Polk Township Vol. Fire Dept.

The firefighter arrives on the scene. It's 2am, 15 degrees with a wind chill of 3. There's smoke and flames shooting out a window of a ranch style home.

It's cold and dark, except for the roaring flames and the flash of blue and red lights.

He's anxious, blood pressure rises and adrenaline starts to flow like a raging river.

He grabs his gear bag; unless he had the time to gear-up before he left home. The bag is unpacked in a certain order. He jumps into his bunker boots and pants, snapping the suspenders over his shoulders. Throws on his bunker coat and pulls nomex hood around the neck. Grabs his helmet, gloves and radio.

(...halfway there...)

He quickly makes his way to the fire engine as more units arrive.

(...meanwhile, the officers determine their attack strategy...)

He jerks out the waiting SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) and yanks the straps snug. Snaps the buckle. Tightens the tool belt around his waist. Puts on the mask. Pulls up the nomex hood. Puts on the helmet. Turns on the air. Puts on gloves. Grabs a flashlight.

(...almost 40lbs. of gear later, he's completely protected to start the attack...)

Teams up with another firefighter. Get their orders from an officer who barks out:

(...another crew prepares to ventilate the house...)

The 2 firefighters grab the charged hose line and enter the raging inferno.......

This is a very typical scenario. Let's take a step by step look at all the gear that the today's firefighter uses for protection!

Follow along as I gear up!

Bunker pants

The pants are custom fitted and made of very durable fire and heat proof material. An inside thermal liner allows moisture vapor to pass thru the garment while preventing the passage of liquid water. They are more lightweight and flexible, unlike the earlier neoprene pants. The pants have reinforced knee patches for crawling and are trimmed with reflective striping The suspenders (no, they're blue) have non-elastic front and elastic back straps. The non-elastic front straps reduce the 'cutting' feeling on the shoulders.

 

Boots

The Poly-rubber boots have a heavy felt lining for comfort. Steel toes, shank and midsole protect the feet. The soles are slip-resistant. Strong pull loops at the top of the boot allow you to slip them on easily. Leather boots are starting to make a comeback. They are lighter than rubber boots. They offer outstanding foot and ankle support, therefore reducing leg fatigue.

Bunker coat

The coat is also custom fitted and made of the same material as the pants. It has the thermal liner as well. They are fastened with either D-rings and snaps or a zipper with a velcro flap. It has a reinforced collar and chin strap. It can have a variety of pockets on the inside and out. The pockets are designed to hold gloves, tools and even a portable radio. It has sealed cuffs to protect the 'gap' between the sleeve and glove. It too has reflective striping around the arms, chest and waist. The department or firefighter's name is usually attached to the back, also made of reflective striping.

Nomex hood

The Nomex hood is usually a bib-style that protects the neck, ears and head. It is worn under the coat and is pulled up over the SCBA mask. It is usually made of a single layer material.

Helmet

The helmet is made of high-impact thermoplastic. It is made to withstand extreme heat exposures. It has a flip-up face shield that is treated with anti-scratch material. It provides face and eye protection but does not inhibit vision. Some helmets have a ratchet handle to quickly snug the helmet to the firefighter's comfort. The inside liner has built in flaps for ear protection. Reflective strips or trapezoids are stuck around the helmet. Reflective crescents and officer insignias are also placed on the helmet. Some firefighters put 'creative' emblems on helmets; like the American flag, Maltese cross or more obscure ones like a leprechaun or shamrock.

Gloves

Most gloves are made of leather. They protect the hands from heat and liquid or chemical burns. They also protect from cuts and scrapes. They are strong but very flexible.

SBCA

SCBA stands for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. It is an integrated air breathing system. It includes a high pressure air tank, air flow regulator, harness straps, and a face mask. Our high pressure air tanks contain 30 minutes of air supply compressed to 2265 PSI. Some departments have even higher pressure tanks that can hold up to 60 minutes of air supply. The tank is mounted on a harness. The harness has adjustable waist strap and buckle and adjustable shoulder straps. The air regulator controls the flow of air from the tank to the mask. Some regulators hang from straps and are connected to the mask with a flexible hose. Our regulators are mounted directly on the front of our face masks; which eliminates the chance of a hose getting caught on something. The face masks come in different sizes. They have adjustable straps on the top and bottom on each side. These straps allow the mask to tighten to the face and provide a 'seal' so that air stays in and smoke and heat stay out! All SCBA are equipped with a 'low air' warning system when the air tank supply is around 5 minutes. Some SCBA's have bells or whistles as a warning. Our SCBA's have a vibrating face mask regulator warning system that will give a small vibration on your face mask. With this type of warning, unlike a bell or whistle, you know that it's YOUR air supply that is low and that it's time to make your exit! Through regular training and practice, a firefighter should be able to put on a SCBA within 45-60 seconds. Although speed is important and every second counts, it is more important that the unit is put on correctly!

Flexible and Strong!

Maximum Protection!

Comfortable and Custom Fitted!

We wouldn't have it any other way!

Back to Archives Back to Polk Fire Home Page

John D. Einhorn