Fire-fighting Protective Clothing/

Turn out gear / Bunker gear

 Types of Fire-fighting:

The two major types of fire-fighting are-

 Structural fire-fighting

 Wild-land or Brush fire-fighting

 Structural fire involves the structural Structural
components of various types of fire-
residential, commercial&
industrial buildings. fighting
It is the most common form of fire-
fighting.
Fire-fighters must face many fire
scenarios within different types of
structures and there is risk of being
exposed to hazardous materials such
as flammable liquid spills and
explosions.
All these emergency situations require
that the structural fire-fighter’s Structural fire
protective clothing be suitable,
comfortable and water resistant.
Wild-land or Brush fire a sudden Wild-land or Brush
flare-up, is an uncontrolled fire in an area
of combustible vegetation that occurs in
fire-fighting
the countryside areas often in the forest
or bush.

Brush fire differs from other fires by- its

extensive size, the speed at which it can
spread out from its original source, its
potential to change direction
unexpectedly, and its ability to jump gaps
such as roads, rivers and fire breaks.

Wild-land fire-fighters less likely experience

the extreme exposure to heat that
structural fire-fighters face in a confined
space.
The incomplete combustion of natural
material may produce carbon monoxide
(CO) .Exposure to CO can be fatal in many
instances. Brush fire
 Standards Available of FFPC
for Structural and Wild-land Fire-fighting
The important requirements set by these standards ensure that
all the fabrics, accessories and stitching used in the clothing
system should be flame resistant and used materials must not
drip or melt at very high temperature.
In addition, they should fulfill the performance requirements as
mentioned in the standard during fire-fighting.. The
standards are as follows-

CEN (European Committee for Standardization)

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)
ISO (International Standards Organization)
AS/NZS (The Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard)
TC (Technical Committee)
Various standards for the specification of fire-fighters
protective clothing
“Bunker Gear” or "Turnout Gear" are terms
used by many firefighters to refer to their
system of outer protective clothing.

This clothing is usually referred to as Fire Kit

in the UK and Ireland. In Hong Kong it is
referred to as Incident gear.

Firefighter Clothing or Firefighter Suits are

basically designed to protect firefighters
against the fire hazards, hot water or any
other liquid, or chemical exposure of fire
fighting in most extreme environments.

During fire fighting ,firemen or workers are

exposed to fire and strong heat. To avoid
burns and severe scalds protective clothing
must be used.
 Brief History of Firefighter’s Suit

 Historically, firefighters did not have the same level of

protective clothing used today. Because of this most fires were
fought from the outside of burning buildings & structures, and
were rarely entered there.

 Early in the history of firefighting, a firefighter's outer clothing

were more for warmth and dryness than for protection from
fire.

 The forerunner of the modern firefighter's helmet was

developed in 1830 by a luggage maker Henry Gratacap who
was a volunteer firefighter in New York City. 

 The early use of long trench coats, made of leather or canvas

and later made of rubber, was the forerunner of modern
turnout jackets.
 Early coats had felt or wool liners to
provide warmth in the winter also.
These liners later developed in basic
thermal protection liners found in
today's modern coats.

 Earlier rubber coats were much

longer than today's modern turnout
jackets, reaching down to a
firefighter's mid thigh and were
worn with long rubber boots called
"three-quarter boots" which came
above the firefighter's knees.

This crossing point of boot and coat

left a large gap of protection against
fire. This system has since been
replaced by the modern combination
of a jacket, pants with suspenders,
and shorter rubber or leather boots.
 Factors in the selection of turnout gear

 The most important factor in the selection of turnout gear

is to match the specific fabric combination and
specifications of turnout garments with key departmental
criterions.

 Selections are varied based on geographic location and

climate, hazard severity level, fire-fighting situation etc;
and it is critically important to take all of these factors into
account when producing and purchasing turnout gear.

 Mobility, breathability, moisture protection & permeability,

thermal protective performance and total heat loss are all
important considerations when selecting turnout gear.
 Firefighters now face additional risks of chemical and
biological exposures due to terrorism or accidents as well as
exposures to toxic industrial chemicals and toxic industrial
materials.
Protective garments must meet these new requirements for
protection against chemical and biological threats; at the
same time minimizing heat stress and providing good
ergonomic function.

 To provide the maximum amount of protection for the

firefighters wearing, turnout garments must balance the
need for thermal protection and for reducing the stress that
the gear adds.
 General Requirements Firefighter’s Suit

Firefighters' protective clothing has to satisfy the general

requirements:

 Protection against toxic substances in the ambient air.

 Thermal protection: Prevention of thermal damage to the
skin.
 Flexible in nature: Convenience during interferences for easy
movement.
 Durable enough for long time fire-fighting.
 Breathable: Proper ventilation system performed due to
release of heat produced by natural firefighters' metabolism.
 High puncture and tear resistance.
 Comfort Properties of FFPC
The acceptance of fire-fighter’s protective clothing depends on
the performance as well as the degree of comfort. However,
these two requirements are contradicting and for heat and
flame protection this becomes more obvious. The clothing
should protect from flame and
prevent the external heat entering the body. In addition, it
should allow the flow of excessive metabolic heat which
indicates low thermal resistance and high water vapor
permeability. The essential comfort requirements of FFPPC
are discussed in the following sections-
 Thermal comfort
 Psychological comfort
 Tactile comfort
 Ergonomic issues
 Tactile Comfort
Tactile comfort is the feel or sensation by the skin when
clothing is worn.
The feel of the clothing negatively affects the tactile comfort in
two different ways:
(a) feel of prickle, tickle or itch
(b) feel of wet clinginess when the fabric is wet
If the clothing is more hard or stiff, the fire-fighters feel prickle
or irritation when wear next to the skin.
The wet clinginess of the fabric is governed by the moisture
management properties of the fabric.
 Psychological Comfort
Fire-fighting in extreme hot conditions can lead to emotional
stress of fire-fighters.
Profuse sweating during fire-fighting reduce body mass by
about 2% which has an impact on mental concentration and
working memory.
The impact of heat stress and dehydration affects the mental
performance of fire-fighters.
 Ergonomic Issues
Wearing the protective clothing, carrying various firefighting aids
and dealing with the tasks (fire suppression, search and
rescue), impose a high physical burden and demand
substantial energy expenditure. The fire-fighters need
muscular strength, endurance in the upper and lower body,
flexibility to keep them safe and ensure public safety.
The use of FFPC is always being an issue when ease of body
movement is considered.
The mobility and comfort of the firefighters should not be
drastically reduced while designing their protective clothing.
Various factors such as-
The number and thickness of each fabric layer, clothing system
design and the relative size between the body and the clothing
affect the body movement. As the number of layers or the
physical bulk or the overall weight of the clothing system
increases, the mobility within the clothing is reduced.
 Modern Multi-layer Turnout Gear
The combination of modern triple-layer turnout gear with self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), PASS device, smoke
detectors and modern communications equipment made it
more feasible and survivable to enter burning areas or
buildings.
Fire-fighters also use night vision tools while
working in dark. The use of fluorescent materials and
retro-reflective materials improves their visibility during
day and night, respectively.

Modern turnout jackets and pants are made of fire resistant

fabrics (mainly Aramids such as Nomex and Kevlar)
or polybenzimidazole (PBI) fibers.

PASS = Personal Alert Safety System

 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
A self-contained breathing apparatus or SCBA,
sometimes referred to as a compressed air
breathing apparatus (CABA), is a device worn
by rescue workers, firefighters, and others to
provide breathable air in an "Immediately
Dangerous to Life or Health" (IDLH) atmosphere.  
Pressurized air, oxygen (O2) enriched air or pure O2 is
used in the SCBA.

The modern fire-fighters are equipped with self-

contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to reduce the
effect of some common toxic gases. The use of
SCBA can help to prevent the direct
inhalation of these gases.

An SCBA typically has three main components:

a high-pressure tank (e.g. 2,216 to 4,500 psi),
a pressure regulator, and
an inhalation connection (mouthpiece, mouth mask or
psi = pounds per square inch
face mask),
connected together and mounted to a carrying frame.
 PASS device

A PASS device (Personal Alert Safety System)

also known as a Distress Signal Unit (DSU)
or ADSU(Automatic Distress Signal Unit), is
a personal safety device used primarily
by firefighters entering a hazardous
environment such as a burning building.

The PASS device sounds a loud (95 decibel)

audible alert to notify others in the area
that the firefighter is in distress.
On a fire-ground, the sound of an activated
PASS device indicates a
true emergency and results in an
immediate response to rescue  the
firefighter(s) in distress.
The PASS device is normally used in conjunction with breathing
apparatus.
It is a small, battery powered device attached to the self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) harness which enables the firefighter
to summon help by activating a loud, piercing electronic bleeper.
FIRE-FIGHTING PROXIMITY SUIT
 Fire-fighting Proximity Suit
A fire fighting proximity suit ( or silver bunker suit) is a suit designed to protect
a firefighter from high temperatures, especially near fires of extreme
temperature such as aircraft fires.

Fire proximity suits first appeared during the 1930s, and were originally made
of asbestos.
Today they are manufactured from vacuum deposited aluminized materials that
reflect the high radiant loads produced by the fire. Fire Proximity Suit is made
out of 16 oz imported aluminized glass fibre fabric with dual mirror having
90% reflection of heat as a outer layer and with woolen fabric lining.

These Suits are used for rescue operations in an area of intense heat, fire, steam,
hot liquid by fire fighters in industries like Petrochemical plants, Foundries (a
factory that produces metal castings), other plants of steel, glass, ceramics &
Defense.

Complete proximity protection requires:-

• Aluminized hood or helmet cover with neck shroud
• Aluminized jacket and pants complete with vapor barrier insulated liner
• Aluminized lined gloves
• Aluminized AR-FF boots
• SCBA

 AR-FF = Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting

Fire-fighting Proximity Suit
Basic Fire-fighting proximity suit types-

a) Fire Approach suit— used for work in the general area of

high temperatures such as steel mills.
(Ambient heat protection up to 200°F  (93 °C) )

b) Fire Rescue suit— Fire Rescue suit is used for aircraft or

airport rescue, wild-land fire suppression, building collapse, in
more heavily insulated versions as requiring entry into the heated
kiln. Maximum ambient heat protection is about 500°F  (260 °C)

c) Fire Entry suit— used for entry into extreme heat and
situations requiring protection from total flame engulfment.

Kiln = A furnace for firing or burning or drying such things as porcelain or bricks
 Vermiculite 
Fire Entry suit— is a hydrous mineral,
which
Fire Entry suits is used for possible fire eruption or undergoes significant
for stand-by operations. expansion when
heated. 

Fire Entry Suit are used in various industries like

Petroleum, Oil & Gas, Electricity Generation,
Steel, Defense, Petrochemicals & Refining and
all places where there is hazard of fire eruption
and extreme heat generation. 

Most commonly outer fabric layer made of 

Aluminium-Zetex or Vermiculite for extreme
radiant heat protection.

Entry suit ambient protection ~2,000°F (1,093 °C)

for short duration, and prolonged radiant
heat up to 1,500 °F (816 °C)

Fire Entry suit

Construction of Modern Multi-layer Turnout Gear
Multilayered and typically is made of 3-basic layers of material consisting of
a combination / system:

1) Outer shell (flame resistant layer)

2) Moisture barrier (moisture resistant)*
3) Inner layer/ Liner face cloth*
*Thermal barrier (to protect from heat)
 1) Outer Shells
 The outer shell of a firefighter's turnout gear is the first line of
defense, providing 25 percent to 30 percent of total thermal
protection and shielding the inner components. The materials used
in this layer are designed to come in contact with flame and heat
without degrading or burning.

 This shell provides the primary protection from fire and offers good
abrasion resistance.

 The outer shell utilizes aluminized surface to reflect radiant heat and
provides flame and thermal resistance; also protects firefighters from
mechanical resistance to cuts, tears and abrasion, whether it be a
structure fire or a brush fire. Most importantly, it is the outer shell
that maintains the effectiveness of the thermal liner and the moisture
barrier.

 The outer shell is usually a inherently flame resistant fibers such as

Nomex, Kevlar or Kevlar/PBI (polybenzimidazole) blend woven into a
7.5 oz/yd2 twill fabric, which is of aluminized finish and has a high
resistance to heat, flame and chemical.

1 oz./yd² = 33.91 g/m²(gsm)

 2) Moisture Barrier

While the outer shell's purpose is to protect the inner

components, the moisture barrier provides resistance to
water, chemicals, viral agents etc.

The moisture barrier is a light weight web or knitted

structure either coated or laminated to the inner side of
the outer shell fabric. This layer is loosely inserted
between the outer layer and the thermal barrier. The
moisture barrier provides additional protection against
water and many common liquids such as liquid chemicals
and blood-borne pathogens.

These barriers must be lightweight and breathable which

help to reduce overall heat stress during strenuous
activities.
The moisture barrier is a micro-porous membrane that keeps
most moisture out, and usually made from PTFE  (Poly-tetra-
fluoro-ethylene) film & TRIPROTECH membrane (Pores 0.01 to
<1 micron) combined with a woven or non-woven surface.

Moisture barriers made with Nomex fabrics, Nomex E89 and

other nonwovens are proven under real-world conditions and
rigorous testing standards, making them the choice of trusted
manufacturers everywhere. They provide strong flame-
resistant substrates for liquid-impermeable films.

The commercial names include GoreTex®, Crosstech®,

TetraTex®, Porelle®, Proline®, Vapro®, Steadair 2000®,
Sympatex®, Action® and NeoGuard®.
 3) Thermal Barrier/ Liners
The thermal liner is the most critical component in turnout gear
because it has the biggest impact on thermal protection and
heat stress reduction. The thermal barrier prevents the
environmental heat from entering into the body.

Together with the moisture barrier, the two layers account for up
to 75 percent of the thermal protective performance of a
turnout garment.

Thermal liners trap air in or between layers of nonwoven material

that is quilted to a face cloth material.

This layer consists of flame resistant fibers and their blends,

which can be of nonwoven, laminated woven, lining fabric or
knitted fabric. The fabric is prepared from fine yarn of Nomex
and other fibers (93% Nomex/5% Kevlar/2% antistatic carbon
fibre).
The use of finer yarns improves the softness and tactile comfort of
the fire-fighter and they feel slight smooth, which makes
donning & doffing more easier. This fabric may contain a wick
finish, which assists in wicking (draw off (liquid) by capillary action)
moisture away from the body.

Multilayer Nomex E89 based thermal liners are among the thinnest,
most flexible and breathable available.
Face cloths with Nomex filament help reduce surface friction,
improving overall garment mobility.

Liner water repellent finishes improve comfort and moisture

management and reduce drying time.

The commercial thermal barriers used in the fire-fighter’s clothing

include GoreTex®, Airlock®, Spacers (made of foamed silicone)
etc.
 NOMEX & KEVLAR Firefighter Apparel
 People all around the world depend on the bravery and
training of firefighters to offer protection against fires.
In turn, firefighters depend on firefighter apparel made with
Nomex and Kevlar fiber to help them meet the demands of a
rigorous and challenging job.
 Together, these innovative fibers offer fire resistance,
strength, durability, and more. Kevlar is five times stronger
than steel on an equal-weight basis but the fabric made from
this is lightweight, comfortable, and thermally protective. It
helps to enhance the overall durability and strength of
lightweight turnout gear outer-shell-and-thermal-liner
systems.
 Nomex fiber is inherently flame resistant, tough and flexible.
Nomex® is made of aramid fibers and manufactured by
DuPont. It is light and has high tensile strength and good heat
resistance (degrading at 480°C).
 Nomex fiber carbonizes and thickens when exposed to the
intense heat of today’s fires. This increases the protective
barrier between the heat source and the user.
 Garments made from Nomex fiber lasts on average, two to three
times longer than most other standard and protective fabrics,
including 100% cotton, polyester/garment blends, and FR cotton

 When fabric made with Kevlar fiber is engineered with Nomex fiber
or used with another blend, it can help to enhance tear strength and
abrasion resistance of outer shells protecting the moisture barriers
and thermal liners inside and give excellent thermal protection,
strength, and durability.

 Advance Ultra, is a combination of Kevlar, Nomex and Poly-Benz

imidazole ( A synthetic fiber with a very high melting point. It has
exceptional thermal and chemical stability and does not readily
ignite )rip stop fabric (Rip stop fabrics are woven fabrics made by
using a special reinforcing technique that makes them resistant to
tearing and ripping.) with water repellent finish increases tensile and
tear strength and provides high breathability with low water vapor
resistance makes this product suitable for outer layer.
Protective Clothing for
Wild-land fire-fighters
Wild-land fire-fighters in several places wear clothing that is usually made up of only
the outer layer to protect against radiant and flame impingement, as well as to
allow the wearer to maintain cool temperatures, as they must work long hours in
dry, hot weather conditions.
However, the current designs in several places consist of two to four layers to
achieve the performance and comfort requirements. The clothing system used for
wild-land fire-fighting can be exposed to external conditions ranging from
completely dry to completely wet. Due to the complexity of these considerations,
there may be merit in developing more complex clothing systems that will
accommodate all moisture conditions and environments.

During the actual wild-land fire-fighting conditions, the combined exposure to

radiant heat and flame lead to the transmission of thermal energy through the
fabric, which can cause burn injuries to the skin. Hence, the clothing should have
high enough thermal resistance to protect the fire-fighters from the radiant heat.

Furthermore, the wild-land fire-fighting is influenced by environmental temperature,

air velocity, heat radiation and humidity. External heat sources like radiant heat
from fire or the sun can upset the body balance and cause overheating.
Hence, it is essential that the clothing provides good insulation from the external
heat source in addition to the good conductor of the internal heat. Balance
between these two contradictory requirements can be achieved by suitable
material selection and design that facilitate evaporation of perspiration and
ventilation.
Protective clothing for wild-land fire-fighting should fulfill the
following requirements (as per ISO TC 94/SC 14/WG 3):

1. Protect fire-fighters from radiant heat,

2. Minimize the risk of burn injuries,
4. Should be light weight and loose fitting,
5. Should be well ventilated and allow sweat evaporation (i.e.
permeable to water vapor),
6. Should allow evaporation of 1–2 L of sweat/hr,
7. Should dissipate metabolic heat, and
8. Should maintain a thermal equilibrium and comfort in a wide
range of fire intensity, climatic conditions and duration of
work.