Dangers for firefighters are not over once fires are out. Clothing, equipment, and tools contaminated by smoke can endanger their health until being cleaned. Toxic smoke is often filled with chemicals and carcinogens. Personal protective equipment, or PPE, forms a barrier to keep firefighters safe on site.
However, these same items pose threats to health even after personnel put them down and take them off. To protect firefighters, numerous fire departments have developed best practices to minimize dangers from contaminated equipment and clothing on the way back to the fire house for cleaning. Here are tips for safely transporting poisonous PPE.
Use Specialty Equipment
Just as firefighters have particular tools for their tasks, specialized storage bags are a preferred way to transport contaminated PPE from fire scenes. Reusable gear storage bags have multiple benefits, including:
- Large enough for the entire kit
- Rugged and able to withstand many launderings
- Separate compartments to make storage quicker and easier
- Airtight and waterproof
These specially designed bags work well while not further polluting the planet, unlike plastic trash bags.
Make Cabs Safer Through Redesign
New designs are reimagining vehicles that transport firefighters and their gear. Many departments are looking to use new vehicles with more interior storage space to make safe transportation of contaminated items commonplace as a part of standard procedures.
The clean cab concept is a movement that makes departments and firefighters aware of the need to handle and store contaminated gear carefully. There are various interpretations of this practice. Ultimately, though, the goal is to limit dirty gear within the crew area so that contaminants are controlled on all surfaces as well as the air. Elements contributing to cleaner, and thus safer, cabs include:
- Seats covered in vinyl or a similar material that does not easily absorb toxins and can be cleaned quickly
- Waterproof, non-porous, and seamless floors for easy, thorough cleaning
- Specially designed systems for ventilation and air purifying
The focus is to keep firefighters safe not only while they work to put out fires but afterwards as well.
Employ Thoughtful Storage
To pursue cleaner cabs and safer transport of contaminated gear, fire departments are also looking at more careful storage procedures. When firefighters are leaving the fire ground, the way they store dirty PPE matters. New guidelines say dirty gear should never enter cabs. This includes self-contained breathing apparatus as well as equipment such as hoses. In order to keep cabs clean, alternate transport might be needed for contaminated items.
Elements of more careful storage include using separate, sealed compartments for all turnout gear, even if it is put in specialized storage bags, and giving contaminated gear rough, on-scene decontamination.
The dangers firefighters face do not end when the fire dies down. Contaminated gear poses numerous health threats, so it must be handled prudently. Fire departments are developing new ways to keep everyone safe not only during fires but also afterwards, on the way back to the station.
About Provident Fire Plus
At Provident Fire Plus, we offer custom-tailored packages to best protect firefighters and volunteer firefighters. We understand the risks that emergency response teams are subjected to on a daily basis, and have worked to serve these dedicated professionals for over 87 years. For more information about our products and policies, we invite you to contact our experts today at (855) 201-8880.