{"id":2934,"date":"2020-09-10T00:03:25","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T04:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.167.168.176\/~phillips\/kerriansnotebook\/kerriansnotebook\/?p=2934"},"modified":"2025-04-15T18:58:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T22:58:16","slug":"kn-p-119-what-does-a-firefighter-wear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pattiphillipsbooks.com\/kerriansnotebook\/2020\/09\/kn-p-119-what-does-a-firefighter-wear\/","title":{"rendered":"KN, p. 119 “What does a firefighter wear?”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>If there are no paragraph separations in this article, please double-click on the title to create a more readable version.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Firefighters have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Walking into a house fire that could reach 1000 degrees in under a minute (that\u2019s not a typo) or a chemical fire that may reach double or triple that temperature in seconds, while \u00a0battling smoke inhalation as well, means a firefighter\u2019s life depends on being supplied with the best equipment that money can buy. Without the proper gear, firefighters can\u2019t stay inside a burning structure long enough to rescue victims or fight the fire successfully.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what is the right gear that keeps them safe and still allows them to do their jobs?<\/span><\/p>\n

Tim Fitts, a veteran firefighter in North Carolina, and Coordinator of certification classes for firefighters and rescue squads at Guilford Technical Community College, demonstrated his gear on a 95 degree day in September. Fire isn\u2019t selective about the weather, so it\u2019s a good thing for us that firefighters train and work under all kinds of conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The firefighter uniform is generally called \u2018turnout gear\u2019 by firefighters because they turn it inside out when not in use, so that they can step into it quickly and pull it on\/up when the fire bell\/siren sounds. Firefighters need to get completely dressed in about a minute, so any safe system that will speed up the process is used. Some guys pull on the boots and pants, grab the rest of the gear and finish getting dressed in the truck as it pulls out of the fire station.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The official name for the gear is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).<\/span><\/p>\n

Parts of the firefighter uniform:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

While on the job at a fire or rescue operation that might result in a fire, most firefighters will wear these pieces of clothing:<\/span><\/p>\n