Better protected
Fire brigade works with new protective clothing
The new light-coloured protective clothing for firefighters allows potential toxic soiling to be detected quickly so that it can be cleaned intensively at an early stage.
The yellow and highly visible turnout suit for technical assistance offers considerably more safety during frequent operations following road accidents. This regularly leads to dangerous situations for firefighters.
The new turnout gear also offers better protection against the elements. The protective clothing is lighter and is also the first choice when fighting forest fires, for example. The Beckum town council had paved the way for the purchase of the new protective clothing at a cost of 350,000 euros.
The existing fire protection clothing is kept in reserve to bridge cleaning times for the first set.
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New fire protection clothing
During firefighting operations, a variety of hazardous substances and toxic gases are always produced, almost regardless of the materials involved in the fire. Firefighters protect themselves with breathing apparatus so that they do not inhale them. However, the toxic substances are also absorbed through the skin. Protective clothing provides protection during operations.
After the operation, it is all the more important to recognise whether the outside of the firefighter's clothing is contaminated with the dangerous soot, as these toxins would enter the human body via skin contact. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) therefore assigns firefighters' work the highest hazard category (1a - "known to be carcinogenic"). Thanks to the new light-coloured outer fabrics, these dangerous deposits are now much easier to detect than was the case with the previous dark protective clothing.
New clothing for technical assistance:
The Beckum fire brigade's operational area also extends to rural and federal roads, as well as the busy and fast-moving motorway. Operations in flowing road traffic are particularly risky, which is why visibility and warning effect are elementary. The eye-catching colour scheme significantly increases visibility in moving traffic in general, as well as through numerous reflective strips in the dark, in poor weather conditions or when visibility is otherwise restricted.
This turnout gear is also suitable for outdoor use, and therefore for fighting forest and vegetation fires. Compared to fire protection clothing, this clothing is lighter and significantly more breathable, making work considerably easier for the emergency services, especially in summer temperatures.