if a department has specific tools or equipment (such as a radio), firefighters must be able to access and use the equipment without interference from the ensemble. The use of specialized equipment and tools should be included in any fire department assessment process.
Firefighters should continually be on the look out for interface and integration problems. Moreover, the clothing and equipment should always be used in a manner that does not defeat the integration of items in the ensemble. For example, many firefighters have received burns to their necks and faces because helmet ear covers have not been deployed or collars are not in a raised position during structural firefighting.
The protective features of the clothing must be properly used to afford the intended integration. Yet, protective clothing and equipment is an organizational responsibility that combines proper fitting of items with simulated use. This process allows departments to see how PPE items provide complete coverage of the firefighter and minimize hindrances in response and movement, making sure that there are no weak links in the firefighter’s protective ensemble.
