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List of Firefighter Gear

Firefighters need specialized gear to contend with the heat and the chaos of a burning building. According to the City of Davis firefighting department, when a firefighter has all the necessary gear on, he weighs 50 lbs. more than usual. All of the gear is designed for a firefighter to put on or access quickly in order to get to the scene of a blaze quickly.

  1. Clothing

    • A firefighter wears a cotton t-shirt, fire-resistant trousers and safety boots when at the station. When an alarm is raised, the firefighter has to get into more protective clothing quickly. The outer layer of protection uses trousers known as "turnouts," which are made of fire-resistant material. The trousers have rubber boots attached to the ends with steel reinforcements on the toes and on the soles. The jacket is also made of fire-resistant material and is waterproof and insulates the firefighter from heat. Both the pants and jacket have reflective areas for safety and pockets for holding essential equipment such as a radio, gloves or wrenches. The gloves are made of the same material as the jacket and pants along with a leather outer, but they are the last items the firefighter puts on before attempting to control a blaze. Each firefighter also has a helmet with a face mask and which displays an identifying mark or number of the fireman.

    Breathing Equipment

    • Each firefighter needs special equipment to help him breathe in smoky and hot conditions. The breathing apparatus has a cylinder of air which is held onto the firefighter's back using a backpack system of straps. The cylinder feeds air to the firefighter through a special face mask. The apparatus is made of fire-resistant materials like Kevlar, and some can even sound an alarm if a firefighter is trapped and has not moved for 30 seconds. The face mask also protects the fireman's face from the heat of the fire.

    Handheld Tools

    • A firefighter uses tools such as axes to break open windows and pry open doors. For example, a pickaxe or a flathead axe is useful for breaking holes in a roof or prying off roof shingles to create an entry way or a ventilation hole. Another tool, known as a haligan, is double-ended, with two different prybar ends, used for prying open car doors, ripping down walls or creating other forcible entryways. A thermal imager may also be used to detect heat signatures of people in a building with low visibility.

    Water Source

    • A firefighter uses a fire hose to direct water onto the blaze and control the fire. Different sizes of hose exist, ranging from about 1 inch in diameter to about 5 inches in diameter. A firefighter can attach a hose to a hydrant or can attach it to a water reservoir in the firetruck.

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