Customer name – Kent Fire & Rescue Service
Business Sector – State Brigade
Business Requirement – : Specific need PPE due to the increasing amount of Wildfire incidents occurring. Ensuring firefighters were not exposed to the risk of heatstress associated with using structural garments when attending wildfire incidents.
An Overview
Brett Egan-Briers from Kent Fire & Rescue Service (FRS) is the National Firefighters PPE Technical Advisor. He handled procurement for the National Specialist PPE (NSPPE) Wildland PPE Framework in 2022, which selected FlamePro’s Defender as the preferred wildland PPE ensemble for UK firefighters:
“The driver behind this procurement project was the increase in wildland fire incidents occurring in the UK. We have always been susceptible to heath, moorland and grassland fires in the summer months, but these were increasing in frequency and intensity, particularly in London and the South East which were affected by long periods of hot, dry weather.
Nominated by the Commercial Transformation Programme (CTP) as the lead service in creating national procurement frameworks for PPE, Kent FRS was tasked with identifying a preferred wildland kit for the UK’s firefighters, along with a maintenance package to handle ongoing repairs and cleaning. By working together to select a supplier, FRSs would benefit from economies of scale and more efficient route to purchase.
The requirement
Traditionally, UK firefighters have worn structural PPE to all call-outs. This provides full thermal protection when faced with intense fires in buildings, but can be heavy and cumbersome to wear. In reality, tackling structural fires is a small part of a firefighter’s role. Today we attend a wide variety of incidents, from road traffic accidents to flooding, as well as undertaking work in the community providing fire safety advice and education. Around 93% of the time, wearing full structural PPE isn’t necessary, and firefighters would prefer to be operating in kit that is lighter and more comfortable.
At a wildland fire, crews are likely to be wearing kit for long periods of time in hot weather and need to stay comfortable. Specific purpose wildland PPE is usually much better suited to these fires than full structural PPE. It needs to be resistant to radiant heat, flames and embers, but doesn’t require multi-layer thermal protection against the intense heat of structural fires. As a result, it is usually lighter and more breathable, which is preferable when fighting fires in hot weather. We set about creating a procurement framework to make it easier and more affordable for FRSs to purchase this specialist kit.
The tender process
A thorough pre-qualification assessment was conducted to verify important criteria amongst potential suppliers, and as a result, three PPE suppliers were invited to tender, each putting forward designs and samples for consideration.
The ensembles were then tested by a selection of firefighters from Fire and Rescue Services across the country, who undertook various training scenarios whilst wearing the kit. The entire process took into account transparency, innovation, business resilience, value for money, and feedback from the wearer trials.
FlamePro’s Defender was a firm favourite at the wearer trials, and the company’s in-house design, manufacturing and testing capabilities ensured that samples and designs met the technical requirements. In addition, FlamePro’s partnership with the Johnsons Workwear network of cleaning facilities across the country, meant that a comprehensive fully managed service package was available for FRSs in all locations, enabling crucial ongoing maintenance of the kit. As a result, Defender was selected as the wildland PPE of choice for the Framework.
To date, I understand that FRSs from Lancashire, Cumbria, Surrey, Hampshire, North Wales and Norfolk have purchased the kit, and are putting it to good use on wildland fire call outs.
The investment
Wildland fires are an increasing problem in the UK and likely to become more frequent with climate change. When considering costs, it’s important that FRSs look holistically at the whole life costs of their PPE stock in light of the incidents they are likely to face. Specialist PPE is often considered an additional cost, but can offer good value for money if it can help prolong the life of more expensive structural PPE.
All firefighters must have access to full structural PPE in case of a serious incident, and most have two personal issue sets to allow for cleaning. This kit is generally more costly due to the higher level of thermal protection and complex combination of materials required. However, the repeated wearing and washing of structural kit can shorten its useful life significantly, meaning that it’s not
economical to wear this kit to all call-outs. Depending on the location and types of incidents faced by individual FRSs, purchasing specific purpose Wildland or Technical Rescue PPE could save on the cost of replacing structural sets in the long run, whilst ensuring firefighters are working in comfort with suitable protection.”