Logan Voss
Every occupation requires a multitude of items to handle the work. However, some jobs demand equipment that assists you with your duties but also keeps you alive. The special equipment you need to be a firefighter helps you put out the fire swiftly and ensures that you come back out.
Personal GPS
Considering that we can locate our missing phones through GPS technology, it only makes sense to utilize the same equipment to locate each other on the scene. Several fire departments use the Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) to find trapped firefighters. Even if there isn’t any detected movement, it will still function and pinpoint the location.
Gloves
Using impenetrable leather firefighter gloves helps allows you to grip and handle hot objects without severely burning yourself. In addition, it’s wise to have a pair of work gloves that can protect your hands from sharp materials like glass and metal on non-fire-related calls like car accidents.
Breathing Apparatus
Without a breathing apparatus accompanying you through an intense blaze, the odds are good that you wouldn’t last much longer than a few seconds due to the horrific smoke. This piece of equipment attaches to your back and comes with a mask connected to a tank of oxygen. Most tanks allow you 30 minutes of clean air, enabling safe exploration of dangerous, smoke-filled areas.
Turnout Pants & Jacket
Pants with fabric that can wick away moisture and prevent heat from affecting your body serve a vital purpose for firefighters. A combination of the turnout jacket and pants will keep you safe with those features. These clothing items also have bright, reflective material along the sides to make it easier for firefighters to see each other through dense smoke.
Boots
These waterproof boots can safeguard firefighters from harsh rubble with the metal alloys on their toes. With protective steel-toed boots, falling debris won’t have as much of an effect.
Fire Helmet
As children, we use plastic firefighter helmets as a prop to pretend we’re putting out fires. However, a fire helmet’s actual purpose is to save a firefighter’s life. The headgear limits the amount of heat around your head and protects you from potential falling debris. Outside of the safety it provides, a helmet can identify a person’s rank and fire station, with white being the highest rank of fire chief.
If you have the aspirations to jump into this profession, getting the special equipment you need to be a firefighter to protect you from head to toe will help you make that childhood dream a reality.
