As a firefighter, you’re not always going to be putting out flames. Instead, you might be breaking down doors, navigating through dark, smoke-filled corridors, testing for or releasing gases, or freeing occupants from a car crash.
Because missions vary and could even extend past this broad spectrum, what you hold and pack into your turnout gear matters. It’s the difference between doing your job correctly or not at all. But if you bring along too much, you’re sifting through crowded pockets or weighing yourself down.
Just four percent of fire department emergencies involve an actual fire, while rescue operations and emergency services make up about 65 percent of all scenarios. So they arrive prepared, many firefighters carry a combination of the following:
Forcible Entry Tools
This broad category covers tools for chopping down doors and making ventilation points to pliers for loosening nuts and bolts to door wedges. Yet, across these functions, forcible entry tools all center around a similar group of tasks: Creating an obstruction-free pathway to safety as firefighters control heat and find occupants.
Detectors
Know what conditions lie ahead, including exposed wires and toxic gases. To assess their environments, firefighters carry two types of detectors to evaluate their surroundings and respond to hazards:
- A non-contact voltage detector for identifying any live wires.
- Gas detectors to measure the percentage of carbon dioxide and flammable substances.
Vehicle Accident Tools
Firefighters typically see more vehicular accidents than structural fires, and at the scene, it’s your responsibility to release occupants from a car or truck, treat their injuries and control hazards. Instruments used to perform these actions include a seatbelt cutter, a window punch for shattering glass, a trunk key, a shove knife and a hydraulic extraction tool — better known as a “jaws of life” — for cutting through metal frames and removing doors to free individuals trapped inside.
Self-Rescue Tools
What happens if you’re trapped by debris, a door that closes behind or a partially collapsed building? You’re expected to anticipate these scenarios with tools like an axe and wire cutters to break through building materials, including wood and sheetrock. Or, based on your location, prepare to exit through a second-story window with a portable anchor, rope and carabiner.
Lighting
Structural fires often mean facing a dark, smoke-filled interior. For this reason, firefighters arrive with right-angle, helmet-mounted and handheld lights to see what’s directly ahead and simultaneously assess their wider surroundings. Additionally, strobes and other multi-directional flashing lights help you identify and locate other team members — essential when you’re conducting operations over a large outdoor area.
Other Tools
Also have the following on hand:
- CPR boards provide a stable, flat surface for stabilizing critically injured individuals, rapidly getting them to safety and performing chest compressions.
- Shovels allow you to create a barrier between embers and a home or building to minimize structural damage.
- A multitool gives a firefighter an all-in-one solution for loosening pressure valves, releasing screws and activating a sprinkler.
Need to replace broken or outdated tools or upgrade your department’s essentials? Fire Safety USA has all above and more bases covered. Browse now before placing an order online, through our call center or via our direct fax line.