FIRE FIGHTERS RECEIVE FUNDING FROM
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
IAFF leads “Project HEROES” team to
develop new turnout gear for protecting first responders against chemical
and biological threats
WASHINGTON, DC – The International Association of Fire
Fighters (IAFF), the labor union for professional fire fighters and
emergency medical personnel across the U.S. and Canada, as part of their
“Project HEROES” (Homeland Emergency Response Operational and Equipment
Systems) initiative, has received a federal government contract by the
Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) with funding from the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) to rapidly develop, prototype and field test
structural fire fighting PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) with enhanced
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protective qualities
to account for today’s new threats.
Fire fighters currently do not wear structural fire
fighting PPE that can protect them in an environment where there has been a
release of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents.
The IAFF has constructed a project team consisting of
leading fire service organizations and major academia. The team consists of
the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Total Fire
Group/Morning Pride Manufacturing, a leading fire service ensemble
manufacturer, the National Personal Protection Technology Laboratory of the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), International
Personnel Protection, and two academic partners – the University of
Massachusetts and the University of Arkansas.
The IAFF Project Team is pursuing a two-track development,
which will involve the selection of ensemble materials for the garments,
gloves, footwear and hood combined with the design of ensemble element
interfaces to afford protection consistent with current protective clothing
standards. The short-term track involves identifying and selecting available
materials to optimize a composite with barrier material that provides
thermal, physical and chemical performance.
Ensemble elements are being designed at key interface areas
to minimize the inward leakage of harmful contaminants. Prototype ensemble
designs will undergo extensive laboratory testing to validate the overall
product performance and the impact of the ensemble of wearer human factors.
An iterative process of design changes will be made to result in a
specification and the construction of several prototypes. These prototypes
will be evaluated in major metropolitan fire departments for functional
evaluations and user acceptance. At the end of this contract term, complete
specifications for a field-ready fire fighting protective ensemble will be
developed.
Throughout the project, the IAFF Project Team will promote
user acceptability of the new ensemble through demonstrations and the
involvement of end users. The goal is create certified protective clothing
that is as indistinguishable as possible from current structural fire
fighting gear, but still offers improved chemical, biological, radiological
and nuclear protections, without sacrificing thermal protection, comfort and
functionality.
“Fire Departments do not have the resources to provide
multiple garments for each responder, so one multi-purpose suit will offer
the best way for fire fighters to ensure they’re protected against any
hazard,” says Harold Schaitberger, General President of the International
Association of Fire Fighters. “The Project HEROES prototype will be
revolutionary because it will offer the highest level of protection without
the burden of extra weight, loss of mobility and added stress, so our fire
fighters can do their job.”
The IAFF, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the 15th
largest union among the 58 national unions that make up the AFL-CIO,
representing more than 267,000 professional fire fighters and emergency
medical personnel who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population. More
than 2,900 affiliates protect nearly 6,000 communities in Canada and in
every state in the U.S.
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