Fire suits, which are sometimes known as ‘bunker gear’ and ‘turnout gear’, consist of several protective layers of heat-resistant synthetic materials called aramids. These suits must not only protect the wearer from obvious extreme heat and burns, but they must also allow air transfer (to let cool air into the suit and expel body-heated air away), as well as preventing moisture buildup inside the gear itself. There are three main layers to a fire suit: the outer shell, the moisture barrier and, lastly, the thermal layer.
The silver-coloured outer shell seen in these images here must be tough enough to withstand splashes of molten metal, yet flexible enough to enable the wearer to remain mobile. This layer is often a combination of carefully woven fibres made of a fire-resistant variant of Kevlar called NOMEX. A tight weave ensures that the material resists ripping during often strenuous firefighting activity. It also offers a degree of moisture deflection.
A firefighter is a worker, whose main job is to respond to emergencies in many different locations with a view to saving life, performing rescue, and minimizing damage to property. Preparation for responding and prevention are also important aspects of this work. The role of protective clothing and other personal protective equipment (PPE) is fundamental for firefighters’ safety when they are balancing the need for life and property with protection in dynamic and increasingly diverse alarm situations. Firefighters responding to a fire call may now find that they are also exposed to chemical and biological toxins. In addition to the need for different levels of heat and fire protection, this means more complex requirements for protective clothing and other personal protective equipment. In basic firefighting operations, the clothing should protect the user against possible flame impingement, high air temperatures, radiant heat and accidental contact with chemicals, while also providing water resistance or repellency and some level of mechanical protection. At the same time, it should allow the user to carry out his/her duties without undue stress being caused by clothing and other personal protective equipment. The traditional protective clothing for structural firefighting has been designed to provide protection from fire and heat, but not necessarily from all the new challenges originating in today’s rescue situations.
This chapter focuses on the needs for heat and fire protection of protective clothing used for different tasks undertaken by firefighters concerning materials used for protection, levels of performance defined in standards as well as test methods used to show compliance. Future trends and needs for development are discussed, and the chapter will provide some examples of current developments in the field.