data collection summary for ppe care and maintenance

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Data Collection Summary for

PPE Care and Maintenance

A Summary of Data on

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Care and Maintenance Practices

Collected from

the Fire Service, Independent Service Providers, and PPE Manufacturers

Prepared by:

Paul Kashmanian and Casey C. Grant, P.E.

Fire Protection Research Foundation

© February 2014

The Fire Protection Research Foundation One Batterymarch Park Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 02169-7471 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.nfpa.org/foundation

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.nfpa.org/foundation

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FOREWORD

Fire fighting personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential part of the gear used by

fire fighters. Like all equipment, fire fighting PPE requires appropriate care and

maintenance. The goal of this project is to provide a data collection summary of current

practice and policies for fire service PPE care and maintenance, with resulting

deliverables that help guide standards revisions as well as to support future research on

this topic.

The Fire Protection Research Foundation expresses gratitude to members of the

project’s technical panel for their guidance throughout the project and to all others who

contributed to this research effort. Special thanks are expressed to the National Fire

Protection Association (NFPA) for providing the project funding through the NFPA

Annual Code Fund.

The content, opinions, and conclusions contained in this report are solely those of the

authors.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Fire Protection Research Foundation expresses gratitude to those that assisted with

the development and review of the information contained in this report. The Research

Foundation appreciates the guidance provide by the Project Technical Panel, and from

the NFPA who provided funding.

About the Fire Protection Research Foundation

The Fire Protection Research Foundation plans, manages, and communicates research

on a broad range of fire safety issues in collaboration with scientists and laboratories

around the world. The Foundation is an affiliate of NFPA.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the

international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden

of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus

codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300

codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All

NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

Keywords: fire, fire service, fire fighting, personal protective equipment, PPE, gear,

care, maintenance, inspection, cleaning, retirement

http://www.nfpa.org/research/fire-protection-research-foundation

http://www.nfpa.org/freeaccess

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PROJECT TECHNICAL PANEL

Ken Block, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services & Metro Chiefs (AB)

Rita Fahy, NFPA Fire Analysis & Research Division (MA)

Bill Haskell, NIOSH NPPTL (MA)

Steve King, NFPA TC on FAE-SPF Chair & FDNY Retired (NY)

Steve Lakey, VISPA & Northwest Safety Clean Inc. (OR)

Beth Lancaster, CTTSO/TSWG (VA)

Karen Lehtonen, Lion Apparel Inc (OH)

Kirk Owen, NFPA Fire Service Section & TenCate (TX)

Jim Reidy, Texas State Association of Fire Fighters (TX)

Jeff Stull, International Personnel Protection Inc. (TX)

Tim Tomlinson, Addison FD & Gear Cleaning Solutions (TX)

Dave Trebisacci, NFPA TC on FAE-SPF Staff Liaison (MA)

PROJECT SPONSOR

National Fire Protection Association

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 13

Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................... 15

Chapter 2: Background/Literature Review ....................................................................... 19

2.1 General Issues Involving PPE Use, Care and Maintenance ..................................... 19

2.2 PPE Related Standards ............................................................................................ 21

2.3 Fire Service PPE Inventory ...................................................................................... 23

2.4 Health and Safety Research Related to PPE ........................................................... 26

2.5 Research on PPE Use, Care and Maintenance ........................................................ 27

Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 31

Chapter 4: Results ............................................................................................................. 33

4.1 Fire Service .............................................................................................................. 35

4.1.1 Line Fire Service Member Survey Results ........................................................ 37

4.1.2 Staff Fire Service Member Survey Results ....................................................... 65

4.1.3 Both Fire Service Members Survey Results ..................................................... 89

4.2 Independent Service Providers (ISPs) ................................................................... 119

4.3 Manufacturers ...................................................................................................... 143

Chapter 5: Summary Observations ................................................................................. 161

References ...................................................................................................................... 163

Annex A: Fire Service Survey Announcement ................................................................. 167

Annex B: Fire Service Survey Questions ......................................................................... 169

Annex C: Independent Service Provider (ISP) Survey Questions .................................... 187

Annex D: Manufacturer Survey Questions ..................................................................... 193

Annex E: Independent Service Provider (ISP) Contacts .................................................. 197

Annex F: Manufacturer Contacts .................................................................................... 199

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SUMMARY OF FIGURES

Figure 1: The Arrangement of the PPE Maintenance World ............................................ 16

Figure 2: Phase I of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 1 of 3) ............................................... 16

Figure 3: Phase II of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 2 of 3) .............................................. 17

Figure 4: Phase III of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 3 of 3) ............................................. 18

Figure 5: Key Definition from the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851 ......................................... 22

Figure 6: Responsibilities for Garment Element Inspection, Cleaning and Repair ........... 23

Figure 7: Estimation of the Lack of PPE and PPE at Least 10 Years Old............................ 24

Figure 8: Estimation of Departments with Fire Fighters Lacking PPE ............................... 25

Figure 9: Percent of Departments Where Some PPE is At Least 10 Years Old ................. 26

Figure 10: Diagram of Fire Service Survey Layout ............................................................ 33

Figure 11: Divisions and Subdivisions within the Fire Service Survey .............................. 34

Figure 12: Survey Results, Fire Service Members Question 1 .......................................... 35

Figure 13: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 2 .................................. 37








Figure 21: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 10 ................................ 45
















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Figure 39: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 31 ............................... 65
























Figure 63: Survey Results, Fire Service, Both Members Question 58............................... 89











Figure 74: Survey Results, Fire Service, Both Members Question 69............................. 100



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Figure 92: Survey Results, ISP Question 1 ...................................................................... 120








Figure 100: Survey Results, ISP Question 9 .................................................................... 128

Figure 101: Survey Results, ISP Question 10 .................................................................. 129












Figure 113: Survey Results, Manufacturer Question 1 ................................................... 144




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Figure 122: Survey Results, Manufacturer Question 10 ................................................. 153







Figure 129: Announcement for Fire Service PPE Survey ................................................ 167

Figure 130: Fire Service Survey, Page 1 .......................................................................... 169









Figure 139: Fire Service Survey, Page 10 ........................................................................ 178








Figure 147: ISP Survey, Page 1 ........................................................................................ 187





Figure 152: Manufacturer Survey, Page 1 ...................................................................... 193




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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Fire fighting is inherently dangerous, and personal protective equipment (PPE) is a

critical part of the gear used by fire fighters. All gear requires appropriate care and

maintenance, and fire service PPE is no exception. Improper care can shorten the life of

PPE and affect its performance, while cleaning gear too infrequently could influence

contamination risks such as cancer.

The goal of this project is to provide a data collection summary of current practice and

policies for fire service PPE care and maintenance. This project is intended to provide

useful background information to help guide standards revisions and support future

research addressing cleaning, decontamination, retirement, and related care and

maintenance issues.

Currently, NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective

Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting provides requirements

for the selection, care, and maintenance of structural and proximity PPE; however, it

lacks specificity in certain key technical areas. Revisions to these requirements occur

periodically, and the data collected by this effort is intended to assist with the on-going

assessment and revision of these requirements. Further, as future research is

conducted on PPE related issues such as cleaning, decontamination and retirement, it is

intended that the data collected by this research study will provide helpful baseline

information to better guide future research.

The primary approach to achieve the project goal is through an extensive information

collection effort using online survey tools, supported by a brief review of the applicable

literature and typical practices within this community. The questions in these surveys

are varied, based on certain distinguishing characteristics of each of the three key

stakeholder groups and in some cases soliciting personal opinions on the topics. The

online surveys have been focused toward capturing pertinent information and address

the following primary constituent groups and sub-groups:

1) Fire Service

a) Line (Fire Fighters)

b) Staff (Administration)

c) Those Involved as Both (e.g., Line Fire Fighters with Policy Responsibility)

2) Independent Service Providers (ISPs)

3) Manufacturers

http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/document-information-pages?mode=code&code=1851


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The key summary observations from this data collection effort are that the role of

standards has value in providing a baseline, more education and out-reach is needed

with the user community of best practices, and further research on this topic is needed.

This report will be provided to the applicable NFPA Technical Committees for their

consideration, along with other public input, as they continue their work the next

edition of NFPA 1851.

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The care and maintenance of fire fighter PPE is a long-standing issue. This topic has

been the subject of discussions at various technical and professional forums (e.g., 2012

Urban Fire Forum).1 Subsequently, this topic was submitted as a research project under

the NFPA Code Fund program, and as a result received funding and was initiated in the

spring of 2013.2 This report will be provided to the appropriate NFPA Technical

Committees for their consideration, along with other public input, as they continue their

work the next edition of NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of

Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.

A key question that lacks a clear answer and that helped initiate this effort is: “How are

fire fighters and fire departments maintaining their PPE?” Using this as a starting point,

other questions that were considered and help define the PPE landscape include the

following:

How often are fire fighters and fire departments cleaning their gear?

What is the average shelf-time (time spent sitting in storage) of the gear?

Are fire fighters and fire departments using gear that was manufactured

more than 10 years ago?

What happens to the gear once it is “retired”?

To address these questions, this study provides a brief literature review on areas that

relate to the issue of PPE care and maintenance. These areas include the evaluation of

PPE, the needs of the fire service, and the impact on health.

In addition to the literature review, this study surveyed three constituencies – the fire

service, ISPs and manufacturers. The methodology section of this report describes how

a data collection survey tool was developed, distributed, and collected for each

constituency. The results provide the data collected from each of the three primary

surveys, followed by brief summary observations.

In terms of providing and handling fire service PPE, the groups of interest are the PPE

manufacturers, independent service providers (ISPs), and distributors. In general,

manufacturers generate the PPE, distributors act as agents on behalf of manufacturers

to distribute the products, and the ISPs are generally stand-alone organizations focused

on care and maintenance.



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Figure 1 shows the operational relationship that exists between the groups that provide

and handle fire service PPE. Some organizations are solely one of these three types, but

others function as a combination. For example, there are some companies that provide

care and maintenance services as an ISP and also operate as a PPE distributor.

Figure 1: The Arrangement of the PPE Maintenance World

It is helpful to consider the typical life cycle of fire service PPE. This is illustrated by a

series of three related illustrations shown in Figures 2 through 4, each of which show a

particular phase of the PPE lifecycle.

Figure 2: Phase I of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 1 of 3)

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Starting this lifecycle, the PPE is produced by the manufacturer, as illustrated in Figure 2.

The next step is that the PPE is sent and/or sold to the fire service; however, a

distributor could be involved in this process. Manufacturers either sell their PPE directly

to the fire service or use a distributor to sell their PPE.

Figure 3: Phase II of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 2 of 3)

As shown in Figure 3, once the PPE is purchased and in the possession of the fire service,

it experiences constant environmental exposures (e.g., chemicals, fires, sunlight, etc.)

that detract from the PPE’s design characteristics. Within the fire service, the PPE will go

through a series of continuous cycles that include cleaning, inspecting, and repairing.

Here we see that the cleaning and repairing is handled either in-house or outsourced.

The outsourcing for both cleaning and repairing is performed by the ISPs or

manufacturers while the in-house tasks can be conducted by the end users (i.e., fire

fighters) or trained personnel within the fire department. It is noted that while

inspections, cleaning, and some repairs can be done in-house by trained personnel, if

advanced garment repairs are done in‐house the fire department is expected to also

include third party verification. Typically, advanced garment repairs are done by the

original garment manufacturer or a verified ISP.

When the PPE reaches the end of its use in the fire service, it is moved along to

retirement as illustrated in Figure 4. Once it is removed from service it can be either

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discarded/destroyed or used for non-live fire training purposes. In some cases used

gear is re-sold. This re-sold gear may possibly return to frontline use, typically via

different fire fighters and different fire departments. The re-use of old used gear is

discouraged, especially PPE that is either over 10 years old or has been deemed unsafe

and removed from service regardless of age, based on lack of assurance on the integrity

of its original performance characteristics.

Figure 4: Phase III of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 3 of 3)

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CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND/LITERATURE REVIEW

This section provides a brief review of the available and applicable literature on this

topic. This is done for the purposes of providing a baseline for consideration and to

provide a useful context for the data collection effort. It’s acknowledged that this is not

an exhaustive review of the applicable literature.

2.1 General Issues Involving PPE Use, Care and Maintenance

The literature is full of reports, articles and publications that address all aspects of PPE,

including its use, care and maintenance. Some of the more noteworthy examples are

explored in this section.

The fire service relies heavily on the durability and performance of their PPE to fulfill

their duties. Without adequate fire-fighting gear, the fire service is challenged to

complete the tasks they are asked to perform. Manufacturers are relied upon to provide

acceptable performance characteristics of PPE, while the independent service providers

(ISPs) are responsible for making sure the PPE is properly maintained. Fire departments

are responsible for making sure their PPE is properly maintained, and they can do much

of this in-house, use an ISP or their PPE manufacturer.

The durability and performance characteristics of fire-fighting PPE have become topics

of interest since the NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of

Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, was first

established in 2001. 3 One such study by researchers at the University of Kentucky

focused on the post-use evaluation of fire fighter gear.4 This is intended to compare

durability and performance of used fire fighter gear as well as whether the 10-year

retirement rule is suitable or not.

Cleaning is important for maintaining useable gear and minimizing long-term fire fighter

exposure to contaminants, but the cleaning process itself may erode the original

protection features built into the gear, and ultimately compromises the durability and

performance characteristics of the original PPE. This is taken into account with the

evaluation methods set forth by both NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for

Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, and NFPA 1851, which are meant to

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be used in determining whether fire fighter gear is still within the intended tolerances of

its original protective features3, 5

During its lifespan, PPE endures many harsh conditions and environments that can

damage the PPE and, in turn, compromise the fire fighter’s health. Once the level of

safety provided by the PPE has been diminished, it is recommended that it be retired.6

Some reasons and causes for a diminishment in the fire fighter PPE safety level include

exposures to high thermal temperatures, ultra-violet light, and the nature of fire-

fighting operations.7 Even though the new, synthetic fibers developed and used by

manufacturers are helping to lessen the damages inflicted upon fire fighters, there must

also be action taken by the fire fighters to ensure that they are doing whatever they can

do to ensure the performance of their PPE by keeping it clean and well-maintained.

With proper care including inspections, cleaning and repair throughout the life of the

gear, its lifespan can be maximized, and just as importantly if not more so, assure that it

will perform as intended.

A telling indicator of interest in this general subject area is the level of activity handled

by NFPA staff on the advisory service questions they receive on their assigned codes and

standards. These inquiries handled by the NFPA staff are telltale examples of the kinds

of issues that are facing fire fighters, manufacturers, and ISPs.

For example, during the time frame of June 2012 to June 2013 there were a total of 46

inquiries transmitted to NFPA staff on NFPA 1851. Of these, 29 inquiries were directed

towards the retirement and replacement of PPE, with other inquiries addressing the

lifespan of helmets and ISP verification.8

The helmet issue was one of recent special attention involving the retirement of old and

used equipment. This relates to the argument that helmets should be exempt from a

blanket retirement age that is applied to other PPE. This is a topic that is complicated by

fire service tradition on wearing scuffed, rugged-looking helmets as a “badge of pride.”9

The world of PPE is vast and involved in many other industries besides fire fighting and

emergency response. Examples of other applications are mining, law enforcement and

the military. In the United States, the sale of PPE is a relatively large market.

In recent years the aftermarket sales arena of PPE has proliferated. Here, aftermarket

refers to used gear sold by other than the original equipment manufacturer. It is natural

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marketplace dynamics for older gear to be re-sold if it still has value, and fire fighter PPE

is no exception.

Aftermarket sales of PPE raise questions with the retirement of PPE. This is addressed

by NFPA 1851 which indicates that the retirement of fire fighter protective ensembles

and ensemble elements should not exceed 10 years past the date of manufacture and

that the fire fighter gear may only be used for “…training that does not involve live fire,

provided the ensembles and ensemble elements are appropriately marked as being for

non-live fire training only…”.10 It further indicates that the fire fighter gear should be

disposed of and not placed back into the active fire combat.

In practical applications these NFPA 1851 provisions pertaining to retirement are often

not followed. Various online auction and product sites demonstrate that it is relatively

easy to locate and purchase used fire fighter gear that is past the 10 year mark for

retirement. Recent advancement of the internet and the World Wide Web technology

has greatly facilitated the handling of this used aftermarket equipment. In recognizing

this situation, it should be clearly understood that selling, or giving, used PPE that is

either over 10 years old, or has been deemed unsafe and removed from service

regardless of age, is not recommended or allowed by NFPA 1851. 11

2.2 PPE Related Standards

Standards are a tool in today’s civilized world to reflect the will of society on complex

technical topics. By their very nature standards establish requirements and limitations,

and they do so to achieve acceptable levels of health and safety.

There are multiple standards that pertain directly to fire service PPE, and the two most

notable and directly applicable to the subject area addressed by this report are NFPA

1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire

Fighting, and NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective

Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.12, 13 In general, NFPA

1971 focuses on the design, performance, testing, and certification of new structural

and proximity fire fighting protective ensembles, while NFPA 1851 focuses on care and

maintenance issues.

Specifically, NFPA 1851 has served as the foundation for fire fighters on how their

protective ensembles and ensemble elements should be cared for and maintained.

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Additionally, this standard is important to the independent service providers and PPE

manufacturers.

The scope of NFPA 1851 states that, “This standard shall specify the minimum selection,

care, and maintenance requirements for structural fire fighting protective ensembles

and the individual ensemble elements that include garments, helmets, gloves, footwear,

and interface components that are compliant with NFPA 1971.”14. Additionally, it applies

for proximity fire fighting protective ensembles and ensemble elements.

The 2014 edition of NFPA 1851 was issued in September 2013 and included updated

terminology that clarifies which parties are responsible for each aspect of care and

maintenance, such as inspection, cleaning, and repairing of fire fighter gear. Figure 5

summarizes key definitions. These definitions describe the primary stakeholder groups

that are the focus of the information collection, which are manufacturers, organizations

(that handle fire services), and independent service providers (ISPs).

Figure 5: Key Definition from the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851

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Additional helpful information is included in Figure 6, the responsibilities for garment

element inspection, cleaning and repair from the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851. This

describes the organization responsible for the cleaning, inspection, and repair services

of ensembles and ensemble elements. This addresses the element manufacturer

(MFG), verified Independent Service Provider (V ISP), verified organization (V ORG),

manufacturer-trained organization (MT ORG), and the end user (USER).

Figure 6: Responsibilities for Garment Element Inspection, Cleaning and Repair from

the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851

2.3 Fire Service PPE Inventory

Fire fighters require appropriate gear to protect themselves and others as they fight

fires and carry out their duties, often in a hazardous environment. An important

question is: what is the PPE inventory they are using? Further, how many fire fighters

do not have gear, or is the gear they are using questionable in terms of the performance

parameters for which it was originally designed?

This is partially addressed by a series of “Needs Assessments” conducted by the Fire

Analysis and Research Division at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The

NFPA Fire Analysis and Research Division has released the “Needs Assessment of the

U.S. Fire Service” report approximately at half decade intervals starting in 2001. After

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the initial 2001 first edition, this was followed by the second edition in 2006 and a third

in 2011. The later versions built upon preceding editions, and thus our focus here is on

the “Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service” issued in 201115.

The more notable items within the Third Needs Assessment relating to the scope of this

effort are those that refer to how well fire fighters are equipped with PPE and the age of

the PPE currently being used. As shown in Figure 7, there is both a shortage of PPE and a

plenitude of PPE that is more than 10 years old.16 This is based on over 4,600 fire

department responses, and it illustrates the number of fire fighters in departments

where not all fire fighters are equipped with personal protective clothing. It also shows

the percent of fire departments with some personal protective clothing that is at least

10 years old by size of community. It is noted that numbers in Figure 7 are shown to the

nearest thousand and sums may not equal totals due to rounding.

Figure 7: Estimation of the Lack of PPE and PPE at Least 10 Years Old

The Third Needs Assessment further reports the percent of fire departments where not

all emergency responders have their own PPE by size of communities, and this is shown

here in Figure 8.17 This information is useful in expressing the extent of the PPE

shortage fire fighters are facing in both larger and smaller communities from survey

feedback based on the collection of this data in 2010.

For comparative purposes the information in Figure 8 includes the data collected for all

three Needs Assessments and helps to clarify the percent of fire departments where not

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all responders have their own PPE. Overall, nearly two-thirds (63%) of fire departments

reported that some of their PPE was at least 10 years old (shown in Figure 7).

Figure 8: Estimation of Departments with Fire Fighters Lacking PPE

Figure 9 further expands on Figure 7, and shows the percent of fire departments where

some PPE is at least 10 years old, by size of community.18 Again this provides a side-by-

side comparison of the data collected with all three Needs Assessments, and helps to

demonstrate the trends.

It is noteworthy that there is a correlation between community population and the

percentage of departments with gear that is 10 years or older. Figure 9 also

demonstrates that when the jurisdictional population protected by the fire department

is smaller, the percentage of departments with older fire-fighting gear is larger. The

compiled data in the Third Needs Assessment also indicates that half the fire

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departments do not have reserve PPE sufficient to equip 10% of their emergency

responders.

The information in Figure 9 shows that nearly two-thirds of the fire departments use

PPE that is at least 10 years of age. The trend since 2001 indicates there is a slight drop

in the percentage of fire departments using PPE that is at least 10 years old (74% in

2001 to 63% in 2010), it still remains an important issue for the fire service, especially

for the smaller departments that struggle for available resources.

Figure 9: Percent of Departments Where Some PPE is At Least 10 Years Old

2.4 Health and Safety Research Related to PPE

Some of the research in the literature addresses fire fighter safety and health issues.

These studies raise questions on the possible influence that dirty or contaminated gear

may have on the long-term health and well-being of fire fighters.

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For example, Occupational and Environmental Medicine recently published an

informative scientific NIOSH report concerning the health risks associated with

firefighting. The report, “Mortality and cancer incidence in a pooled cohort of U.S. fire

fighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia (1950–2009),” used a large sample

pool of fire fighters for evaluation and found that there is a correlation between

firefighting and cancer.19

The significance of this particular report is its use of the largest sample set of fire

fighters to date, approximately 30,000, and its supplement to similar findings in other

research related to cancer and disease in fire fighters.20 Cancers that fire fighters are at

increased risk of developing include those of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary

systems.21

Additionally, this is the first study to report evidence of malignant mesothelioma, a rare

cancer consisting of malignant cells that are found in the linings of the stomach. In

comparison to the U.S. population, fire fighters experienced twice as many incidents of

malignant mesothelioma mortality.22 This information places the spotlight on the

dangerous occupation of fire-fighting and the importance that must be placed on using

clean and safe PPE.

Fire fighters expose themselves to hazards other than fire, which include biological,

chemical, nuclear, electrical, and mechanical hazards among others.23 However, the

pollutants and dangerous particles that result from fire are often detrimental to a fire

fighter’s health. Even during the aftermath of a fire, fire fighters may be exposed to

contaminants that include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), brominated flame

retardants (BFRs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other fire particulates.24

Additionally, it has been reported that fire fighters can also be exposed to PCDD/Fs and

PBDD/Fs.25 As fire fighters are becoming increasingly aware of the toxic chemicals they

are exposed to on duty and the associated cancer and disease risks, the emphasis on

using PPE that is (1) able to withstand harsh conditions, and is (2) clean or does not

contain any contaminants from previous activity.

2.5 Research on PPE Use, Care and Maintenance

All equipment used by the fire service requires on-going care and maintenance, from

fire hose to fire apparatus, from ladders to SCBA. For example, NFPA standards have

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been in place for much of the last century, with document like NFPA 1961, Standard on

Fire Hose, in existence since 1898. In recent decades a greater awareness of health and

safety issues has resulted in an elevated focus on the care and maintenance of arguably

the most important equipment fire fighters use, their PPE.

Research on the general subject of PPE care and maintenance has seen active on-going

work over the last several decades. This is exemplified by a summary published in 1999

of a status update of research on fire service PPE and future directions.26 This provided

a focus on developing methods to estimate equipment lifespans, development of test

standards for thermal protection, and recommendation for future PPE research.

One research project that provided a framework for other research that followed later

was an effort that summarized the “Research, Testing and Analysis of the

Decontamination of Firefighting Protective Clothing and Equipment.”27 This was a multi-

part effort with the first portion of the work provided in 1996 and the follow-up portion

building upon this work and completed in 1999. The effort reviewed retired PPE and

evaluated the effectiveness of care and maintenance practices under a variety of

situations, and also addressed the impact of multiple cleanings on certain performance

characteristics designed into the original PPE.

One later study addressed this topic as part of the United States Fire Administration

Executive Fire Officer (USFA EFO) program. In a report, “Addressing Maintenance and

Replacement Issues of Structural Firefighting Ensembles for Honolulu Fire fighters,” the

study indicates how some fire departments operate to supply their fire fighters with the

safest PPE and provide the best care and maintenance procedures while operating

within a set budget.28 As an example the study highlights one large department with a

$1 million budget for its care and maintenance program replaces their gear every 6

years then using the gear for recruits in years 7 through 10 before disposal.29

On the topic of in-house versus outsource cleaning of fire-fighting gear, there are

departments that purchase the washing machines and equipment based on cost

effectiveness. The aforementioned study provides an examples of fire departments

conducting its cleaning and inspecting within the department.30 When fire departments

take this approach they usually use one of the two following formats: (1) a centralized

location where each fire station sends its gear, or (2) each fire station within the

department has its own care and maintenance equipment.

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There are natural variations as to how fire departments and fire fighters handle the care

and maintenance of their structural fire-fighting ensembles and ensemble elements.

Specifically there are multiple approaches to complying with NFPA 1851 requirements,

and these variations range from outsourcing to an independent third party organization,

such as a verified ISP, to keeping care and maintenance of gear in-house and having

someone who is trained in the department performing the cleaning, inspecting, and

repairing. A relatively common approach involves fire departments that do much or all

of their inspections and cleaning in‐house, but use an ISP for all repairs. Some

departments do only a portion of their inspections and cleaning in‐house and use an ISP

to assist. It is worth noting that based on the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851, advanced

garment repairs can only be done by the manufacturer, a Verified ISP, or by a Verified

Organization.

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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

The methodology for this information gathering effort used a data collection approach

that was implemented electronically online via the internet. This was available for

completion for an approximate two-month period starting in late summer, 2013.

The online data collection effort is varied and based on certain distinguishing

characteristics of each of the three key stakeholder groups. These online surveys

focused on capturing pertinent information and address the following primary

constituent groups and sub-groups:

1) Fire Service





3) Manufacturers

The process used for creating the surveys consisted of first identifying the key topics to

address. These include the following:

How often are fire fighters and fire departments cleaning their gear?

What is the average shelf-time (time spent sitting in storage) of the gear?

Are fire fighters and fire departments using gear that was manufactured more

than 10 years ago?

What happens to the gear once it is “retired”?

Questions and available answer choices were revised and refined with the help of the

project panel and others. The questions were then summarized in three separate

electronic survey tools that were made available to interested parties.

The electronic survey for the fire service members was designed to have them answer

certain questions that applied to their position within the fire service. The first question

provided a gateway to establish the specific series of questions the respondent would

answer from that point onward. The reasoning for this method was to have those who

are strictly fire fighters answer fire fighter questions and those who function more in the

administrative aspects of the fire service answer administrative questions.

of 199

It is acknowledged that data collected in this on-line manner has inherent limitations,

such as the possibility of multiple responses from a single organization, or respondents

may or may not have submitted their information as an official spokesperson

representing their particular organization. The data collected have not been evaluated

in the traditional statistical sense, since the pool of respondents is not well defined

based on the open manner of this on-line based collection effort. Nevertheless, the

information collected herein is considered to be of useful guidance for this topic area.

.

of 199

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS

The key part of this project is the on-line data collection. The questions that were used

were designed for (1) members within the fire service, (2) ISPs and (3) PPE

manufacturers. The fire service survey required additional detail for data collection, and

this is displayed in Figure 10.

Figure 10: Diagram of Fire Service Survey Layout

The fire service survey was created to target three specific sub-branches of the fire

service. The three fire service sub-branches are line (fire fighter), staff (administrator),

and both (line and staff). This approach was used because each has specific needs and

interests when it comes to PPE care and maintenance. For example, certain questions

asked about inventory, purchase, and long-time storage, and these are topics applicable

to staff administrators but not necessarily line fire fighters.

of 199

The following sections of this report summarize the results of the surveys. Because the

information is voluminous, it is organized in a logical fashion to assist the user. For the

fire service survey, it was already mentioned that the results are divided into the

following three sub-sections: line, staff, and both. Within these three sections are

parallel subdivisions of questions that address the topics of general information, gear

specific, PPE cleaning, PPE retirement, PPE storage, miscellaneous items, fire exposure,

demographics, and additional information. Figure 11 illustrates the subdivisions within

each section of the fire service survey and the question range for those subdivisions in

the parentheses underneath.

Figure 11: Divisions and Subdivisions within the Fire Service Survey

(Note: the parenthetical numbers refer to the questions in the survey)

of 199

4.1 Fire Service

The fire service survey collected a total of 1,148 responses over a period of

approximately two months (August 29-October 31, 2013). The fire service survey began

with the same first question to determine which duties were handled by the

respondent. It is important to note that 1,473 respondents answered Question 1, and

325 of those then exited the survey thus resulting in 1,148 completing the fire service

survey. From the given choices in Question 1, which asked what role the respondent

fulfills within the fire service, 588 chose “Line,” 205 chose “Staff,” and 355 chose “Both.”

Figure 12: Survey Results, Fire Service Members Question 1

Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

49.4% 728

19.6% 288

31.0% 457

1473

0skip p e d q ue stio n

Staff (Administrator, Policy Setter, Management)

Wha t is yo ur ro le within the Fire Se rv ice ?

a nswe re d q ue stio n

Line (Firefighter, Officer, On-Scene)

Fire Service FINAL survey

Both

Answe r Op tio ns

of 199


of 199

4.1.1 Line Fire Service Member Survey Results

Figure 13: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 2

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

48.8% 287

22.3% 131

28.9% 170

588

140skipped question

No

Are your Policies/SOPs/SOGs based on NFPA 1851?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

52.9% 311

32.5% 191

14.6% 86

588

140skipped question

No

Is your compliance with these Policies/SOPs/SOGs mandatory?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

91.3% 537

0.5% 3

7.3% 43

0.9% 5

588

140

What types of firefighting gear do you have in your possession and/or use?

Other

Structural PPE

skipped question


Both

Answer Options

answered question

Proximity PPE

of 199


One TwoMore Than

Two

Response

Count

375 197 15 587

371 199 15 585

323 215 47 585

492 80 13 585

302 219 65 586

441 125 14 580

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

As a firefighter, how many sets of STRUCTURAL gear do you have assigned to

you (i.e. your responsibility)?

Helmets

Coats

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

13 82 89 70 408 587

13 81 89 70 409 587

9 47 81 65 444 585

9 42 84 64 442 586

8 45 79 65 447 584

9 42 80 62 441 581

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE INSPECTION within your Fire

Department?

Helmets

Coats

of 199


After Each

Fire or When

Dirty

3 to 5 Times

per Year

2 Times per

Year

1 Time

per YearNever Other

Response

Count

164 64 99 188 34 39 588

164 64 99 187 34 39 587

170 63 84 177 47 43 584

162 64 87 181 49 43 586

167 67 88 175 46 43 586

160 67 87 179 47 44 584

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

How often do you or your organization INSPECT its structural fire fighting gear (on average)?

Helmets

Coats

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

4 109 38 40 430 588

4 109 38 40 430 588

1 68 34 30 480 586

1 55 26 25 496 582

1 57 32 30 485 584

0 55 26 24 493 576

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE CLEANING within your Fire Department?

Helmets

Coats

of 199


After Each

Fire or When

Dirty

3 to 5 Times

per Year

2 Times per

Year

1 Time per

YearNever Other

Response

Count

270 47 99 115 19 38 588

270 47 99 114 19 38 587

289 49 82 95 30 42 587

262 36 67 94 71 52 582

276 49 72 97 48 43 585

261 38 65 99 64 53 580

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

How often do you or your organization CLEAN its structural fire fighting gear (on average)?

Helmets

Coats

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

129 361 27 26 70 588

129 360 27 26 69 587

103 265 22 25 128 525

114 240 37 30 158 558

111 252 21 24 134 524

128 247 21 25 126 529

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE REPAIRING within your Fire Department?

Helmets

Coats

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

41.8% 246

37.2% 219

20.9% 123

588

140skipped question

Cleaned at a Central FD On-Site Location

Where is your PPE cleaning conducted?

answered question

Cleaned at Each Station


Cleaning Outsourced to Third Party

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

47.2% 58

9.8% 12

41.5% 51

1.6% 2

123

0

Not Applicable

answered question

skipped question


If outsourced to Third Party, is the Third Party a Verified ISP?

Answer Options

Yes

No

Don't Know

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

15.3% 71

9.9% 46

4.1% 19

65.6% 305

5.2% 24

465

0


Verified by Third Party

Answer Options

Not Applicable

Trained by ISP

skipped question

For Fire Departments that directly handle their own PPE cleaning, what are

the qualifications of the staff?

Not Trained

Trained by Manufacturer

answered question

of 199


Destroyed or

Discarded

Used in Non-

Live Fire

Training

Used in Live

Fire Training

Donated to

OthersResold Don' t Know

Response

Count

181 171 24 155 12 134 587

181 170 23 153 12 133 587

279 113 14 97 7 131 581

194 145 18 135 10 156 583

279 117 15 96 8 126 581

231 136 20 119 8 137 578

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

What happens to the PPE when it is "retired"? (check all that apply)

Helmets

Coats

of 199


1 - 3 Years 3 - 5 years 5 - 7 Years 7 - 10 years 10+ YearsResponse

Count

7 37 84 238 222 588

7 37 86 237 220 587

59 76 84 170 191 580

5 28 67 202 278 580

86 83 81 150 180 580

16 73 104 169 220 582

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

How frequently is your PPE being "retired"?

Helmets

Coats

of 199


Of the 264 respondents who answered ‘yes’ to this question, 243 provided comments.

The largest number of respondents argued that replacement should be based on use,

condition or inspection by an ISP, rather than time from manufacture. For those who

suggested a specific change in lifespan, twice as many respondents suggested a shorter

lifespan (usually 5 years) than a longer lifespan, in some cases pointing out concerns

regarding contaminants and carcinogens in the used gear. Mention was made that the

durability and quality of different types of gear varied, and that that should be taken

into consideration. The point was made that requirements to replace equipment can be

an issue for some departments.

Response

Percent

Response

Count

44.9% 264

55.1% 324

588

140skipped question

No

In your opinion, do you think the NFPA 1851 Standard should revise the

current 10 year maximum lifespan for structural and proximity firefighting

ensembles and ensemble elements?

answered question

Yes


Answer Options

of 199


Fire Station

Dedicated

PPE Storage

Room

Fire

Apparatus

Personal

VehicleHome Other

Response

Count

435 113 10 101 21 3 588

434 114 10 101 22 3 588

435 112 10 101 21 3 587

433 113 10 101 22 3 587

435 112 10 101 21 3 587

428 114 10 101 23 3 584

588

140

Boots


Hoods

skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

For firefighters, when NOT on duty where is your PPE stored? (check all that apply)

Helmets

Coats

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

71.9% 423

26.2% 154

1.9% 11

588

140skipped question

No

Do you believe the area where your protective gear is stored is well

ventilated?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

20.7% 122

79.1% 465

0.2% 1

588

140skipped question

No

Do you believe that your protective gear is exposed to sunlight where it is

stored?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

26.2% 154

69.6% 409

4.3% 25

588

140skipped question

No

Has your gear ever been contaminated with chemicals or hazardous

substances that has required its removal from service?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

68.7% 404

27.6% 162

3.7% 22

588

140skipped question

No

Do you believe your gear is adequately cleaned?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

47.6% 280

49.5% 291

2.9% 17

588

140skipped question

No

Are you concerned about contamination remaining in your clothing?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

5.1% 30

11.2% 66

11.6% 68

15.3% 90

56.8% 334

588

140skipped question

How many live fires (when PPE is exposed to fire) does YOUR FIRE

DEPARTMENT respond to in a given year (12 month period)?

7 - 10

Less Than 3

answered question


5 - 7

Answer Options

10+

3 - 5

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

11.4% 67

25.2% 148

20.7% 122

15.3% 90

27.4% 161

588

140skipped question

How many live fires (when PPE is exposed to fire) do YOU PERSONALLY

respond to in a given year (12 month period)?

7 - 10

Less Than 3

answered question


5 - 7

Answer Options

10+

3 - 5

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

6.0% 35

4.8% 28

6.6% 39

9.5% 56

13.3% 78

19.9% 117

20.7% 122

19.2% 113

588

140skipped question

999,999 - 500,000

24,999 - 10,000

What is the population of the jurisdiction protected by your Fire Department?

249,999 - 100,000

answered question

1,000,000 or more

49,999 - 25,000


499,999 - 250,000

9,999 or less

Answer Options

99,999 - 50,000

of 199


400+ 399-200 199-100 99-50 49-10 9 or fewerResponse

Count

77 24 60 74 127 100 462

7 10 27 59 230 65 398

588

140


skipped question

What is the total number of operation personnel in your Fire Department?

Answer Options

Full-time (Career) Uniform

Part-time (Call or Volunteer)

answered question

of 199

Survey respondents were asked if they had any additional comments or information

they wished to share for this project. Many thoughtful and constructive comments

were received, and they are summarized here.

Several of the respondents reported on the current practices in their own fire

departments concerning cleaning and replacement of PPE, and often expressed concern

about the lack of training, proper cleaning equipment and general understanding about

the importance of cleaning PPE. There were also additional comments about the

retirement requirement being based on measures or considerations other than only the

time from manufacture, similar to those mentioned earlier. There were some questions

about patching equipment, degradation of fabrics and material over time, and

protection from UV exposure during storage.

Some additional suggestions included issuing multiple sets of PPE to each firefighter, or

at least multiple hoods; requiring better fit of firefighting gear; developing a method for

record-keeping; providing more training courses, particularly from the manufacturer;

developing an encapsulating bag to store used PPE; and installing commercial washers

and dryers in all fire stations.

of 199


of 199

4.1.2 Staff Fire Service Member Survey Results

Figure 39: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 31

Response

Percent

Response

Count

87.3% 179

12.7% 26

205

83


skipped question

Does your Fire Department have any Policies/SOPs/SOGs for PPE care and

maintenance?

Answer Options

Yes

No

answered question

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

72.2% 148

20.5% 42

7.3% 15

205

83skipped question

No


answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

74.6% 153

23.9% 49

1.5% 3

205

83skipped question

No


answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

3 52 58 41 103 205

3 51 57 40 101 203

1 20 54 46 118 202

1 19 57 47 117 203

1 21 53 46 119 203

1 19 56 44 121 203

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Department?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


After Each

Fire or When

Dirty

3 to 5 Times

per Year

2 Times per

Year

1 Time per

YearNever Other

Response

Count

63 21 52 51 2 16 205

62 21 52 50 2 16 203

67 22 47 48 3 16 203

65 20 45 52 3 17 202

67 21 48 47 3 15 201

63 20 47 51 3 17 201

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

2 55 23 20 125 205

2 54 22 20 124 203

0 24 22 20 145 203

0 20 19 16 152 200

0 26 22 16 144 201

0 22 20 15 152 202

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE CLEANING within your Fire

Department?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


After Each

Fire or When

Dirty

3 to 5 Times

per Year

2 Times per

Year

1 Time per

YearNever Other

Response

Count

103 18 34 33 4 13 205

103 18 33 33 4 13 204

108 19 24 28 7 17 203

105 16 24 29 8 21 203

106 17 23 29 9 19 203

106 16 20 28 12 20 202

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

36 142 18 6 17 205

36 141 18 6 17 204

31 92 19 8 29 169

36 85 27 11 36 184

32 89 19 8 30 169

41 88 18 10 30 177

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE REPAIRING within your Fire Department?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

35.6% 73

42.0% 86

22.4% 46

205

83skipped question



answered question




Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

80.4% 37

4.3% 2

13.0% 6

2.2% 1

46

0


Not Applicable

Yes

skipped question


Don't Know

Answer Options

answered question

No

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

22.0% 35

18.9% 30

8.2% 13

48.4% 77

2.5% 4

159

0skipped question



Not Trained


answered question



Answer Options

Not Applicable

Trained by ISP

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

26.4% 42

21.4% 34

11.9% 19

64.2% 102

19.5% 31

23.3% 37

159

0skipped question

Answer Options

Active Ingredients per Chemical MSDS

PH Levels in Dilution while Cleaning

answered question

When choosing cleaning chemicals for your department's in-house cleaning,

which of the following does your department take into consideration? (select

all that apply)

Specific Cleaning Efficacy Info from Vendor

PH Levels in Concentrate

Don't Know


Flash Point of Chemical

of 199


Destroyed or

Discarded

Used in Non-

Live Fire

Training

Used in Live

Fire Training

Donated to

OthersResold

Don' t

Know

Response

Count

94 56 6 77 4 4 205

94 56 6 77 4 4 205

133 31 4 45 1 6 203

108 46 6 60 4 5 202

136 31 3 43 1 7 203

121 40 4 55 1 5 203

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199



Count

4 9 38 98 56 205

4 9 37 98 56 204

33 38 28 60 44 203

5 7 19 87 85 203

50 30 30 49 42 201

11 35 42 67 48 203

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199



As for line firefighters, the largest number of staff respondents argued that replacement

should be based on use, condition or inspection by an ISP, rather than time from

manufacture. For those who suggested a specific change in lifespan, twice as many

respondents suggested a longer lifespan than a shorter lifespan. Some mentioned that

the durability of different types of gear varied, especially helmets and gloves at the two

extremes, and that that should be taken into consideration. A couple of respondents

made the point that requirements to replace equipment can be an issue for some

departments.

Response

Percent

Response

Count

51.7% 106

48.3% 99

205

83skipped question

No




answered question

Yes


Answer Options

of 199


Fire Station

Dedicated

PPE Storage

Room

Fire

Apparatus

Personal

VehicleHome Other

Response

Count

139 67 4 29 9 4 205

139 67 4 29 9 4 205

139 66 5 29 9 4 204

139 67 5 29 9 4 205

137 67 5 30 9 4 205

137 66 5 30 9 4 203

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

76.6% 157

19.0% 39

4.4% 9

205

83skipped question

No


ventilated?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

21.0% 43

77.1% 158

2.0% 4

205

83skipped question

No


stored?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


0-2 Months 2-6 Months 6-12 Months 1-2 Years 2-5 Years 5+ Years N/AResponse

Count

41 16 28 38 22 30 30 205

41 16 27 38 22 30 30 204

16 21 49 48 23 25 23 205

26 12 42 40 30 30 24 204

17 20 52 49 22 21 22 203

34 13 32 41 29 23 33 205

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

For administrators, what is the AVERAGE shelf time for the PPE inventory? (If not Administrator, please select N/A for

each row choice)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199



Count

24 9 15 23 42 61 30 204

24 9 15 23 42 61 30 204

11 6 23 40 48 53 24 205

18 7 14 31 39 68 26 203

12 5 28 38 44 54 23 204

20 8 11 34 38 59 33 203

205

83skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

For administrators, what is the WORST CASE (longest) shelf time for the PPE inventory? (If not Administrator, please

select N/A for each row choice)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

4.4% 9

7.8% 16

10.2% 21

12.2% 25

65.4% 134

205

83skipped question



7 - 10

Less Than 3

answered question


5 - 7

Answer Options

10+

3 - 5

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

34.1% 70

14.1% 29

12.7% 26

11.2% 23

27.8% 57

205

83skipped question



7 - 10

Less Than 3

answered question


5 - 7

Answer Options

10+

3 - 5

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

6.3% 13

7.3% 15

9.8% 20

13.7% 28

14.6% 30

18.0% 37

17.6% 36

12.7% 26

205

83


499,999 - 250,000

9,999 or less

Answer Options

99,999 - 50,000

skipped question

999,999 - 500,000

24,999 - 10,000


249,999 - 100,000

answered question

1,000,000 or more

49,999 - 25,000

of 199




were received. Most of the comments provided detail on current practice, particularly

involving cleaning, at their respective fire departments. Others provided very good

suggested changes to the survey questions, if this project is repeated. Issues with

proper storage of gear and lack of training were also mentioned.


Count

44 14 31 32 43 27 191

5 5 9 16 47 38 120

205

83


skipped question


Answer Options



answered question

of 199

4.1.3 Both Fire Service Members Survey Results

Figure 63: Survey Results, Fire Service, Both Members Question 58

Response

Percent

Response

Count

77.5% 275

22.5% 80

355

102


skipped question

Does your Fire Department have any Policies/SOPs/SOGs for PPE care and

maintenance?

Answer Options

Yes

No

answered question

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

58.0% 206

26.2% 93

15.8% 56

355

102skipped question

No


answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

57.7% 205

36.3% 129

5.9% 21

355

102skipped question

No


answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

88.7% 315

0.3% 1

10.1% 36

0.8% 3

355

102

What types of firefighting gear do you have in your possession and/or use?

Other

Structural PPE

skipped question


Both

Answer Options

answered question

Proximity PPE

of 199


One TwoMore Than

Two

Response

Count

215 131 8 354

213 130 8 351

203 121 25 349

271 68 11 350

167 155 29 351

249 92 8 349

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

As a firefighter, how many sets of STRUCTURAL gear do you have assigned to

you (i.e. your responsibility)?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

6 74 66 63 226 355

6 74 65 63 224 353

6 33 63 64 246 352

6 30 66 67 242 353

6 30 64 63 247 353

6 28 64 62 244 350

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Department?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


After Each

Fire or When

Dirty

3 to 5 Times

per Year

2 Times per

Year

1 Time per

YearNever Other

Response

Count

87 41 70 123 16 18 355

86 41 69 123 16 18 353

93 38 64 118 20 19 352

87 42 63 124 20 17 353

91 41 63 119 19 19 352

86 40 65 121 22 18 352

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

4 81 39 27 237 355

4 81 38 27 236 354

4 44 33 21 270 349

5 31 28 20 287 351

4 37 33 21 280 351

3 32 29 21 284 348

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE CLEANING within your Fire

Department?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


After Each

Fire or When

Dirty

3 to 5 Times

per Year

2 Times per

Year

1 Time per

YearNever Other

Response

Count

182 34 56 51 9 23 355

180 34 56 51 9 23 353

193 35 46 38 14 23 349

170 24 47 40 36 29 346

184 30 44 37 32 23 350

180 24 42 36 34 30 346

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Manufacturer

Verified ISP

(Independent

Service

Provider)

Person in FD

trained by

Manufacturer

Person in FD

trained by an

ISP

End User

(e.g.,

Firefighter)

Response

Count

70 229 16 12 41 355

70 228 15 12 40 354

52 137 13 17 82 293

60 127 34 31 90 325

57 126 14 15 86 291

73 135 14 17 75 304

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE REPAIRING within your Fire

Department?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

37.7% 134

39.2% 139

23.1% 82

355

102skipped question



answered question




Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

68.3% 56

6.1% 5

25.6% 21

0.0% 0

82

0


Not Applicable

Yes

skipped question


Don't Know

Answer Options

answered question

No

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

21.6% 59

17.2% 47

4.0% 11

51.3% 140

5.9% 16

273

0skipped question



Not Trained


answered question



Answer Options

Not Applicable

Trained by ISP

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

17.6% 48

15.4% 42

9.2% 25

48.0% 131

12.8% 35

43.2% 118

273

0skipped question

Answer Options



answered question

When choosing cleaning chemicals for your department's in-house cleaning,

which of the following does your department take into consideration? (select

all that apply)



Don't Know



of 199


Destroyed or

Discarded

Used in Non-

Live Fire

Training

Used in Live

Fire Training

Donated to

OthersResold Don' t Know

Response

Count

169 113 11 101 8 19 355

169 113 11 100 8 19 355

241 57 5 55 5 23 355

183 92 8 87 8 23 353

240 61 5 57 4 22 354

205 80 7 83 6 21 354

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199



Count

3 8 39 146 159 355

3 8 39 146 159 355

47 48 46 100 111 352

3 8 25 127 188 351

65 67 29 88 102 351

12 43 51 110 135 351

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199



Most suggested that replacement should be based on use, condition or inspection by an

ISP, rather than time from manufacture. For those who suggested a specific change in

lifespan, slightly more respondents suggested a shorter lifespan than a longer lifespan,

with others mentioned that it depended on the specific item, with helmets and boots

having longer lifespans. Several respondents made the point that requirements to

replace equipment can be an issue for some departments.

Response

Percent

Response

Count

63.4% 225

36.6% 130

355

102skipped question

No




answered question

Yes


Answer Options

of 199


Fire Station

Dedicated

PPE Storage

Room

Fire

Apparatus

Personal

VehicleHome Other

Response

Count

248 82 13 98 14 2 355

247 82 12 98 15 2 354

248 82 13 97 13 2 355

248 82 13 98 13 2 355

247 81 14 97 15 2 353

245 81 12 98 15 2 351

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question


Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

75.8% 269

21.4% 76

2.8% 10

355

102skipped question

No


ventilated?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

20.6% 73

78.0% 277

1.4% 5

355

102skipped question

No


stored?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199



Count

63 20 32 43 48 55 93 354

63 20 32 43 48 55 93 354

28 34 61 66 38 42 86 355

43 24 42 47 47 63 88 354

29 31 64 64 42 38 86 354

52 24 37 51 44 55 88 351

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

For administrators, what is the AVERAGE shelf time for the PPE inventory? (If not Administrator, please select N/A for each row

choice)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199



Count

33 14 19 26 48 124 90 354

33 14 19 26 48 123 90 353

14 11 31 60 53 101 85 355

21 6 29 37 49 125 87 354

12 14 33 52 57 101 85 354

26 11 22 38 47 119 87 350

355

102skipped question

Answer Options

Gloves

Pants

answered question

For administrators, what is the WORST CASE (longest) shelf time for the PPE inventory? (If not Administrator, please select

N/A for each row choice)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

54.9% 195

40.6% 144

4.5% 16

355

102skipped question

No

Has your gear ever been contaminated with chemicals or hazardous

substances that has required its removal from service?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

78.0% 277

15.8% 56

6.2% 22

355

102skipped question

No

Do you believe your gear is adequately cleaned?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

49.0% 174

47.9% 170

3.1% 11

355

102skipped question

No

Are you concerned about contamination remaining in your clothing?

answered question

Yes


Don't Know

Answer Options

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

7.0% 25

13.0% 46

13.0% 46

18.0% 64

49.0% 174

355

102skipped question



7 - 10

Less Than 3

answered question


5 - 7

Answer Options

10+

3 - 5

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

15.8% 56

20.6% 73

16.6% 59

16.1% 57

31.0% 110

355

102skipped question



7 - 10

Less Than 3

answered question


5 - 7

Answer Options

10+

3 - 5

of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

5.1% 18

4.2% 15

2.3% 8

7.6% 27

9.3% 33

11.8% 42

27.6% 98

32.1% 114

355

102


499,999 - 250,000

9,999 or less

Answer Options

99,999 - 50,000

skipped question

999,999 - 500,000

24,999 - 10,000


249,999 - 100,000

answered question

1,000,000 or more

49,999 - 25,000

of 199



Count

28 9 22 28 87 73 247

7 6 14 34 172 43 276

355

102


skipped question


Answer Options



answered question

of 199



were received. Most of the comments described practices in the respondents'

respective fire departments, and many others were comments on the issue of gear

retirement discussed earlier.

The need for more and better training and education was also mentioned. One

commenter asked that wildland PPE be addressed better, in terms of cleaning and

decontamination.

of 199

4.2 Independent Service Providers (ISPs)

The data collection for Independent Service Providers (ISPs) consisted of 24 questions

and addressed a wide range of topics within PPE care and maintenance. A total of 17

different ISPs ultimately responded, residing in the states of Kentucky, Maryland, Texas,

New York, Maine, New Mexico, Georgia, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, and

Oregon, as well as British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Ten of the ISPs provided

additional comments and feedback on PPE care and maintenance at the conclusion of

the survey.

The results show that ISPs provide services other than inspecting, cleaning, and

repairing. Additionally, it is important to highlight that ISPs are supposed to follow the

most current edition of the NFPA 1851 standard, however, the results indicate this is not

the case.

When asked about items to include in future revisions to NFPA 1851, respondents

indicated that input from those within the ISP community with many years of

experience should be incorporated and that a third-party governing body to oversee the

compliance of NFPA 1851 should be established.

of 199

Figure 92: Survey Results, ISP Question 1

Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

29.4% 5

70.6% 12

0.0% 0

0.0% 0

17

0

Are yo ur Po lic ie s/SOPs/SOGs b a se d o n NFPA 1851?

Don't Know

Yes, 2008 Ed.

sk ip p e d q ue stio n

ISP FINAL Survey

No

Answe r Op tio ns


Yes, 2014 Ed.

of 199


None Less T han 10 10 to 25 More T han 25 Response Count

0 1 2 14 17

2 1 1 13 17

0 0 2 15 17

3 1 4 8 16

1 0 0 6 7

4

17

0

For Fire Department c lients , wha t se rv ices do you p rov ide and fo r how many customers?

PPE Removal/Destruction

PPE Inspection

If "Other", please specify:

ISP FINAL Survey

PPE Repair

sk ipped question

Answer Op tions

Other

PPE Cleaning

answered question

of 199


Inspect Clean Repa ir Othe rResponse

Count

17 15 17 5 17

17 15 17 5 17

15 14 6 1 16

15 13 10 3 16

15 14 2 1 16

14 13 6 1 15

17

0

For specific Fire Se rv ice PPE, wha t se rv ices do you p rov ide? (check a ll tha t app ly)

Helmets

Coats

Boots

ISP FINAL Survey

Hoods

sk ipped question

Answer Op tions

Gloves

Pants

answered question

of 199


Whenever

D irty

Eve ry 6

MonthsAnnua lly 2 Years 2+ Years

Response

Count

5 5 7 0 0 17

5 5 7 0 0 17

5 4 6 0 0 15

5 2 8 0 0 15

5 5 6 0 0 16

5 2 9 0 0 16

17

0

For specific Fire Se rv ice PPE, how o ften do you RECOMMEND ADVANCED CLEANING to your c lients?

(check a ll tha t app ly)

Helmets

Coats

Boots

ISP FINAL Survey

Hoods

sk ipped question

Answer Op tions

Gloves

Pants

answered question

of 199


Afte r Ea ch

Fire o r Whe n

D irty

3 to 5 T ime s

p e r Ye a r

2 T ime s p e r

Ye a r

1 T ime p e r

Ye a rNe ve r Othe r

Re sp o nse

Co unt

2 3 2 8 0 2 17

2 3 2 8 0 2 17

2 2 3 7 1 2 17

1 0 2 7 4 2 16

1 1 3 6 3 2 16

1 0 2 7 4 2 16

17

0

Ho w o fte n d o o rg a niza tio ns yo u se rv ice c le a n the ir s truc tura l fire fig hting g e a r (o n a ve ra g e )?

Helmets

Coats

Boots

ISP FINAL Survey

Hoods


Answe r Op tio ns

Gloves

Pants


of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

23.5% 4

35.3% 6

5.9% 1

23.5% 4

11.8% 2

17


Wha t p e rce nt o f yo ur Fire De p a rtme nt c lie nts d o yo u b e lie ve a re co mp lia nt

with NFPA 1851?

50 - 70%

0 -15%


ISP FINAL Survey

30 - 50%

Answe r Op tio ns

70 - 100%

15 - 30%

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

29.4% 5

29.4% 5

29.4% 5

11.8% 2

0.0% 0

17


Wha t is the p rima ry re a so n yo ur Fire De p a rtme nt c lie nts a re no t co mp lia nt

with NFPA 1851?

Not familiar with NFPA 1851

Cost of compliance


ISP FINAL Survey

Not a priority

Answe r Op tio ns

Not trained

Limited Budget

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

88.2% 15

82.4% 14

29.4% 5

64.7% 11

58.8% 10

5.9% 1

17

0sk ip p e d q ue stio n

Answe r Op tio ns




Whe n cho o s ing c le a ning che mica ls fo r yo ur c le a ning p ro ce ss, which o f the

fo llo wing d o e s yo ur o rg a niza tio n ta ke into co ns id e ra tio n? (se le ct a ll tha t

a p p ly)



None of These

ISP FINAL Survey


of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

29.4% 5

11.8% 2

11.8% 2

11.8% 2

35.3% 6

17


Ho w fre q ue ntly a re yo u re q ue ste d to p e rfo rm hyd ro sta tic te s ting o f

mo is ture b a rrie rs in g a rme nts (co a ts /p a nts) tha t a re mo re tha n 3 ye a rs

o ld ?

Between 50 - 70% of all cleanings and inspections

0 - 15% of all cleaning/inspections


ISP FINAL Survey


Answe r Op tio ns

70 - 100% of all cleanings and inspections


of 199


0 -15% o f a ll

ga rments

tested

Be tween 15 -

30% o f a ll

ga rments

tested

Be tween 30 -

50% o f a ll

ga rments

tested

Be tween 50 -

70% o f a ll

ga rments

tested

70 - 100% o f

a ll ga rments

tested

Response

Count

11 5 0 1 0 17

3 7 1 4 1 16

17

0

ISP FINAL Survey

sk ipped question

When you conduct hyd rosta tic testing , how o ften do you encounte r fa il ing results on the mo is ture ba rrie r?

Answer Op tions

Garments 1 - 3 years old

Garments 3+ years old

answered question

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

82.4% 14

17.6% 3

17

0

ISP FINAL Survey


Do yo u o ffe r tra ining fo r e nd use rs o n PPE ca re a nd ma inte na nce tha t

me e ts the re q uire me nt o f NFPA 1851?

Answe r Op tio ns

Yes

No


of 199


Response

Percent

Response

Count

21.4% 3

14.3% 2

100.0% 14

14.3% 2

14

0

How is the training delivered to end users? (check all that apply)

Other

Online

skipped question

ISP FINAL Survey

In-Person (class)

Answer Options

answered question

CD or DVD

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

70.6% 12

29.4% 5

17

0

ISP FINAL Survey


Do e s yo ur o rg a niza tio n co nd uct sp e c ia lize d c le a ning (i.e .,

d e co nta mina tio n o f c lo thing tha t is co nta mina te d with e ithe r che mica ls o r

o the r ha za rd o us sub sta nce s)?

Answe r Op tio ns

Yes

No


of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

100.0% 17

82.4% 14

64.7% 11

47.1% 8

23.5% 4

17


Wha t typ e s o f co nta mina nts d o e s yo ur o rg a nzia tio n g e ne ra lly p ro v id e

c le a ning se rv ice s fo r? (che ck a ll tha t a p p ly)

Specific Industrial Chemicals

Heavy Fire Ground Soiling


ISP FINAL Survey

Blood and Bodily Fluids

Answe r Op tio ns

Asbestos or Other Hazardous Particulates

Oils, Greases, and Similar Petrochemical Products

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

88.2% 15

11.8% 2

17

0

ISP FINAL Survey


Do e s yo ur o rg a niza tio n re fuse to c le a n o r d e co nta mina te c lo thing with

ce rta in sp e cific co nta mina nts?

Answe r Op tio ns

Yes

No


of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

52.9% 9

70.6% 12

58.8% 10

82.4% 14

64.7% 11

76.5% 13

17


Answe r Op tio ns

Recommendations from Cleaning Agent Vendors

Information Provided on the Identified Contaminant


Wha t info rma tio n d o e s yo ur o rg a niza tio n re ly o n fo r d e te rmining ho w to

re mo ve sp e cific co nta mina nts? (che ck a ll tha t a p p ly)

Recommendations from Manufacturers or Material

Information Provided by the Fire Department

Expertise Provided by Outside Organizations

ISP FINAL Survey

Recommendations from Chemical Companies

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

100.0% 17

0.0% 0

17

0

ISP FINAL Survey


Ha s yo ur o rg a niza tio n ma d e re co mme nd a tio ns tha t the g e a r tha t yo u ha ve

e ithe r c le a ne d o r insp e cte d sho uld b e re tire d a nd ta ke n o ut o f se rv ice ?

Answe r Op tio ns

Yes

No


of 199


Response

Pe rcent

Response

Count

0.0% 0

11.8% 2

41.2% 7

23.5% 4

23.5% 4

17

0skipped question

If answered "Yes" to p rev ious Question, wha t is the lead ing cause o f making a recommenda tion fo r

re tiring gea r o r tak ing it out o f se rv ice?

The clothing per item has a manufacture date that is more than 10 years old

The clothing cannot be adequately cleaned

answered question

ISP FINAL Survey

The clothing requires extensive repairs and is under an economical to make those repairs

Answer Op tions

Other (please specify)

There are specific contaminants on the clothing that cannot be removed

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

17.6% 3

82.4% 14

17

0

ISP FINAL Survey


If a nswe re d "Ye s" to Que stio n 16, ha ve d e p a rtme nts p ro v id ing the g e a r

d isa g re e d with yo ur re co mme nd a tio ns?

Answe r Op tio ns

Yes

No


of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

58.8% 10

0.0% 0

58.8% 10

17.6% 3

64.7% 11

17.6% 3

23.5% 4

41.2% 7

17.6% 3

17


ISP FINAL Survey

Addition of more definitive specifications for cleaning processes and detergents

Preparation of criteria for verification of ISP inspection and cleaning practices

Answe r Op tio ns

Inclusion of criteria for specialized cleaning, including decontamination


Provision of greater guidance for how structural firefighting protective clothing should be selected

Development of more extensive criteria to determine when gear should be retired

Which o f the fo llo wing a re a s d o yo u think re p re se nt the 3 hig he st p rio ritie s fo r future re v is io ns to NFPA 1851?

(che ck to p 3 tha t a p p ly)

Establishment of specific criteria for determining cleaning effectiveness


Development of associated educational material explaining the standard

Changes to allow more leeway in the performance of hydrostatic testing and interpretation of results

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

0.0% 0

29.4% 5

47.1% 8

11.8% 2

11.8% 2

17

0

ISP FINAL Survey

Multi-State

Answe r Op tio ns

International

Regional/Statewide


Wha t is the g e o g ra p hic e xte nt o f yo ur custo me r b a se ?

National

Local


of 199


they wished to share for this project. One respondent suggested clarifying the

procedure for sanitization of PPE. Another mentioned the culture that equates dirty

gear with being a great firefighter. Another suggested establishing a pricing standard

and another requested work on the verification process for repairs.

of 199


of 199

4.3 Manufacturers

The manufacturers’ survey was comprised of 18 questions, designed to gather

information related to services provided for PPE care and maintenance. There were a

total of seven respondents to the survey, representing a fraction of all PPE

manufacturers. The manufacturers that responded to the survey reside in the states of

Kentucky, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, along with one

manufacturer from New Zealand. It is noted that six of the respondents completed the

survey while one only partially filled out the survey.

The limited results suggest that PPE manufacturers sell their gear both directly and

indirectly (through distributors) to fire departments. Additionally, an overwhelming

majority of the respondents selected “developing of more extensive criteria to

determine when gear should be retired” as the most common of the three highest

priorities for future revisions to be made in NFPA 1851.

of 199

Figure 113: Survey Results, Manufacturer Question 1

Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

14.3% 1

28.6% 2

14.3% 1

0.0% 0

42.9% 3

7


If yo ur o rg a niza tio n p ro v id e s NFPA 1851 se rv ice s, a re yo ur

Po lic ie s/SOPs/SOGs b a se d o n NFPA 1851?

Don't Know

Yes, 2008 Ed.


Manufacturers FINAL Survey

No

Answe r Op tio ns

N/A

Yes, 2014 Ed.

of 199


No ne Le ss T ha n 10 10 to 25 Mo re T ha n 25Re sp o nse

Co unt

2 1 0 2 5

4 0 0 1 5

2 2 0 1 5

3 0 0 1 4

3 0 0 1 4

0 0 0 7 7

0 0 0 1 1

1

7

0


PPE Repair

If "Other", please specify:

Answe r Op tio ns

PPE Rental/Lease


PPE Cleaning

Other

Fo r Fire De p a rtme nt c lie nts , wha t se rv ice s d o yo u p ro v id e a nd fo r ho w ma ny custo me rs? (Che ck a ll

tha t a p p ly)

PPE Removal/Destruction


PPE Inspection

PPE Sales

of 199


Inspect Clean Repa irRent o r

LeaseSe ll Othe r None

Response

Count

2 1 2 1 3 0 1 5

2 1 2 1 3 0 1 5

0 0 0 0 2 1 3 5

0 0 0 0 3 0 2 5

0 0 0 0 2 0 2 4

1 1 2 0 4 0 0 4

7

0skipped question

Answer Op tions

Gloves

Pants

answered question

For spec ific Fire Se rv ice PPE, wha t se rv ices do you p rov ide? (check a ll tha t app ly)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


No t

Ap p lica b le

Whe ne ve r

D irty

Eve ry 6

Mo nthsAnnua lly 2 Ye a rs 2+ Ye a rs

No

Re co mme nd a tio n

Re sp o nse

Co unt

0 2 1 1 0 0 2 5

0 2 1 1 0 0 2 5

2 1 0 0 0 0 2 5

1 1 0 1 0 0 3 5

1 1 0 1 0 0 2 4

0 2 0 1 0 0 2 4

7


Answe r Op tio ns

Gloves

Pants


Fo r sp e c ific Fire Se rv ice PPE, ho w o fte n d o yo u RECOMMEND ADVANCED CLEANING to yo ur c lie nts? (che ck a ll tha t a p p ly)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Afte r Ea ch

Fire o r Whe n

D irty

3 to 5 T ime s

p e r Ye a r

2 T ime s p e r

Ye a r

1 T ime p e r

Ye a rNe ve r Othe r Do n' t Kno w

Re sp o nse

Co unt

0 1 0 0 0 1 3 5

0 1 0 0 0 1 3 5

0 1 0 0 0 2 3 6

0 0 0 0 0 2 3 5

0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4

0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4

7


Answe r Op tio ns

Gloves

Pants


If yo u p ro v id e c le a ning se rv ice s, ho w o fte n d o o rg a niza tio ns yo u se rv ice c le a n the ir s truc tura l fire fig hting g e a r (o n a ve ra g e )?

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

of 199


Primary Modera te Limited No t UsedResponse

Count

1 1 0 1 3

6 0 0 0 6

0 2 0 1 3

0 0 2 1 3

0 0 0 1 1

7

0skipped question

How does your new PPE p roduct reach the fina l customer (i.e ., the Fire fighte r)? (check a ll tha t app ly)

Direct to Firefighter

Manufacturers Retail

answered question


Direct to Fire Department

Answer Op tions

Other

3rd Party Distributor

of 199


Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

85.7% 6

14.3% 1

7

0



Do yo u o ffe r tra ining fo r e nd use rs o n PPE ca re a nd ma inte na nce tha t

me e ts the re q uire me nt o f NFPA 1851?

Answe r Op tio ns

Yes

No


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Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

60.0% 3

20.0% 1

60.0% 3

20.0% 1

5

2

Ho w is the tra ining d e live re d to e nd use rs? (che ck a ll tha t a p p ly)

Other

Online



In-Person (class)

Answe r Op tio ns


CD or DVD

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0-2 Months 2-6 Months 6-12 Months 1-2 Years 2-5 Years 5+ YearsResponse

Count

1 1 1 0 0 0 3

1 1 1 0 0 0 3

1 0 1 0 0 0 2

3 0 0 0 0 0 3

0 1 1 0 0 0 2

0 1 3 0 0 0 4

6

1skipped question

Answer Op tions

Gloves

Pants

answered question

Wha t is the AVERAGE she lf time fo r your new PPE invento ry be fo re it reaches the purchase r? (check a ll tha t app ly)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

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0-2 Months 2-6 Months 6-12 Months 1-2 Years 2-5 Years 5+ YearsResponse

Count

1 0 0 2 0 0 3

1 0 0 2 0 0 3

0 0 1 1 0 0 2

1 1 1 0 0 0 3

0 0 0 2 0 0 2

0 0 1 1 2 0 4

6

1skipped question

Answer Op tions

Gloves

Pants

answered question

Wha t is the WORST CASE (longest dura tion) she lf time fo r your new PPE invento ry be fo re it reaches the purchase r?

(check a ll tha t app ly)

Helmets

Coats

Boots


Hoods

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Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

16.7% 1

83.3% 5

0.0% 0

6


No

Do e s yo ur o rg a niza tio n ha nd le the re tire me nt a nd d e structio n o f o ld PPE?


Yes


Other

Answe r Op tio ns

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Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

66.7% 4

33.3% 2

6

1



Do e s yo ur o rg a niza tio n re co mme nd sp e cific c le a ning a g e nts , c le a ning

p ro ce sse s, o r a sso c ia te d p ro d ucts fo r the ca re a nd ma inte na nce o f

c lo thing a nd e q uip me nt (e .g ., a p a rticula r l ine o f d e te rg e nts a re rinse

a id s)?

Answe r Op tio ns

Yes

No


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Response

Percent

Response

Count

75.0% 3

25.0% 1

0.0% 0

0.0% 0

0.0% 0

4

0skipped question

If answered "Yes" to Question 12, what information do you rely on for making

these recommendations? (check all that apply)

Recommendations from Other Organizations

Vendor Provided Information

answered question


Independent Testing

Answer Options


In-House Testing

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Response

Pe rcent

Response

Count

0.0% 0

83.3% 5

16.7% 1

66.7% 4

6

1

How do you hand le inquiries re la ted to the decontamina tion o f your p roducts invo lv ing d iffe rent

contaminants? (check a ll tha t app ly)

We Refer The Inquiry To A Different Organization

No Recommendations Are Provided

sk ipped question


For Some Instances And Contaminants, We Make Specific Recommendations

Answer Op tions

answered question

We Provide General Guidelines Only Without Specific Recommendations

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Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

33.3% 2

33.3% 2

33.3% 2

33.3% 2

16.7% 1

16.7% 1

83.3% 5

16.7% 1

33.3% 2

6



Addition of more definitive specifications for cleaning processes and detergents

Preparation of criteria for verification of ISP inspection and cleaning practices

Answe r Op tio ns

Inclusion of criteria for specialized cleaning, including decontamination


Provision of greater guidance for how structural firefighting protective clothing should be selected

Development of more extensive criteria to determine when gear should be retired

Which o f the fo llo wing a re a s d o yo u think re p re se nt the 3 hig he st p rio ritie s fo r future re v is io ns to NFPA 1851?

(che ck to p 3 tha t a p p ly)

Establishment of specific criteria for determining cleaning effectiveness


Development of associated educational material explaining the standard

Changes to allow more leeway in the performance of hydrostatic testing and interpretation of results

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Re sp o nse

Pe rce nt

Re sp o nse

Co unt

0.0% 0

0.0% 0

0.0% 0

33.3% 2

66.7% 4

6


Wha t is the g e o g ra p hic e xte nt o f yo ur custo me r b a se ?

National

Local



Multi-State

Answe r Op tio ns

International

Regional/Statewide

of 199


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CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY OBSERVATIONS

The goal of this project has been to provide a data collection summary of current

practice and policies for fire service PPE care and maintenance, and this information is

provided in the preceding sections of this report. This provides useful background

information to help guide standards revisions and to support future research addressing

cleaning, decontamination, retirement, and related care and maintenance issues.

The primary approach to achieve the project goal is through an extensive information

collection effort using online survey tools, supported by a brief review of the applicable

literature and typical practices within this community. The questions in these online

surveys have been focused toward capturing pertinent information and address the

following primary constituent groups and sub-groups:

1) Fire Service





3) Manufacturers

It’s acknowledged that the approach used herein to collect data by means of on-line

data collection methods is limited. Any future analysis of this data should take these

limitations into account. The approach that has been used (herein) was chosen based

on resource limitations, and future work should consider more robust data sampling

methods that are more appropriate for data analysis.

More specific to this point, the number of respondents for the fire service (1148), ISPs

(17) and manufacturers (7) represent only a fraction of the actual total number from

each of these constituent groups, nor do they represent the opinions and/or results of

their groups as a whole. Further, the number of responses from the ISPs and

manufacturers are very low and therefore limited in value.

In summary, this data has not been evaluated in the traditional statistical sense, since

the pool of respondents is not well defined based on the open manner of this on-line-

based information collection effort. It could be argued for example that only fire service

organizations with an interest in this subject responded, and thus bias may be present in

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the overall results. Nevertheless, the information collected herein is considered to be of

some value when used with the understanding of these analytical limitations.

The following are the general (high-level) summary observations taken from the data

collected by this effort:

The role of standards has value in providing a baseline for addressing this topic.

The standardization of certain technical details of PPE care and maintenance is

inherently challenging due to multiple complex factors such as types of gear,

variability of usage, spectrum of materials involved, different maintenance

practices, etc.

More education and out-reach is needed with the user community to

communicate best practices.

Further research on this topic is needed, including consideration of a more

comprehensive data collection effort using traditional techniques that will allow

for full statistical analysis.

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REFERENCES

FOOTNOTES:

The following references are cited throughout this report:

1. Meeting Summary of Urban Fire Forum, Quincy, MA on 4-7 October 2012,

Metropolitan Fire Chiefs, IAFC/NFPA membership Section, National Fire

Protection Association, Quincy MA.

2. Summary of NFPA Code Fund Projects, Fire Protection Research Foundation,

Quincy MA, January 2013.

3. NFPA 1851, “Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective

Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting”, National Fire

Protection Association, Quincy MA, 2014 edition.

4. Cinnamon, M., Trenkamp, S., Cotterill, D., Easter, E., & University of Kentucky.

(2013). Post-Use Analysis of Firefighter Turnout Gear: Phases I, II, & III. Interflam:

Fire Science & Engineering Conference Proceedings. Volume 2, 1383-1394.

5. NFPA 1971, “Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and

Proximity Fire Fighting”, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy MA, 2013

edition.

6. Section 10.1.2, NFPA 1851, “Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of

Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting”,

National Fire Protection Association, Quincy MA, 2014 edition.

7. Cinnamon, M., Trenkamp, S., Cotterill, D., Easter, E., & University of Kentucky.

(2013). Post-Use Analysis of Firefighter Turnout Gear: Phases I, II, & III. Interflam:

Fire Science & Engineering Conference Proceedings. Volume 2, 1383-1394.

8. Advisory Service Data Log for NFPA 1851, National Fire Protection Association,

Compiled 20 Jun 2013.

9. Tutterow, R., “Helmets: The 10-Year Service Life”, Fire Apparatus Magazine, Vol.

17, issue 12, Retrieved on 24 October 2013, Website:

http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print /volume-17/issue-

12/departments/keeping-it-safe/helmets-the-10-year-service-life.html

10. Section 10.2, NFPA 1851, “Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of

Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting”,

National Fire Protection Association, Quincy MA, 2014 edition.

11. Ibid.

http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print%20/volume-17/issue-12/departments/keeping-it-safe/helmets-the-10-year-service-life.html

http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print%20/volume-17/issue-12/departments/keeping-it-safe/helmets-the-10-year-service-life.html

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12. NFPA 1971, “Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and

Proximity Fire Fighting”, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy MA, 2013

edition.

13. NFPA 1851, “Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective

Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting”, National Fire

Protection Association, Quincy MA, 2014 edition.

14. Ibid.

15. “Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service”, National Fire Protection

Association: Fire Analysis and Research Division, 2011.

16. Table 3-D, page 83, “Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service”, National

Fire Protection Association: Fire Analysis and Research Division, 2011.

17. Figure 3-8, page 84, “Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service”, National


18. Figure 3-9, page 85, “Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service”, National


19. Daniels, R. D., Kubale, T. L., Yiin, J. H., Dahm, M. M., Hales, T. R., Baris, D., Zahm

S. H., Beaumont J. J., Waters K. M., & Pinkerton, L. E., “Mortality and Cancer

Incidence in a Pooled Cohort of U.S. firefighters from San Francisco, Chicago and

Philadelphia (1950–2009)”, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2013.

20. Ibid.

21. Ibid.

22. Ibid.

23. Dolez, P. I., & Vu-Khanh, T., “Recent Developments and Needs in Materials Used

for Personal Protective Equipment and their Testing”, International Journal of

Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 15(4), 347-62, 2009.

24. Shaw, S. D., Berger, M. L., Harris, J. H., Yun, S. H., Wu, Q., Liao, C., Blum, A.,

Stefani, A., & Kannan, K., “Persistent Organic Pollutants Including Polychlorinated

and Polybrominated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans in Firefighters from

Northern California”, Chemosphere, 91(1), 1386-94, 2013.

25. Ibid.

26. Torvi, D. A. and Hadjisophocleous, G. V., “Research in Protective Clothing for

Firefighters: State of the Art and Future Directions”, Fire Tech, Vol, 35, No. 2,

1999.

27. Stull, J. O. and Stull, G. G., “Research, Testing and Analysis of the

Decontamination of Firefighting Protective Clothing and Equipment”, U.S. Fire

Administration, Final Report EME-96-CO-0505, Feb 1999.

28. Kealoha, Jr., E. K, and Honolulu Fire Department, “Addressing Maintenance and

Replacement Issues of Structural Firefighting Ensembles for Honolulu Fire

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fighters”, 2011 Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy, cited 25 Oct 2013,

Website: www.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo45404.pdf.

29. Ibid.

30. Ibid.

ADDITIONAL READING:

The following references relate to this report and are cited for additional reading:

Aronson, K. J., Tomlinson, G. A., & Smith, L., “Mortality Among Fire Fighters in

Metropolitan Toronto”, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 26(1), 89-101,

1994.

Baris, D., Garrity, T. J., Telles, J. L., Heineman, E. F., Olshan, A., & Zahm, S. H.,

“Cohort Mortality Study of Philadelphia Firefighters”, American Journal of

Industrial Medicine, 39(5), 463-476, 2001.

Bates, M. N., “Registry‐Based Case-Control Study of Cancer in California Fire

Fighters. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 50(5), 339-344, 2007.

Baxter, C. S., Ross, C. S., Fabian, T., Borgerson, J. L., Shawon, J., Gandhi, P. D.,

Dalton, J. M., & Lockey, J. E., “Ultrafine Particle Exposure During Fire

Suppression—Is It an Important Contributory Factor for Coronary Heart Disease

in Firefighters?” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 52(8),

791-796, 2010.

Beaumont, J. J., Chu, G. S., Jones, J. R., Schenker, M. B., Singleton, J. A.,

Piantanida, L. G., & Reiterman, M., “An Epidemiologic Study of Cancer and Other

Causes of Mortality in San Francisco Firefighters. American Journal of Industrial

Medicine, 19(3), 357-372, 1991.

Berry, C., McNeely, A., Beauregard, K., & Haritos, S, “A Guide to Personal

Protective Equipment”, Raleigh, NC: N.C. Department of Labor; 2008. Retrieved

on October 24, 2013.http://www.nclabor.com/osha/etta/indguide/ig25.pdf

Demers, P. A., Heyer, N. J., & Rosenstock, L., “Mortality Among Firefighters from

Three Northwestern United States Cities. British Journal of Industrial Medicine,

49(9), 664-670, 1992.

Eiser, D. N., “Problems in Personal Protective Equipment Selection”, Performance

of Protective Clothing, 341-46, 1988.

IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Working Group on the

Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Painting, Firefighting, and Shiftwork.

IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, 98:9–764,

2010.

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo45404.pdf

http://www.nclabor.com/osha/etta/indguide/ig25.pdf

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Kang, D., Davis, L. K., Hunt, P., & Kriebel, D., “Cancer Incidence Among Male

Massachusetts Firefighters, 1987–2003. American Journal of Industrial Medicine,

51(5), 329-335, 2008.

“Malignant Mesothelioma”, National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes

of Health. Cited 24 October 2013, Website:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ malignantmesothelioma.

Plat, M. C. J., Frings-Dresen, M. H., & Sluiter, J. K., “Impact of Chronic Diseases on

Work Ability in Ageing Firefighters”, Journal of Occupational Health”, 54(2), 158-

163, 2012.

Tornling, G., Gustavsson, P., & Hogstedt, C., “Mortality and Cancer Incidence in

Stockholm Fire Fighters”, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 25(2), 219-

228, 1994.

Vena, J. E., & Fiedler, R. C., “Mortality of a Municipal‐Worker Cohort: IV, Fire

Fighters”, . American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 11(6), 671-684, 1987.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/%20malignantmesothelioma

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ANNEX A: FIRE SERVICE SURVEY ANNOUNCEMENT

Figure 129: Announcement for Fire Service PPE Survey

of 199


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ANNEX B: FIRE SERVICE SURVEY QUESTIONS

Figure 130: Fire Service Survey, Page 1

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ANNEX C: INDEPENDENT SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP) SURVEY QUESTIONS

Figure 147: ISP Survey, Page 1

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ANNEX D: MANUFACTURER SURVEY QUESTIONS

Figure 152: Manufacturer Survey, Page 1

of 199


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ANNEX E: INDEPENDENT SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP) CONTACTS

Target Organizations for ISP Survey

911 Clean

Advanced Fire Gear Repair

Alberta Fire Gear Cleaning Ltd

Associated Fire & Safety

Atlantic Bunker Gear Services

Bay Area Gear Repair

Bergeron Protective Clothing

Bunker Gear Clean

Burnett & Co.

Certified Ensemble Services

Choice Clean Gear, LLC

Compass Trades LLC

Cowboy Cleaners LTD

Cumings Fire & Safety

D & D Mountain Air Cleaners

Done Right Fire Gear Repair

ECMS – Nevada, Inc.

Elliott Enterprises Inc.

Fire Safety Services

Fire Service Management Ltd.

Fire W.I.R.E. LLC

Firefighters Equipment of New York

FIRM Canada

Fort Worth Fire Dept.

Fred’s 2 The Rescue

Fresh Gear

Gear Clean, Inc.

Gear Cleaning Solutions, LLC

Gear Wash, LLC

Georgian Firegear Service

Globe Manufacturing Company, LLC

Gloves, Inc.

Honeywell First Responder Products

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Target Organizations for ISP Survey

Inservus Management

Isotech Instrumentation Inc.

Laundry Services Inc.

LION TotalCare

Marken PPE Restoration

Maryland Fire Equipment Corp.

Merchant MultiService LLC

Minerva Cleaners

Northwest Safety Clean

Phoenix Safety Outfitters

PPE Care

Quaker Safety Products Corp.

Rainbow Cleaners

Sani-Gear Fire

Scott’s PPE

Shamrock Gear Restoration, LLC

Solutions of New Orleans

The Fire Center, Inc.

Turnout Express LLC

Turnout Maintenance Co.

Turnout Management

Turnout Services

Wayest Safety Inc.

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ANNEX F: MANUFACTURER CONTACTS

Target Organizations for Manufacturer Survey

Black Diamond

Bristol Fire Apparel Inc.

Dawn Enterprises Inc.

E.D. Bullard Co.

Fire Master

FireDex, LLC.

Fireman’s Shield LLC

Globe Manufacturing Company, LLC

Glove Crafters, Inc.

Honeywell First Responder Products

Innotex Inc.

Lakeland Industries Inc.

Lion Apparel, Inc.

Majestic Fire Apparel Inc.

MSA Co.

PGI, Inc.

Prosafety Gears

Protective Industrial Products Inc.

Quaker Safety Products

Quest Protective Clothing

Ricochet Mfg. Co. Inc.

Shelby Specialty Gloves

Southcombe Brothers Ltd

Stanfield’s Ltd.

STC Footwear Inc.

TECGEN

Tech Trade LLC

U Protec Apparel Tech Co. Ltd.

Veridian

Weinbrenner Shoe Co. Inc.

data collection summary for ppe care and maintenance

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