This means twice the amount of gear to procure, transport, store, and maintain. As a result, firefighters currently either forego ballistic protection entirely or they have two helmets, one for structure firefighting and one for violent situations. Traditional structural firefighter helmets do not incorporate these enhanced capabilities, nor do they offer sufficient ballistic protection. Thus, these changes can lead to injuries to the cervical spine and neck muscle fatigue. However, all of these elements increase the total weight and potentially shift the helmet’s center of gravity. Petersburg, Florida, where firefighters claimed the helmet design caused neck and head injuries.Īn effective, modern firefighter helmet calls for thermal and ballistic protection combined with communication devices, face shield, visor, thermal imaging, and lighting. Helmet-related injuries were also the subject of a 2015 lawsuit in St. Though designed to shield the firefighter’s head from thermal and low-velocity direct impact, helmets often contribute to overexertion/sprain-related head and neck injuries because of the added bulk and weight. Paradoxically, though, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), roughly 40% of musculoskeletal injuries reported by firefighters can be attributed in part to the helmet-the very thing that’s supposed to protect them. It is a highly valued piece of equipment that can even hold special emotional significance for a firefighter-providing a sense of not only safety but also confidence when donned. Perhaps no other item is more classically associated with firefighters than their helmet. The increased call for firefighters to respond to potentially violent emergency events (with or without law enforcement) such as active shooters, terrorist incidents, or armed crowds, demands better physical protection.Ī professional marksman conducts ballistic testing, firing 9 mm rounds at helmet shell plaques at the Lubbock Shooting Complex, Lubbock, Texas. (Photo credit: TTU.) Firefighters are required to perform structure firefighting, search and rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, and disaster response-but it doesn’t end there. Responders need effective, affordable equipment that they can rely on to support their increasingly demanding jobs.Īdditionally, with a changing response landscape, the roles and responsibilities of firefighters have changed significantly in the past few decades. And if we expect them to adapt, we should expect their protective gear to evolve with them as well. Time and again, they rise to the challenge: meeting communities’ growing needs, expecting the unexpected, and adapting in real time-often under extreme pressure. Originally published in the Carolina Fire Rescue EMS Journal in February, this article highlights how S&T and Texas Tech University (TTU) are joining forces to give a classic piece of gear a modern update.
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