Keep your kit on
Published: 01 April, 2006
In the last decade the increased incidence and severity of wildland fires has been noted by the international firefighting community.
As recognition has spread, so has the debate about the need for appropriate protection for those who have to deal with these fires, firefighters who are often volunteers and are called upon to spend long periods of time carrying out high levels of physical exercise in hazardous environments.
The underlying causes of the increase in wildland fires vary depending on the countries involved, but some are shared by both developing and developed countries. Some are straightforward, others more complicated. Climate change certainly has a part to play, with rising global temperatures contributing to periods of extreme drought in some areas. The migration of populations to cities has caused problems of land management, including the management of natural fuels. In fact, socioeconomic change and development, in Mediterranean countries alone, has caused a dramatic increase in the average annual area burned by wildfires since the 1970s.
Yet it is only relatively recently that the need for specific wildland PPE has been recognised internationally, with the publication in 2003 of an ISO standard (ISO 15384). Prior to this there was the US standard, NFPA 1977, published in 1993, but even with this standard in existence, its acceptance by brigades as a necessary piece of fire kit is still in its infancy. Trends suggest this is changing.
So what are the issues? Here are some excerpts from a US internet chat room back in 2001, where firefighters were discussing the use of turnout gear for fighting wildland fires. It may be a few years out of date, but it picks up many points that are still valid.
‘Several of us have invested in wildland gear so we can last longer fighting the fire and not get heat stroke, however, those in management ignore our inquiries into purchasing wildland gear for the county firefighters.’
‘Over the past few years we have seen an increase in the number of grass (brush) fires and an increase in the injuries. I have purchased my own wildland PPE and have become the “department experiment”.’
‘A trick we use is to take the liner out of structural PPE.’
‘If I’ve got jeans and work boots on, then I’ll just use that, and everyone else pretty much does the same.’ ‘We only use our bunker pants and helmets, no coats.’ ‘Our chief says that he doesn’t want wildland suits because what if the grass fire hits a structure then what are you going to do.’
More shocking perhaps is that these types of problems were so widespread at a time when the dangers of wildland firefighting and the importance of PPE were well known. Three years earlier had seen the publication of a report on wildland fire fatalities in the USA 1990-1998. It pointed out that 133 wildland fatalities occurred in this period, with the top three causes of death being burnout, aircraft incidents, and heart attacks. ‘The lack of PPE, or the failure to use it correctly, has been a direct factor in many of the 39 burnover fatalities.’ The report concluded that ‘an alarming trend of heat stress injuries and fatalities on wildfires is developing.’ It then warned against using double layering of either Nomex or a Nomex/ cotton combination to increase protection from radiant heat. In Australia, the report pointed out, project Aquarius had ascertained that PPE should be redesigned to let heat out, not keep heat out.
But things are changing. Fabrics and ensembles that are especially designed for the purpose of fighting wildland fires are now becoming more readily available. These garments tend to be made from the same flame retardant fibres as those used in the outer fabrics of turnout gear – Nomex, PBI, Kermel, to name but a few – for obvious reasons. Good kits should also have a high mechanical/tensile strength properties, and be resistant to puncture. Pioner Fristads, the Scandinavian workwear company, has launched a wildland suit (both as a coverall and two-piece) available from stock, in the UK, and hopes to make it available Europe-wide at a later date. The fabric is Nomex Comfort, which Colin Clark of Pioner Fristads says meets the criteria for wildland firefighting because it is comfortable, durable (through its Rip Stop feature), inherently FR, and has a fluorocarbon surface treatment to help resist oil and water. ‘In areas of high risk the inherent option is the preferred option because the FR properties are guaranteed to remain after regular laundering.’ According to Colin, the garments have been extremely well received since prototypes were first developed for individual brigades in September 2003. ‘Over the last three years we have made a number of prototypes in consultation with both UK fire brigades and Dupont Personal Protection – this process involved detailed wearer trials – before arriving at the current design.’
Grampian Fire and Rescue, Scotland, has been using a single-layer PBI twill coverall since 2001, to fight fires in an area measuring 8,700 sq km – 8,500 of which is rural. Such kit is regarded as vital, because in many cases it is not possible to drive to the fire, and firefighters are dropped off and then have to walk for two miles – and that’s before they have carried out any operational work. Something that is lightweight, inherently fire retardant, comfortable, and loose fitting enough so that air can circulate freely and cool the wearer down, is seen as a must. There may also be cost advantages to having a separate kit for wildland fires. UK company Cosalt:Ballyclare supplied Grampian’s wildland kit, and has also won similar contracts with both Northern Ireland and Isle of Man Fire and Rescue. ‘We chose PBI for several reasons,’ says UK Sales Director – Fire, Ian Callaghan, ‘but mainly because it’s a lightweight fabric that gives superior protection against direct flame. Some brigades think that issuing two sets of kit is more expensive, but in the long run you save money as then there is less chance of damaging structural kit.’ An inherently flame retardant aramid fibre used extensively in wildland fire kit in southern Europe is made by French company Kermel. ‘At the moment we have five different fabrics meeting the performance requirements of ISO 15384: 2003, according to national preferences; for example in Spain we have the V50, a 50/50 kermel/viscose blend,’ explains Trevor Inglis from Kermel. A distinct advantage of Kermel fibre, adds Trevor, is that as well as being inherently FR, it also has inherent colour fastness so it doesn’t fade after repeated washes or from exposure to UV. Fighting a forest fire in structural firefighting kit, says Trevor, is not recommended. ‘The standard bunker tunic consists of three or four layers, and the wearer is not expected to be fighting the fire for a full day. In a wildland situation, you are also not necessarily fighting the flames; you are stopping flame spread; you are trying to manage the fire. When fighting a forest fire with bunker gear the core temperature of the wearer goes dangerously high.’ With the dangers of heat stress being so well known, the incidences of wildland fires expected to increase, and a host of fit-for-purpose products entering the marketplace, are there any excuses left for not protecting the firefighters who put their lives at risk on the front line?
