Industrial drying cabinet provides efficient, non-rotational heat for turnout gear, boots, gloves and hoses; conforms to NFPA 1851
Say goodbye to slipping into soggy, miserable, weighted down turnout gear.
Staber Industries, Inc., of Groveport, OH, announces its new Industrial Drying Cabinet, specifically designed for firefighters. The Drying Cabinet, which conforms to NFPA 1851 standards, safely and quickly dries turnout gear such as coats, pants, hoods, gloves and hoses that are easily degraded through tumble-drying. Considered a necessity by many fire departments, Staber’s Drying Cabinet is available for about $2,000 less than any competitive product.
“The Staber Drying Cabinet was extremely simple to use,” said David Bailey, Battalion Chief at the Malta-McConnelsville, Ohio Fire Department, “After a recent night fire, I just put in 100 feet of fully saturated hose, looked on the faceplate, dialed the temperature in at 150 degrees, set the timer for two hours, and ran it. I stayed up to see how it would work. When it was done, it gave an audible signal. Everything worked great.”
For decades many firefighters have had to air dry their turnout gear by hanging it on a peg or hanger or have tried to accelerate the process by placing it near heaters or out in the sun. Occasionally, they have used a standard firehouse tumble dryer for several minutes.
Unfortunately, while air-drying is extremely slow, other methods degrade the material and are contrary to NFPA 1851 for the Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Structural Firefighting Personal Protective Equipment.
“Previously, the way we’d dry coats is by hoping we have a sunny day,” said Bailey. “We’d basically expose it to the elements and hope for the best. But the Dryer Cabinet has a controlled atmosphere, and that’s good for our turnout gear since there are no ultraviolet rays.”
Following NFPA standards is also an important economical consideration. Replacement costs for turnout gear can easily run into the thousands of dollars.
“The boots I’m wearing cost about $300,” said Bailey. “All told, for a full set of turnout gear it can be $1,800 to $2,000. In fact, my gear is only three years old and it’s already beginning to show some wear and tear.”
Hoses, too, are expensive commodities. Bailey says the cabinet is much preferred over “stringing them out, hanging and looping them over racks to dry for a day and a half.” He also appreciates being able to get the hoses back in use after just a couple of hours. Made of powder coated, heavy-duty steel construction, the American-made Staber Drying Cabinet doesn’t just “hang dry” gear, it dries gear from the inside and outside at the same time, in about an hour. Drying times can be selected in fifteen-minute increments – up to ten hours – with five selectable temperatures, including air dry.
Using an energy efficient 6-kilowatt heating element, the Drying Cabinet operates on a standard 240-volt single-phase 30-amp service. The lower energy use puts operational costs at about half of competitive, but more complex, harder-to-learn units.
The Staber Drying Cabinet features multiple, accessory options, including suit hangers, glove hangers, boot hangers, hose shelving, and small item hooks. The cabinet also includes a lockable slam latch and built-in floor drain to remove water drip-off.
“Every fire department would like to own this type of product,” says John Finley, Battalion Chief and President of Ohio-based Finley Fire Equipment. “The Staber Drying Cabinet works very well, and is a very economical choice over the long term.”
In addition to its Industrial Dryer Cabinet, Staber Industries also manufactures a high-efficiency, top loading yet horizontal axis washer that is ideal for fire departments. Unlike regular agitator machines that can shred turnout gear, the horizontal axis washer is completely safe, and washes turnout gear and towels using less water, less energy and less detergent than agitator washers.
For more information about Staber Industries and its industrial products, please contact 614-836-5995 or sales@staber.com, or visit www.staberindustries.com/drying_cabinet.htm.