
SAFETY COMES FIRST IN CLEVELAND
SAFETY
Photo courtesy of Du Pont Company
One of the Cleveland, OH, Fire Department’s more serious injuries occurred three years ago when Lieutenant Frank E. Leers fell through a burning roof and into a sea of flames on a building’s second floor. Leers escaped by jumping out of a second-story window.
Leers suffered third-degree burns on his face, neck, and one hand (he had removed his glove to operate his radio). He also suffered minor burns on the back of his legs by heat conducted through his boots. However, thanks to proper training in the importance and donning of full protective gear, Leers is alive today. Correctly worn knitted gloves with wristlets and leather palms and a Nomex turnout coat and bunker pants protected the rest of Leers’ body from the flames.
I think of this incident whenever I hear firefighters complain that bunker pants are too hot. Thank heaven Leers put safety before comfort.
Sure, bunker pants are hot. However, coats and bunker pants together provide more protection than a combination of coats and high boots without bunker pants. So, rather than let our firefighters decide not to wear bunker pants because of the heat, we manage a fire scene with sufficient manpower so that the firefighters have relief breaks. We’re going a step further in protection and testing the viability of short coats and bib-type bunker pants to help reduce back injuries. Weight from traditional turnout gear and equipment centers on the shoulders and back, whereas the reduced weight of the short coat centers the weight of the bib-type bunker pants on the hips and lower body. We believe this is the best protection for our firefighters.
We’ve always considered the wearing of proper protective clothing and equipment a priority in management responsibility—convincing the city council that the cost of outfitting a firefighter goes hand in hand with his safety and well-being.
The cost of injuries is deceptively high. In addition to the obvious medical bills, injuries turn into light duty, disability claims, and early retirements. The idea is to convince the administration and council members that, in the long run, they will save money by spending more to outfit firefighters in the most technologically, advanced turnout gear and equipment. Some of the savings are indirect or hidden. When firefighters know the city cares enough to outfit them with the best equipment, they are more likely to give 150% for the citizens.
rnoto courtesy or uu Mont company
This “safety first” approach dates back to 1970, when, under direct orders from our former fire chief, William E. Barry, the Cleveland Fire Department was the first in the United States to issue turnout coats made of Nomex aramid to all firefighters. Nomex is an inherently flame-resistant fiber with protection that won’t wash or wear out.
That act of providing firefighters with the best turnout gear available established a precedent; and in 1972, a Clothing and Safety Committee was formed, comprised of union rank-andfile members and fire department officers. The committee’s role was to test and evaluate new equuipment and clothing. In 1977, the committee became a union responsibility with contractual rights.
Today, the city supplies two complete sets of turnout gear to each firefighter. Each set, made to our specifications, costs about $1,000 and consists of specially designed turnout coats, bunker pants, boots, one helmet, and gloves as needed. The initial cost for the department was between $300,000 and $400,000, but now we are able to operate on an annual maintenance budget of $100,000.
The first step our Clothing and Safety Committee takes to qualify a new fire protection garment is to satisfy both the criteria of the National Fire Protection Association’s Code 1971, Protective Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Fire Brigades Standard for Protective Clothing for Structural Firefighters.
Additional requirements that we’ve set for turnout coats and trousers include extra large pockets with small drainage holes in each corner, accessory pockets, shoulder pads to reduce the weight of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and expanded Reflexite trim which makes it easier to spot firefighters at night.
The basic turnout coat we use has three protective subsystems: an outer shell, a moisture (vapor) barrier, and a thermal protective liner. The outer shells are made of a yellow duck weave fabric (white for chief officers’ coats) made from Nomex III aramid, weighing a minimum of 7.5 ounces per square yard, and treated with a water-repellent finish.
The vapor barrier is made of lightweight, rip-stop pajama-check Nomex coated with a neoprene compound that will not crack in heat or cold. The flame-resistance compound is applied in several coatings so that the interlining is 100% waterproof. The interlining must pass a minimum hydrostatic test of 25 psi and must not crack when tested at —20°F.
The inside thermal liner must be Nomex batting quilted to the rip-stop, pajama-check cloth of the vapor barrier, weighing 8.5 ounces per square yard.
A few years ago, we experimented with detachable thermal linings for summer, but found that coats with only two protective layers didn’t give enough protection. Because these coats, like the bunker pants, are warmer, we manage the fire scene to provide adequate breaks for the individual firefighters.
We base our clothing and equipment specifications on field testing in our busiest stations, since no one is better qualified to evaluate firefighting gear than those who fight fires. After the Clothing and Safety Committee evaluates the results, the department’s recommendations are made to the city council.
Many of the special features in our turnout gear have come from suggestions made during field testing. For example, since Lieutenant Leers’ accident, we use a walkie-talkie with a detachable external microphone. The microphone clips to the collar of the turnout coat. It has a large mushroom-type button rather than the conventional small recessed button, so a firefighter can operate it with gloves on. The walkie-talkie stays on the inside of the turnout coat in a specially designed radio pocket.
Our turnout coats have soft padding in the shoulders for ease of carrying SCBA. A bellows construction under the sleeves prevents the sleeve from slipping when a firefighter lifts his arm. We also specify that each coat has an 872-inch-long wristlet made of Kevlar aramid fiber in a 1 X 1-inch rib knit weighing no less than 10 ounces per square yard. We chose Kevlar because it’s flame-resistant, hard to tear if caught on a sharp edge, and retains its shape well.
The wristlet is attached to the inside of the coat sleeve and sewn together, forming a “fingerless” mitten. As the firefighter puts the coat on, his hand goes through the wristlet. The sewn part goes between thumb and forefinger so that the wristlet cannot slip. This provides continuous protection against burned wrists and forearms.
As further hand and arm protection, we use gloves and wristlets made of knitted Kevlar aramid, lined in wool, with chrome-tanned leather palms for better flame and abrasion resistance. We previously used rubber gloves, but rubber doesn’t breathe and often causes steam burns.
We also use the latest in helmets and masks. In 1980, we switched, at considerable expense, from demand-type masks to positive-pressure masks, now mandated by law in Ohio. The helmets we use are very lightweight, but because they have an impact cap on the inside (similar to the construction of a motorcycle helmet), they can withstand more impact from both the top and side. The helmets also can withstand higher temperatures. The helmets have pulldown acrylic visors and ear flaps made of Nomex aramid fiber. The flaps work so well in preventing head burns that we are currently testing full hoods to be worn under helmets.
Photo courtesy of Du Pont Company
Is it worth all the time and money we invest in safety? The answer is simple. Since our conversion to the complete turnout gear I’ve described, there has been a measurable reduction in the number of serious burn injuries.
My question to department managers who aren’t backing the complete turnout gear concept is: How important do you consider the safety of your firefighters?