Wildland fire crews require fire-specific gear to keep them safe in the field. They have standard equipment that will prepare them for particular assignments.
The firefighters’ primary goal is to prevent the fire from spreading and then putting it out all at once. However, it is also the crew’s responsibility to avoid getting harmed on duty. To ensure that they can handle anything that’s waiting for them in the job, they need to get fully equipped with a few essentials.
What Equipment Do Wildland Firefighters Use?
Here’s a list of the four basic equipment for wildland firefighters.
Pants, Coats, Shirts, Hoods
It is the firefighters’ utmost priority to protect their bodies from the danger of wildland fire situations. A complete bodysuit includes fire and heat-resistant clothing, such as a hoodie, brush shirt/coat, and brush pants. These should cover the wearer’s torso, arms, and legs while allowing extensive mobility.
Aside from being protected from fire and heat, the brush suit is also resistant to sharp objects commonly present in the wild, like broken branches and tall bushes.
Wildland firefighter bodysuits are designed to reduce exposure from the natural elements of an outdoor fire, which are different compared to structural fire situations.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The personal protective equipment (PPE) completes the required head-to-toe uniform for wildland fire crews. The additional gear includes a helmet, anti-fog goggles, heat and fire-resistant leather gloves, and heavy-duty boots.
The job calls for extreme activities, which means that whole-body protection enables the firefighters to perform their tasks without being held back by unprotected body areas.
Safety Packs
Wildland fire crews also need a safety pack that contains all their necessities for a specific assignment. Generally, the daypack should have the following: a first-aid kit, flashlight, map, compass, safety glasses, extra batteries for the headlamp, water bottle, utility knife, sunscreen, fusees, matches, MREs, and more.
For overnighters, wildland firefighters must bring other items, such as a tent, inflatable sleeping pad, camping stove, instant food, can opener, etc. Longer assignments may even require an extra change of clothes, laundry bag, and other camping essentials that will keep them even just a little bit comfortable.
Extra Tools
Other several tools are also required for wildland firefighters to carry on site:
A wristwatch, perhaps, is a useful addition to keep them working within schedule.
They need a headlamp to let them workaround through the dark.
A Pulaski is an essential tool for chopping or trenching.
Everyone in the wildland crew must have a radio to establish constant communication.
They also carry a drip torch to burn materials that they can’t dispose of in any other way.
And more importantly, firefighters must always bring their fire shelter.
Certified Wildland Firefighter Equipment
Equipment for our wildland firefighters must be certified by organizations supervising the fire departments, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the ASTM International. It’s one of the best ways to ensure the quality of the protective equipment worn and carried by our fire crews.
Check out CrewBoss’s purpose-built firefighter equipment that meets NFPA 1584 requirements for departments of all sizes.
