Lets talk about what you're wearing while you are carrying out fire fighting/protection. Within reason, the higher quality PPE you can afford the better. Having a good set of PPE can make the fire fighting/protecting more comfortable. Remember you need PPE for everyone who is not leaving early. Even if your plan is to leave early, it's worth discussing what might happen if you get stuck in a situation where it's too late to leave. Items to think about include:
- Clothes you are wearing – make sure shirts are long sleeve and made of cotton. Pants should also be a cotton based work pant or jeans.
- Jacket and pants - ideally something fire rated. It is good if these can go straight over your long sleeve shirt and pants.
- Boots – should have a high temp rubber sole, should be made from a good quality leather and offer good ankle support.
- Hat/helmet - for those not used to wearing something like a fire fighters helmet this can seem odd. Wearing a light weight fire helmet with a face visor can make all the difference, especially once the fire front has been through and you are actively knocking down hot spots.
- Gloves - fire rated gloves are available for purchase (see instore) however any good quality leather rigger's glove can provide protection for your hands and fingers. A good comfortable fit for dexterity and comfort for long wear are a must. A soft elastic fit at the cuff/top of the glove is helpful to prevent embers and debris entering your glove.
- Eyes – a good quality sealed goggle is a must (see instore). It only takes a small amount of smoke to stop you from being able to see, be very uncomfortable as well as painful. This is a must!
- Respiration – a good quality P2 mask (see instore) will help you breathe while being in the smoke. Some have active carbon filtering as well which can help reduce the smell of the smoke and anything that is burning. I also prefer masks that have a valve for exhaling – this can help prevent your goggles from fogging up. We also have a handy little product to prevent goggles fogging up in store.
- Other PPE – items such as neck coolers (see instore) can assist by preventing you from over heating by helping keep your core body temperature cool while you are working.
- Items such as first aid kits will be covered in their own blog.
