In the basic courses for wildland fire, S-130 and S-190, we’re taught that some of the best PPE materials are natural materials: cotton, leather, wool, etc. In some areas of the country, firefighters have taken this message to heart–they fight fire in blue jeans, cotton T-shirts and work boots. But is this safe? Is this recommended?
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has spent countless hours and dollars ensuring that structural firefighters wear high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) available from specific manufacturers that can demonstrate the safety of their process. So why then do we continue to fight wildland and wildland/urban interface (WUI) fires with PPE that we can buy at J.C. Penney or Sears?
NFPA 1977 Up Close
To really understand the risks and answers to those questions, we must examine NFPA 1977: Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting, which lists the minimum-required PPE as:
- Protective garments (shirt, pants)
- Helmet
- Gloves
- Footwear
- Goggles
- Chainsaw protectors
- Load-carrying equipment
The standard doesn’t stop there; it spends another 60 pages (of small print) detailing specifications for certification, labeling, performance requirements and testing methods.
Certification
Chapter 4 of NFPA 1977 requires that manufacturers of wildland firefighting equipment are certified by an external organization, such as Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL). And all manufacturers must be able to show that they’ve tested their products to specific performance standards set by the NFPA.
The manufacturer’s testing environment must include a sampling and quality-assurance program that ensures products undergo rigorous inspections, including an annual inspection, before they’re issued a recertification. The manufacturer must also have a system in place to investigate complaints, returns, product recalls and overall reports of hazards involving a delivered product.
Labeling
Chapter 5 of NFPA 1977 gives detailed information about labels, which must be sewn into garments or attached to protective equipment, and they must include the manufacturer’s name and address, lot numbers for the product, size, month/year of manufacture, materials and cleaning precautions.
Additionally, each individual piece of required PPE has a label that states, “This Wildland Fire Fighting Protective Equipment meets the requirements of NFPA 1977, Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting, 2011 Edition. DO NOT REMOVE THIS LABEL.”
It sounds like a lot of information, but there’s a reason for it: to ensure your safety.
Performance Requirements
Chapter 7 gets into the nuts and bolts of the required testing for PPE. For example, garments must be tested for radiant protective performance (RPP) and shall have an average RPP no less than seven. This is a complicated test, which is detailed in another section of the standard.
Additionally, garments are exposed to a Heat and Thermal Shrinkage Resistance Test “and shall not shrink more than 10% in any direction” according to the standard. Another example: Footwear must be tested for resistance to punctures and cuts. And all sewing thread used on chainsaw protectors, gloves, garments or load-carrying devices “shall not ignite, melt or char.”
In short, every component of required wildland PPE has different performance requirements and testing methods to ensure their quality. (This, of course, is one of the reasons the standard is 74 pages in length.)
You Get What You Pay For
When I first started fighting wildland fires, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) gave us all the equipment we needed to carry out our assignment on a Type 2 crew, but they met only the minimum standards and certainly weren’t made for comfort. So after my first fire and extended assignment, I was determined to get my own gear. Buying a line pack was the first purchase I needed to make, and it made a world of difference; however, because of my limited income, it took me a while to purchase all that I needed.
Not much has changed in terms of PPE expenses since my first fire; it can still be rather costly to purchase quality protection. But it’s important to understand why. The NFPA was established to help maintain firefighter and civilian safety. NFPA standards, OSHA codes, workers’ compensation laws, unemployment taxes, unions and wage laws are all reasons why products in the United States cost more to produce, manufacture and sell. That is not a bad thing. Quality PPE may cost more, but without standards and laws, our safety and health are compromised. Blue jeans aren’t required to adhere to any safety standards because they’re not intended for wear during WUI/wildland fires. Blue jeans can also be manufactured anywhere in the world and shipped to the United States. Wildland fire PPE that adheres to NFPA 1977 is guaranteed by standards set in the United States. So in order to be a true piece of wildland fire PPE, garments must meet these requirements–and we should appreciate the protection that these standards afford us.
To further demonstrate the importance of PPE standards, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started testing the next generation of PPE for wildland fire garments in October 2012. These prototype garments will be tested in the field by WUI/wildland firefighters in partnership with the National Protection Center at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) developed criteria for gear to improve the NFPA 1977 standard while the DHS designed the garments to address a wildland firefighter’s range of motion. The new gear will include wicking materials, socks, shirts, uniform pants and over-pants, which could revolutionize WUI/wildland firefighting–increasing firefighter flexibility while decreasing their discomfort could drastically improve productivity levels. These changes to garment specifications could also lead to increased costs, but again, it would mean increased firefighter safety.
Where to Shop
Shopping for PPE (WUI/wildland or other) can be confusing. There are manufacturers that specifically cater to WUI/wildland firefighters, including Thielsen (line packs), Obenhauf’s (boot leather protectant) and XCaper (respiratory protection). However, there are very few wildland-only suppliers/distributors because the market is extremely small compared to emergency services in general. The Supply Cache, based out of Fort Collins, Colo., started out as strictly wildland fire gear, but has recently branched out into other types of specialty emergency services.
TheFireStore.com seems to have everything related to structural and wildland firefighting (and more); however, it really all comes down to what a firefighter wants and needs, and the ease with which firefighters can shop and compare prices online.
What to Buy
Perhaps the real issue is determining what PPE to purchase. In 2011, I wrote an article for FireRescue entitled “Take it Outside: The PPE every structural department needs to fight a WUI/wildland fire” (www.firefighternation.com/article/wildland/wildland-ppe-considerations-structural-departments). This article detailed the PPE that fire departments should include in their wildland firefighting arsenal–shirt, pants, helmet, gloves, boots, face/neck shroud, eye protection, fire shelter–and the list hasn’t changed. The differences lie in which kind of garments you purchase–bringing us back to the issue of quality PPE.
The basic cost to outfit a wildland firefighter with quality PPE is approximately $1,000, but if money is an issue, cost-saving alternatives are available. But if you go the cheaper route, you might be betting your life on the difference between quality PPE and something that’s “good enough.” Your choices in PPE should be based on your personal safety–not how much money you can save. Even if it takes time to save up the money to purchase quality PPE, it’s worth the effort. You just need to start planning.
PPE Funding
Every year, the state of Tennessee offers a 50% matching grant for volunteer fire departments. These grants are available for application once a year and are a maximum of $6,000 (the department matches $3,000). In 2011, the training officer for the Seymour (Tenn.) Volunteer Fire Department obtained this grant so he could outfit his firefighters with blue wildland pants that were NFPA 1977- and 1975-compliant, which means they’re approved for wildland firefighting and as station wear.
The key to any wildland fire program is planning. If your budget is only $6,000 per year, determine which PPE item you need and can afford, and purchase it. Then wait until the next year to purchase another piece of equipment. Do some research online to identify the grants available that can prepare your department as a whole or in part.
It’s All about Safety
Standards are set for a reason. Although some may blame manufacturers for why PPE standards are set so high, while others may believe that manufacturers drive the standards for profit, keep in mind that safety is the main component behind the certification, the performance requirements and the testing methods.
There was a time when firefighters regularly rushed into a structure fire with hip boots and no SCBA; now, no one will argue the benefits of an SCBA with a set of quality turnout gear. Times are changing with wildland fire as well. Put away the blue jeans and T-shirts, start conversations with your wildland fire gear representatives and plan for the future needs of your firefighters. Their needs start with safety and that starts with quality PPE.
Sidebar: WUI/Wildland PPE Suppliers
The following is a list of just some of the available WUI/wildland PPE suppliers.
General wildland suppliers
- www.wildlandwarehouse.com
- www.firecache.com
- www.cascadefire.com
- www.gsa.gov (Note: your agency will need to set up a contract with this supplier)
General forestry suppliers
General firefighting equipment
