What next for UK fire and rescue services?

Posted on September 20, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

There’s broad agreement that the fire and rescue service needs reform. The latest assessment of the sector in England by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services reinforces this point. A new white paper is due later this year with recommendations from the Home Office about changes.

What might we see in that white paper? Here at FlamePro we’re not experts in governance (just in protective kit), but we’ve listened to the sector and some key themes have emerged.

The changing role of the modern firefighter

From providing extra capacity to move dead bodies to giving vaccines and delivering PPE, the fire service played a critical role during the pandemic. The international emergency allowed fire brigades up and down the country to demonstrate, once again, they can do more than just put out fires.

Firefighters have been much more than the name suggests for many years. While tackling blazes will always be a priority, prevention work is now a central part of the brief. So is working alongside other emergency services at incidents such as terrorist incidents, floods, and road traffic collisions.

Is “firefighter” even the right term any more? Fighting fires is absolutely a core part of the role, but it’s not where the majority of brigades spend their time.

We’re not just saying that. In 2020, tackling fires only accounted for 29% of the incidents attended in England, the same percentage as non-fire incidents. This compares to fires being 35% of incidents ten years ago. The rest of the incidents in 2020 were false alarms (42%).

Efficiencies in fire and rescue structures and lines of command

Scotland has one fire and rescue service. The previous eight regional brigades were merged in 2013.

The latest report by HM Inspectorate of Fire and Rescue services in England lists national reform as a priority. It says changes should address “the deficit in the fire sector’s national capacity and capability to support change”. And that precise definitions of the role of fire and rescue services and the people who work within them should be created.

The report also calls for “greater clarity on activities such as co-responding (supporting the other emergency services), responding to floods, responding to terrorist attacks and wider public safety”. We don’t think frontline firefighters would disagree.

Will a similar structure to Scotland be on the table? Or will Government see the available efficiencies in sharing HR, finance, and other central services with, for example, regional police forces as a route to reform?

Risks and threats to fire brigades

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it; or so they say. The issue for England’s fire and rescue services, according to HM Inspectorate, seems to be that brigades measure the same things differently. A common approach to assessing, measuring, and managing risk is called for.

One of the emerging risks is contamination, especially from particulates, which can be carcinogenic. This is already high on the agenda in the US and mainland Europe; the industry in the UK is just developing its understanding of these risks. What’s clear is that protection can be provided by kit. But behaviour is also a critical piece of the jigsaw.

Not long ago, firefighters would have put their dirty gloves in their helmets after a shout. Now we know the gloves are likely contaminated with particles which can seep through the head’s thin skin. The kit didn’t need to change to address this risk, behaviour did.

With most brigades having a mix of retained and full-time firefighters, training to build a mutual understanding of risks and how to manage them will be more important than ever.

Here at FlamePro we’re keen to see whether Government makes any bold moves to remove barriers and enable the Fire and Rescue service to adapt. As demands change, so should the industry’s ability to respond.

To discuss your requirements and learn more about the range, give one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

638 Kermel Aramid Firefighter Trousers

Flame and heat resistance on land and at sea

For structural fires on land or at sea, our Kermel Aramid Firefighting trousers give your team the protection they need from heat and fire without compromising breathability.

Kermel Aramid fabric provides three layers of protection: a Kermel Ago outer layer; a moisture barrier; and a Poline Tritec liner, providing high heat and flame resistance.

Elasticated braces with quick release buckles help your team get in and out of their kit quickly, while moisture wicking at the ankle hems and abrasion resistance at the knees keep your team comfortable, safe and dry.

Pair with the 612 jacket for a complete kit.

Firefighting kit – is it time to end one-type-fits-all?

Posted on August 30, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

We know that every day as a firefighter is not the same. Every call-out is different – from road traffic collisions to industrial fires, the demands of the job change by the hour. You might not be rescuing cats from up trees, but we know that running into burning buildings isn’t what you spend most of your time doing either.

So if every shout is different. If the demands placed on you whenever you turn out to a job aren’t the same. Why do you put on the same kit each time?

From our research with firefighters, we know that the diversity of demands on your time has increased. The diversity of kit needs to keep pace with those changes.

A range of risks

Firefighters’ turn out kit protects you from a wide range of risks linked to tackling structural fires. It also provides protection from a range of potential contaminants you’ll encounter in smoke and fire water.

But do you always need that level of protection?

Wildland fires are becoming more regular. But they demand a different kind of firefighting; a long game. It’s unlikely you can turn up with a few pumps, stay a couple of hours and have totally beaten a wildland fire.

You walk for miles, across uneven terrain, away from the fire tenders and central stores of kit. The heat can be intense in a different way to the heat inside a burning building, and you’re in amongst it, often in the dark.

To perform at your best, you’ll need kit to work with you. Light to wear, but with protection from the heat and the thorns that also appear out to get you. And you’ll need to be easily seen from a distance.

RTCs demand you can easily operate equipment to free people from vehicles while managing potential risks of fire and explosion from damaged engines. Other rescue situations might involve no risk of fire at all.

Take floods. Another increasing risk as our climate experiences more extremes of weather. Firefighters have a crucial role to play in rescuing people and are often called on to pump away water to protect critical assets. It’s likely to be cold, wet, and the literal opposite of a call-out involving fire.

Modern challenges, modern kit

The protective clothing available to firefighters needs to meet the demands of the job. And that’s not a one-type-fits-all kind of situation.

You should have serious protection from heat and flame when it’s needed the most. But when it isn’t, what you wear still needs to help you do the job.

Investing in a diversity of kit to meet the variety of call-outs is what modern brigades are starting to do. Wearing the right kit for the job makes firefighters’ lives easier. It makes sense to match protection to risks, rather than always wearing one set of turn-out gear which could be over-spec’d and over-used, leading to higher maintenance and replacement costs in the long-run.

FlamePro’s team of experts has developed a range of firefighter protective gear for the different scenarios you face. Take a look at our new wildland and rescue ranges, or check out Valliant, the cutting-edge structural suit taking the market by storm.

To discuss your requirements and learn more about the range, give one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

612 Kermel Aramid Firefighter Jacket

Strong and flexible for structural and marine firefighting

On land or at sea, when your team is heading into a fire, you want them to have the safest kit with the highest heat and flame resistance. Our Kermel Aramid fabric provides three layers of protection: a Kermel Ago outer layer; a moisture barrier; and a Poline Tritec liner, providing high heat and flame resistance without compromising on breathability.

We’ve designed the jacket to make sure it works as hard as your team, with shoulder and elbow reinforcement, loops and pockets where they are needed, and anti-wicking storm cuffs to keep your firefighters dry.

Pairs with the 638 trousers for a complete kit.

FlamePro wins major Capita tender to provide PPE for MoD over next 10 years

Posted on June 28, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

FlamePro, a British manufacturing specialist of life-saving garments for firefighters, has been awarded a £4m contract by Capita to provide its firefighting PPE for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) across the next decade.

The competitive tender, part of Capita’s contract with the MoD, saw four different PPE providers bid for the work, with FlamePro being appointed to provide its full ensemble of PPE alongside a total garment care package.

FlamePro was awarded the contract due to its high-quality product and the company’s dedication to providing support and expertise on PPE care, use and maintenance.

The contract includes a multi-million pound initial roll-out, with a total value of £4m across 10 years.

Nathan Bricknell, General Manager at FlamePro, said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have been awarded this contract with Capita – it marks a key milestone for the company.

“Over recent months we’ve worked with our partners to develop brand-new fabric technologies and designs, including a 3D woven structure and new moisture barrier membrane, to ensure our PPE is the most advanced on the market.

“Our brand-new structural fire suit has set a new benchmark across the whole industry. This, teamed with our shorter-than-average lead times stands us in great stead to deliver top-quality products and service on this contract.”

To discuss your requirements and learn more about the range, give one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

Insight is the key to new ranges

Posted on June 7, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

Our market-leading new Valiant structural fire suit has been more than a year in the making. FlamePro has assembled a team of experts to create a suit which makes no compromises on protection and provides solutions to challenges that our firefighting customers have told us are a problem.

Here we introduce Technical Sales Manager Reece Buchner, a key member of the team who provided the customer insight which shaped the development of Valiant. As part of our series on getting to know the people behind the range, here’s a bit more about Reece’s approach to customer feedback.

Product development to meet customer needs

The key to designing successful new products is truly listening to your customers’ problems. The FlamePro sales team have spent the last few years visiting and speaking to fire officers at state and private brigades around the country. This intelligence has informed the design and features of the new Valiant structural suit.

Reece spends much of his time listening. His approach is simple: it’s not about selling to people, but about truly understanding what their problems are. This critical understanding of the modern fire fighter’s challenges has been a crucial part of the new product development taking place at FlamePro.

“It’s about unpacking their problems,”

says Reece.

“More of the conversation is focused on their problems, rather than asking what products they want us to make.”

“A bit like Henry Ford said about him inventing the car; if he’d listened to his customers, he would have made a faster horse. So I’d rather hear what’s difficult for fire crews, what they are worried about, and what causes them issues when they are out at an incident.”

Having gained a reliable reputation through the company’s popular wildland kit, which uses a different fabric to other garments on the market (more natural fibres keep crews cooler for longer), Reece had the confidence of many Technical Service Managers, Group Managers and Chief Fire Officers and they were happy to discuss what they were looking for.

“Our attitude is always that nothing’s impossible. We won’t discard an idea because we haven’t done it before or there’s nothing like that on the market already. We’re just keen to listen and use that information to create products that really stand up to the rigors of being a fire fighter.”

A structural suit that feels lighter to wear, with just as much protection

Reece’s insight into the problems and concerns of state and private fire crews all over the UK contributed to the development of the new Valiant structural fire suit.

Talking about the new suit, Reece continues,

“Wearer trial feedback tells us that it feels lighter to wear than similar kit while delivering plenty of thermal protection. The unique combinations of advanced moisture barrier and clever linings use 3D fabric technology to transfer moisture away from the skin faster, keep crews cooler for longer.”

The Valiant suit’s clever fabric system design and the team’s obsession with ergonomics have been complemented with plenty of design features such as:

• 3D spacers used to reinforce and add strength around the shoulders, relieving the pressure from wearing breathing apparatus and reducing the chance of injury due to steam burns created by sweat not wicked away in ferocious firefighting conditions

• Additional Kevlar™ puncture-proof protection on knees and elbows with additional padding for comfort when crawling

• Robust, detachable braces, using 3D spacers and chunky ladder lock buckles to create easy adjustment

• Easy grab tabs on pockets and adjusters to allow the firefighter to keep their gloves on and not expose their hands

• Glow-in-the-dark strips as standard, different on the front and back, enhancing visibility and providing valuable information in rescue situations

To discuss your requirements and learn more about the range, give one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

650 Kermel Aramid Firefighter Trousers

High performance on land and at sea

Combining strength, defence and flexibility, the 650 Kermel Aramid Firefighter Trousers are our work horse. Equally at home on land and at sea, these trousers offer high heat and fire protection without compromising breathability.

Kermel Aramid fabric provides three layers of protection: a Kermel Ago outer layer; a moisture barrier; and a Poline Tritec liner, providing high heat and flame resistance.

Pair with the 660 jacket for a complete kit.

Introducing our Head of New Product Development

Posted on April 26, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

If, like we were, you’re looking for revolution, not evolution in product development, you need to do things totally differently.

To develop the new FlamePro Valiant structural fire suit, we swept away all of the industry assumptions about what a fire suit should be by putting our team of experts covering new product development, technical fabrics, and ergonomics. The result? We believe we’ve created the most advanced structural fire suit on the market.

More than a year in the making, we’ve created a suit which makes no compromises on protection, but due to its clever design and composition feels lighter and more comfortable to wear.

We wanted to introduce you to the clever people behind the range’s innovations, so in this blog you’ll meet Adrian Jaoudat, our Product Manager.

Insider knowledge

There’s not much Adrian doesn’t know about FlamePro and our sister company, ProGARM. He’s spent 10 years working for ProGARM, and the last three working on FlamePro too since it was bought by the same owners.

Starting in the warehouse on a gap year from his studies to be an architect, Adrian never returned to Poland where he was at university. Instead, he quickly worked his way up through the business.

“Solving problems is what I like to do,”

Adrian says.

“I guess that’s why I wanted to be an architect, but I now use that problem-solving approach on new product development.”

Throughout his time with the business, Adrian has worked in Operations, Purchasing, Procurement, Quality Management, and now Product Development, with a particular focus on innovation. This detailed knowledge of every aspect of what it takes to make a garment and get it to the end user helps shape his approach.

A complex introduction to new product development

After he joined the new product development team seven years ago, the first range Adrian worked on was multi-norm waterproofs. Multi-norm products protect against a range of hazards and have to meet the specifications and standards for each of them. Not the simplest of ranges to make a start on, but this had advantages.

“I had to quickly learn about the certification process,”

Adrian says.

“What it takes to pass each of the standards, the issues to look out for, the technical detail you need to put together, and the testing the garments have to go through.

“Working on a multi-norm product meant I had to learn about multiple standards at once. It was a steep learning curve, but beneficial in the long-run as everything after that seemed simple!”

Making improvements to the FlamePro ranges

Adrian now heads up the team tasked with new product development (NPD) for both FlamePro and ProGARM. He studied the range and the market for 18 months before starting on the project to create the new Valiant suit.

“To me, new product development is a careful balance of understanding what the customer wants and seeing where the market is going. A bit like Henry Ford said, if he’d have given people what they asked for, he’d have come up with a faster horse.”

Adrian explained.

“We need to create products people want and need, but also spot the opportunities to come up with something genuinely new and different to fulfil that need.”

After assembling the expert team who would create the new product, comprising Adrian’s own in-house NPD team including technical fabric expert Stanley Russell, ergonomics specialist Lorraine Costello and our sales manager Reece Buchner for industry insight, Adrian stepped into the role of project manager for the new range.

Once the product was designed, Adrian used his significant experience to secure certification of the new FlamePro Valiant structural suit. It took more than 12 months – the lengthiest certification process Adrian has ever experienced. There were more than 250 tests on component parts and the garment as a whole, to ensure that it meets or exceeds all of the necessary criteria.

So is that job done for Adrian now the new range has been launched?

“Not at all,”

he says.

“We’re only just getting started! Watch this space for a whole spectrum of new product launches.”

A giant leap forward in structural fire suits

The team didn’t let us down. FlamePro’s new generation of FlamePro structural suit represents a huge leap forward.

To read more about Valiant and find the links to the datasheets about it, visit the product page.

To discuss your requirements, give one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

Fabric innovations for the new 770/775 suits

Posted on April 5, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

Meet Valiant – New technologies. New designs. New Benchmark.

Three major components of a fire-fighting structural suit influence its performance and how heavy it is to wear – the outer fabric, the thermal moisture barrier, and the quilted inner layer which provides the heat protection.

Fire brigades have always had to balance how much thermal protection they want their suits to provide with comfort and wearability for their fire crews – more protection generally makes a suit heavier to wear, meaning fire fighters get hotter, are more at risk of heat stress, and of tiring more quickly.

That’s not a compromise you have to make any more.

FlamePro’s new structural turn-out suit, Valiant, sweeps away the need to choose between comfort and performance. But how did we create a suit that minimises these compromises?

Industry expertise

We started by listening to firefighters and assembling the right team. A team of experts in garment design, ergonomics, new product development, and technical fabrics to help us conceive the very best structural fire-fighting suit that would set a new benchmark.

Then we started from scratch. The new range is not an evolution of existing products, it’s revolution, born from the team’s expertise and access to the best technologies there are.

Two major innovations allow our new Valiant suit to deliver protection, comfort and practicality – a new moisture barrier, and a revolutionised thermal lining.

Moisture barrier innovation

They say if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got. We knew the traditional Gore-Tex Fire Blocker membrane had been used by fire-fighter PPE companies for more than 15 years. There had to be something better.

Our fabric specialist, multi-award-winning Stanley Russell knew just where to look.

The manufacturer of the non-woven product in Fire Blocker had developed a 3D version of the traditional non-woven structure. The fabric structure creates space for air to move, enhancing the speed with which moisture is transferred away from the skin, keeping firefighters cooler for longer.

We commissioned a version of this which has been combined with a customised version of the Event membrane – renowned as the most breathable ePTFE membrane in the world and used by the US military.

This exclusive combination, currently only available in Valiant, gave us a moisture barrier that:

• is the same weight as Fire Blocker
• offers increased breathability, moisture management and high-temperature wash durability
• delivers better thermal performance against radiant heat than like-for-like suits

A new approach to the fire suit’s thermal lining layer

The component that adds the most weight to a structural fire-fighting suit is the thermal lining, which provides the heat protection. Traditionally, barriers are a combination of woven fabric, quilted to spun lace or needle felt, with both fabrics being 100% aramids or aramid blends. This creates a bulky layer which may have high thermal properties but has moderate breathability, lower comfort levels, and could trap moisture.

We wanted to create a revolutionary new thermal lining layer that reduces bulk, increases breathability but still provides excellent thermal protection.

The team worked with one of the world’s leading manufacturers to create a 3D woven structure that combines aramid and viscose to create a fabric with market-leading breathability, superior moisture transportation to keep moisture away from the skin, and great thermal performance without being bulky.

Market-leading fire-fighting fabric systems and totally new designs

We’re shaking up the market with our new Valiant range. It allows buyers to combine our innovative and market-leading moisture barrier and lining with a choice of five outer fabrics to create a structural fire-fighting suit that meets the needs of their brigade.

All of the range features changes to create enhanced comfort, such as Kevlar ® re-enforced knee and elbow pads, lumbar support to make it more comfortable wearing breathing apparatus, and chunky grab tabs to allow you to adjust your suit and access pockets without exposing your hands.

The Valiant suit is also the first on the market to offer fully-certified glow-in-the-dark strips as standard, with different placements on the front and the back of the jacket. This clever idea means if a firefighter is unconscious and needs rescuing in the dark, you’ll not only be able to see them, but you’ll be able to see what position they are in too. And they have been tested through 50 wash cycles.

Choose from male or female cuts in XS to 4XL and from extra small to XX tall – 96 choices for the perfect fit for all your firefighters.

Get in touch to chat to one of our friendly experts by calling +44 (0) 1332 341030.

How to inspect your firefighting kit

Posted on March 22, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

No matter what task you’re undertaking, your kit is your last line of defence between you and the fire, floodwater, corrosive chemicals or other hazards you are dealing with. Keeping it in top condition is of paramount importance.

While a generation ago scorch marks and dirt would have been worn as a badge of pride, today’s firefighters know that a clean, well-maintained kit is a safe kit.

In 2019, British Standard BS8617 was introduced to give firefighters guidance on the cleaning, maintenance and repairs of personal protective equipment (PPE) to make sure it keeps you safe. It covers the inspection, testing, cleaning, decontamination, drying, repairs, replacement, retirement/disposal, recording, storage and transportation of kit. It’s a comprehensive standard.

We published a blog at the time that goes into more detail about the standard and what it means for you.

Within the standard, there is a recommendation that all fire services should have a contract in place for outsourcing the cleaning and maintenance of their PPE. In order to effectively use a cleaning and maintenance company, in-house inspections are required to ensure that you’re keeping on top of any issues that might crop up between regular maintenance.

What to inspect and when

Anyone involved in firefighting or associated activities needs to complete a routine inspection every time you get a new piece of kit, at the start of every shift and after you use the kit. Your whole structural suit needs to be inspected after every call out. Different conditions can cause different issues, but sometimes general wear and tear will make itself known at the most inconvenient of times and you definitely don’t want it falling apart when you need it the most.

Each time, check your garments (jacket and trousers), helmet, gloves, footwear and fire hood.

What to look for

Some damage is not so easy to spot, so a thorough inspection is required:

• Check the surface of the fabric for holes, rips, tears and scuffs

• Shine a torch over reflective surfaces to make sure they remain reflective

• Check the durable waterproof repellent layer (DWR). Having this coating working properly will not only keep out water, but will also protect you from battery acid, other chemicals and, crucially, particulates. Use a spray bottle to mist water over the fabric. If it pools in droplets, the DWR is working fine, but if it soaks into the fabric, it’s time to get it re-treated

• Check that Velcro adheres properly and zips and other fasteners close properly. If you have been in a grassy environment, the Velcro can easily become matted and fail to close properly

• Stress test the fabric. Push a blunt object against the fabric. It shouldn’t go through, but if it does, it’s a good sign of UV damage that has weakened the fabric

What to do when there’s a problem

Your fire service should have clear guidance for what to do when PPE needs to be repaired or replaced. There are steps you can take to preserve the life of your kit. Read our blog on how to maintain your firefighting kit here.

We hope that’s a good short guide to how to inspect your firefighting kit – if you want more details about our comprehensive range of high quality firefighting garments and PPE, call one of our experts on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

How to maintain your firefighting kit

Posted on March 8, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

When you are busy fighting fires and rescuing people, you might not have thought about how to maintain your firefighting kit.

Anyone involved in firefighting knows that their kit is their best friend. This safety barrier protects people working on the frontline from all manner of hazards, from freezing cold temperatures to the most extreme heat, from toxic chemicals to the invisible hazard of particulates.

But the kit can only do so much on its own. Making sure the kit is up to the task is, at least in part, down to the user.

So how can anyone involved in firefighting and associated activities preserve the life of their kit through regular maintenance?

New British Standard for maintaining your firefighting kit

BS8617 was published in 2019 with detailed guidance for the inspection, testing, cleaning, decontamination, drying, repairs, replacement, and retirement/disposal of firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE). While it recommends that each fire service should have a contract provider for cleaning and maintaining kit, there are also steps individuals can take to preserve their equipment.

Understanding your durable water repellent layer (DWR)

The DWR layer is the element of your structural suit that makes the biggest difference between it being professional safety equipment and normal clothes. As the name suggests, it keeps out water, but it also protects you from other liquids, including battery acid and other corrosive chemicals.

Crucially, though, by making the fabric non-porous, the DWR also keeps out particulates, which are now widely recognised as one of the biggest dangers to the health of a firefighter. Particulates in a firefighting scenario can penetrate the skin and get into the blood stream, where they can be carcinogenic. We have a whole blog post on particulates here.

Maintaining your DWR is a simple yet effective measure against these known poisons. To check whether your suit is still water (and particulate) tight, simply spray it with water from a spray bottle. If the water pools in droplets on the surface, the DWR is working effectively. If it soaks into the fabric, the DWR has failed and the garment needs to be re-treated.

When to repair and when to replace your firefighting suits

Within BS8617 is provision for keeping excellent records and traceability for all PPE items. This provides the opportunity to keep a close eye on maintenance spending, monitoring how much money is spent on each item. If a new jacket costs £200 for example, and you have already invested £150 in repairs, there’s a good chance it will be more cost effective to replace the jacket the next time it is damaged instead of paying for another repair.

Garments will also need to be retired if they are over 10 years old (or older than the lifespan determined by the manufacturer) or if they have been contaminated by chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear agents.

Good maintenance protocols go hand in hand with constant kit inspections to flag issues as they arise. Read more about kit inspections here.

Now you have more information about how to maintain your firefighting kit, if you’ve identified that replacement is better than more repairs then take a look at our full range of structural, wildland fire, HVP and rescue kit here, or call one of our experts on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

637 Firefighter Coveralls

Head to toe coverage for firefighting anywhere

From structural fires to wildland fires and even firefighting offshore, the 637 Firefighting Coveralls are the one-piece protection suit that is on your side. Highly visible and completely waterproof, this suit is a true all-rounder.

Using Kermel Aramid fabric, this suit offers high heat and flame resistance without compromising breathability.

We’ve designed in all the features your firefighters need to keep their equipment handy as well as smart wrist and ankle hems that keep the water out.

Why UK firefighting kit must meet BS EN469:2020 Level 2 standards

Posted on January 25, 2021June 4, 2024 by Dominic Beasty

A revised version of the European standard for firefighter protective clothing – BS EN469 – has been published in 2020 so we wanted to take the time to explain why UK state brigade kit must meet BS EN469 Level 2 standards.

The new European Standard makes several key changes and improvements on the 2005 version and our previous blog explains what the new revisions mean.

One element that we know UK-based crews are struggling to make sense of is the Level 1 and Level 2 standards, so here we explain the difference, why it exists and how it applies here in the UK.

Understanding the levels

The European Standard specifies Level 1 kit for fighting fires in the open, wildland fires, for example. Level 2 kit is full structural kit, the kind that is intended to keep you safe no matter what you are doing. The kind that repels water, contaminants and steam, but lets out sweat.

Some clothing meets Level 1 and some clothing meets both Levels 1 and 2.

Why UK crews need Level 2 kit and why Level 1 exists

Within the EU, particularly in France and Spain, and also in the US, firefighting crews can be split into two units – the ones who go into burning buildings and those who stay outside. Since full structural kit is intended to protect against structural fires, including flashovers, there’s a trade-off between comfort and safety. For those who stay outside, lighter, more breathable kit that conforms to Level 1 will keep the crews safe enough, but those facing the heat and intensity of the fire need far higher levels of protection.

Here in the UK, most Fire and Rescue Service crews operate a single crew model, where everyone has to be ready to deal with all situations and levels of risk, meaning full structural kits that conform to Level 2 standards are a must for everyone.

Of course, there are still situations where Level 1 kit will do the job: wildland fires, rescue operations (although there are specific wildland and rescue firefighter clothing standards) and clear up operations are easier to do in lighter kit that doesn’t need the same heat or water resistance.

Kit for on ships

Marine companies must have firefighting kit on board. Few ships have a dedicated firefighting crew, rather a team with firefighting training but other on-board responsibilities. Most fire situations on a ship can be dealt with using a fire extinguisher, while larger events will lead straight to an evacuation, but in the event that crew members face a fire that needs fighting, they’re going to need kit that is similar to EN 469:2020 Level 2, but the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have their own standards.

It can be tempting to save costs with a lower specification suit, but in the confined environments on a ship, clothing equivalent to EN 469:2020 Level 1 kits will not be sufficient, exposing firefighting crew to an unnecessary level of risk.

The FlamePro Beacon fire fighters kit provides the full range of safety measures for firefighting on the high seas.

What to look out for when buying kit

The word “lightweight” will be music to the ears of anyone who has had to don full structural firefighting kit, but these items are lightweight for a reason. Lightweight often equals less protection, less heat insulation and no moisture barrier.

Moisture barriers are essential for structural kit as they prevent water, pathogens and steam getting to the skin, causing burns and contamination. Level 1 compliant suits don’t have to have this.

Not only can FlamePro Level 2 compliant suits be relied on to keep the wearer safe, they also have a fully-fledged PTFE membrane that allows the maximum amount of vapour (sweat) out of the garments. Others may have PU membranes which are more like plastic bags.

To understand the British and international standards that apply to firefighting kit, visit the certifications and standards page of our website. Each item in our catalogue, lists which standard it is compliant with so you can buy with confidence, which is useful. now you know why UK state brigade kit must meet BS EN 469 Level 2 standards.

If you would like any further advice on what to look for when specifying your firefighting kit don’t hesitate to get in touch or call one of our experts on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

177 Firefighter Flash Hood

Secondary protection against heat, flames and electric arc

Keep your team ready for anything with FlamePro’s 177 Firefighter Flash Hood. We have designed this comfortable, double layer hood with Kermel fibres, to protect against heat, flames and electric arc as part of a full firefighting kit.

Easily adjustable with four-way stretch, the 177 is designed to fit everyone and to be worn with other protective headgear when your firefighters are on rescue missions or providing assistance during disasters.

173 PTFE Full Cover Particulate Protection Hood

The most advanced full cover particulate hood

Equally suited to wildland fires and structural fires, the 173 PTFE Full Cover Particulate Protection Hood blocks 99% of cancer-causing particulates.

We carefully selected Stedair Prevent fabric. It is the only highly breathable, air permeable and flame-resistant material with a composite barrier which offers superior particle blocking performance and durability.

Tested through 250 wash cycles, this hood provides the same high standards of protection as when it’s brand new.

And it is comfortable to wear, absorbing sweat and driving out water. The hood is lightweight and features strong, flatlock seams that won’t chafe.

FlamePro’s pioneering design always has firefighters in mind.

172 Critical Cover Particulate Protection Hood

The most advanced critical cover particulate hood

Keeping your firefighters safe from cancer is a big responsibility. FlamePro’s 172 Critical Cover Particulate Hood is your not-so-secret weapon against cancer causing particulates.

From the very first time it’s worn, the 172 Critical Cover Particulate Protection Hood blocks 99% of particulates, viruses and bacteria.

We’ve tested the hood through 250 wash cycles and it stands up to the test, providing the same high standards of protection as when it’s brand new.

Using Nomex® Nano Flex technology in all panels, we have designed the hood to be comfortable to wear, while absorbing sweat and driving out water. The hood is lightweight and features strong, flatlock seams that won’t chafe.

FlamePro’s pioneering design always has firefighters in mind.