Random Ramblings: Aerial Wildland Firefighting

I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Wildland firefighter safety: personal protective equipment

Those of you reading this who are not wildland firefighters have probably seen images or pictures of wildland firefighters wearing special clothing, boots, hard hats, etc and other personal protective equipment designed to keep wildland firefighters safe from burn and other injuries while on the fireline. The yellow flame resistant shirt (sometimes known as nomex and the flame resistant trousers, usually a dark color are likely familiar to many of you. I write about personal protective equipment (PPE) because wearing or carrying this PPE is very important for the safety of the wildland firefighters. I believe that many support personal on a wildfire will also wear PPE. It is not enough to wear the PPE, but as the video that I am sharing below points out, the PPE must be used safely.

I wanted to provide a list in this article of what PPE is, While I understand that there may be some variation within the United States and Internationally, I believe that this list will give you an idea of what PPE is. This comes from the 2019 edition of the Red Book: Interagency Standards for fire and Aviation Operations, Chapter 7 on Safety and Risk Management, pages 169-70, accessed from The National Interagency Fire Center on June 24, 2019.

Wildland Fire Field AttirePolyester, polypropylene, and nylon materials are not to be worn, because most synthetic fibers melt when exposed to flame or extreme radiant heat. Personnel should wear only undergarments made of 100 percent or the highest possiblecontent of natural fibers, aramid, or other flame-resistant materials.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) All personnel are required to use personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate for their duties and/or as identified in JHAs/RAs. Employees must be trained to use safety equipment effectively.
Flame resistant clothing should be cleaned or replaced whenever soiled,especially when soiled with petroleum products. Flame resistant clothing will be replaced when the fabric is so worn as to reduce the protection capability of the garment or is so faded as to significantly reduce the desired visibility qualities.

Required Fireline PPE•Wildland fire boots5
•Fire shelter (M-2002)
•Helmet with chinstrap
•Goggles/safety glasses (as identified by JHAs/RAs) •Ear plugs/hearing protection
•National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1977 compliant long-sleeved flame resistant shirt (yellow recommended)
•NFPA 1977 compliant flame resistant trousers
•Leather or leather/flame resistant combination gloves. Flame resistant flight gloves or NFPA 1977 compliant Driving Gloves can be used by heavy equipment operators, drivers and fireline supervisors when not using fireline hand tools.
•Additional PPE as identified by local conditions, Safety Data Sheet (SDS), or JHA/RA18 ○FS – Shirt, trousers, and gloves used by USFS personnel must meet Forest Service specification 5100-91 (shirt), 5100-92 (trousers), 6170-20 5 (gloves), or be NFPA 1977 compliant.

Wildland Fire Boot StandardPersonnel assigned to wildland fires must wear a minimum of 8-inch high, lace-type exterior leather work boots with lug melt-resistant soles. The 8-inch height requirement is measured from the bottom of the boot’s heel to the top of the 25 boot. Alaska is exempt from the lug sole requirement. All boots that meet the wildland fire boot standard as described above are required for firefighting and fireline visits, considered non-specialized PPE, and will be purchased by the employee (including AD/EFF) prior to employment. The agencies have authorized payment of a boot stipend. See agency specific guidance for implementation.

I am including a link to a webpage from Minnesota DNR on PPE because they add some things not included in the Red Book such as wearing all cotton garments under the shirt and pants, the types of socks to wear and wearing a flame resistant brush jacket. And they have a cool picture of a wildland firefighter.

Updated on December 20, 2020: The video that I linked to in the original article is no longer available.