| Editor’s note: Check out the second part of Choosing Where to Clean Turnout Clothing, which focuses on independent service providers. |
The fire service has come a long way in its care and maintenance of protective clothing. It was not too long ago that dirty, soot-encrusted clothing was perceived as a “badge of honor” indicating firefighters who actually fought fires. Of course, now that firefighters are being protected with full turnout gear offering higher levels of design and performance technology, it is only natural that departments seek to extend the service life as much as possible.
Providing proper care not only makes the equipment last longer, it is considerably more safe for the wearer in removing harmful substances that firefighters can be continually exposed to each time they wear their gear. Yet, the provision of care and maintenance for turnout clothing is not a trivial task. If a department chooses to undertake this responsibility on their own as part of an in-house capability, it will take resources and time. On the other hand, departments can also have their clothing cleaned, inspected and repaired by independent service providers (ISPs). Making a decision depends on several factors. This article covers considerations for providing in-house care. A follow-on article will cover considerations for using an ISP.
NFPA 1851 Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural and Proximity Fire Fighting establishes minimum requirements for the selection, care and maintenance of firefighter protective clothing and provides specific criteria for inspection, cleaning and repair.. However, NFPA 1851 does not define exact procedures that can be used simply by reading the standard. While the annex of the standard offers a lot of useful guidance, fire departments often have to go to specialists in the industry to get the type of detailed information necessary to decide whether they can set up an internal care and maintenance program or if they need to go to an outside, independent service provider.
It is important to realize that taking care of turnout clothing is a lot more than washing it in a machine. A considerable amount of space and specialized equipment is needed if a department is considering setting up its own internal facility. Conventional home-style laundry machines are generally not appropriate for washing and drying gear.
Front-loading machines
The selected machine must have certain features that will not cause damage to turnout clothing; incorrect washing of turnout clothing can dramatically reduce the life of the equipment. This is why front-loading machines are preferred to top-loading versions since the front loaders do not have an agitator. However, departments must also beware of industrial machines that use high levels of acceleration in extracting the water during a spin cycle. Extraction removes the water from the relatively heavy materials, but excessive acceleration creates wear on clothing and attempts to force water through the moisture barrier layers or seams, potentially damaging this part of the clothing system. Likewise, better machines have programmable formulas (the steps of washing, rinsing, and extraction) that make up the wash cycle. This feature further allows the selection of water temperature, water level, and step duration.
As larger machines are needed for the fire service, usually sized from 35 to 100 pound capacities, and given the volume of water that is needed, fire departments have to consider placing machines at facilities that can accommodate the hot water needs and allow for rapid drainage of a relatively large volume removed from the machine following rinse and extraction steps of the wash process. Moreover, departments must be cognizant of local restrictions for disposal of wash water, which in some areas may be subject to certain regulations for disposal, instead of direct dumping into the local sewer system.
In addition to the decision on the type of machine, the choice of detergent and other cleaning agents is critical. Unfortunately, the fire service has sometimes been at the mercy of chemical detergent suppliers, who understand the institutional laundry business (washing of sheets, napkins and towels) but not the fire service. Most institutional detergents are harmful to turnout clothing because they can damage certain components.
NFPA 1851 restricts the pH levels of detergents to between 6.0 and 10.5. However, there are other considerations. In general, milder detergents should be used and other than some spot treatments or presoaking agents, departments can rely on a single detergent as opposed to a system that consists of three or more detergents used in the course of the wash process.
While it may be possible to dry turnout clothing in drying machines, this is not the preferred approach. Tumbling of clothing in a dryer causes additional wear to the clothing and can damage components like trim. Regardless, the stack (exhaust air) temperature of dryers must be kept below 105 F, as dictated by NFPA 1851. A better method is to hang clothing in a drying room, out of direct light, where there is forced ventilation. If the air is also heated, then drying times can be improved.
Adequate preparation
Fire departments cannot overlook the need for adequate preparation and handling of garments for cleaning. The liner systems must be separated from the outer shells to ensure proper cleaning of the more soiled outer shells and the more vulnerable lining. Not only does the separation of the coat shell and lining result in the prevention of cross contamination, it keeps hardware on the shell from damaging the lining if washed together. In addition, it is imperative that all closures be fastened and that hook-and-loop tape always be secured before washing.
This level of preparation not only requires manpower, but requires space to separate the clothing and to keep cleaned clothing segregated from dirty clothing. Other functions such as inspection further require adequate space and equipment — ideally clothing should be inspected on large, clean surfaces. NFPA 1851 requires that part of the inspection process routinely involve testing of the liner. At three years into the life of the garment, the new edition of NFPA 1851 requires that garments be hydrostatically tested using a special test device at specific locations on the garment.
In addition to inspection and cleaning, departments must consider if they are willing to conduct basic repairs. NFPA 1851 limits repairs to certain parts of the garment and the extent of repair that can be done. Some of these repairs include patching certain sized holes in outer shell materials and reattaching trim or hardware.
More rigorous repairs must be made by facilities that have been “verified” through a process that involves an outside certification facility or must be performed by the manufacturer. If a department is willing to take on repairs, it must consider the need for repair equipment –- sewing machines, the appropriate supplies to handle the materials used in the manufacture of the clothing (such as using the correct flame resistant fiber thread) and proper training of operators.
While this article has given some basic information about setting a cleaning facility in-house, it is by no means an exhaustive list of considerations that must be made. Departments should carefully examine the requirements placed on care and maintenance as defined in NFPA 1851 and speak with other departments about their experiences with managing this process.
In addition, departments that do conduct advanced cleaning and inspection of firefighter protective clothing must seek training from the clothing manufacturer to be adequately qualified to perform these services and not void the warranty provided with the gear. It must be recognized that in- house inspection, cleaning and repair of turnout clothing requires a large commitment by a department, but one that is very doable if properly planned and executed.
In the next article, a discussion of factors for considering independent service providers will be provided to allow a comparison of the different approaches a department can take toward care and maintenance of their turnout clothing.
