PPE

[Kramer]

Whose using some newer parts of the ensemble, and what do you recommend?

I've got the protech gloves and love them, and i'd like to know more about carbon hoods.

[thelurker]

Wearing Janesville V-force Turnouts, Cairns Leather boots, Protech8 Gloves, a carbon hood (department issued), and a Morning Pride Ben II helmet.

The V-Force gear is by far the nicest and most comfortable gear that I have ever worn. I don't even wear suspenders with the bunker pants.

The Cairns boots, I highly recommend, probably the most comfortable, best fitting fire boots I have ever worn. I also have had Haix and Pro Warrington boots and liked them, but not as much as the Cairns.

As far as the Carbon hoods. They are not as thick as the Nomex ones, kinda thin like the PBI ones actually. I did the research for my department on them and found them to have a higher TPP rating than the nomex hoods that used to be issued. They however are thinner, and therefore do not isolate you from heat as well as the nomex ones did, but I have not found this to be a real problem.

Here are some sites I hope will help;

www.pgi-inc.com/carbon_shield.htm

www.fireengineering.com/forum/message.html?id=332

forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=39064

[Kramer]

thanks. im using cairns turnouts, warrington pro leathers, protech 8 gloves, and a carbon hood that im not sure of the make on.

[thelurker]

keep an eye on your hood, I have found that a lot of them develop holes around the face opening.

[Kramer]

yea, im in the market for a new one anyway. this is on loan from someone

[ENG27SQ]

I too have the ProTech8 Gloves, love'em.

However, I,was told by our sales rep that they are in a lawsuit with someone because they didn't "legally" achieve its NFPA rating because it cannot get a NFPA certification because it is man made material and no man made material will pass a test to get NFPA certification. The story is FFs tops of their hands are being burned because the man made material isn't as strong as the cowhide,etc.

Now, whether thats the 100% truth, I do not know. I just figured I'd throw it out there for you all to read.

[hp4l]

I did some research on the ProTech gloves and after talking to a rep form Continental, it was explained that the main issue with the ProTech's was started by a rival company trying to increase their sales. I have them and I have never had an issue with them.

[ENG27SQ]

Oh Jim. Please do not get me wrong, I LOVE my ProTech8 Gloves.

Im just stating what I've heard. Not something I believe, lol

[thelurker]

Wow...TFG's slander campaign really worked well...just another reason for me to not buy anything their company produces unless it is issued to me.

Clicky the linkies bishes...

www.techtradellc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=61

www.pro-tech8.com/downloads/Shapiro20070312.pdf

www.pro-tech8.com/downloads/rebuttal031607.pdf

www.pro-tech8.com/downloads/SEI_CERT_LETTER_DEC06.pdf

and last but not least...
www.pro-tech8.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=15&Itemid=54

[1900]

On the ProTech8 gloves, we were in need of gloves with the recommendation of guys from the Da Boro and some on this site we went out and purchased everyone a set of ProTech8...

After which a couple of guys complained about not being able to get the gloves on after their hands were wet...I assumed this was because they were new and not worn in, and most times all fire gloves are hard to get on and off after working on a job...I advised the guys to let me know how they work out...

Since then I finally had the oppurtunity of wearing the gloves on a job....I stretched some line, got a tool and waited at the front door for everyone to gear up and go in...while attempting to put on my ProTech8 gloves I found it impossible to get the gloves on my already wet hands, the gloves were not wet just my hands...I could not get the gloves on!!! I no longer wear the gloves...

Hey Dean here one for you...LOL

Dean Jernigan <[e-mail]> wrote:
Hey guys,
Follow the LINK to check out these new gloves from TechTrade, LLC. Chuck Fisher from Continental has them. I tried on a pair before they got their NFPA rating and I loved them. They are light, fit really well, and seemed give you way more dexterity than the good old leather firefighting gloves. I am getting 2 pairs from Chuck tomorrow, I will be wearing them at both of my stations, and write a follow up to let everyone know how I like them. I know there are guys in 'boro who have been wearing them for awhile and I haven't heard any complaints from them. So check them out, and if you like them, get yourself a pair.
Stay Safe,
Dean

Hey guys,
also lifestyles came out with a new condom with an ointment called prolong in them. I ordered 2 cases and will use them in the next couple days. They are light, and fit really well, and seemed to give you way more dexterity. I will write back and let you know how I/WE liked them.

Don't be a fool wrap your tool!
Jason

[WebBoss]

Wet or Dry, I've never had a problem with my ProTech8 gloves. The only thing really substantial about them to me though is that they stay soft and supple, whereas the leather ones tend to dry out and get too stiff to use well.

As far as the turnout gear goes, gear is gear, as long as it's in good shape and fits well, it's fine. The best gear I had was my PG Securtex PBI stuff, and it wasn't even custom fitted.

Hoods, who cares... just wear one. I've got a crappy white one that's worked just as well as my black carbon one did. Difference being, I knew when to wash my white one. The elastic on the black one I had also stretched out within the first 6 months of its life.

Boots, the Globe Magnum 14" pull-ons are the best ones I've had yet. Better then any Warrington Pro Boots (had 3 different styles) I've ever had. They fit like my Nike Sneakers and are holding up real real well.

I prefer no suspenders at all, but when I have to wear them, I wear heavy leather ones because they don't stretch when my pants get wet.

Otherwise, I like longer coats (35 - 40") and waist pants. Just never cared for anything that came up my back.

Bring back Hip Boots and 42" coats and I'll be a happy fat kid.

[JDub]

Wet or Dry I also have never had a problem with the protech 8 gloves.

[hp4l]

Can anyone reccommend decent goggles. I'm looking for something for mainly extrications. I know the cheap ones are good incase I lose them. Any thoughts?

[Reverend]

I have not personnally worn the Protech 8, but I have seen two guys with burnt hands that were wearing them at FH Expo Live Burn. These guys thought their hands were melting and tore the glove off very fast. The problem I understood was because the the gloves interior contained a polyester aramid fabric which dosnt disapate head well, especially after doing several burns. Most of the people I know that swore by the glove at first have switched to another glove after they were in a quality job.

Side bar- Some advice for those specing equipment. Dont rely or purchase off of what a salesmen tells you, go to the company and beat their technical reps up for info, talk to guys who wear them in fires, see what standrd they are tested to. IE. you can put a UL label on something for meeting any of the UL standards , maybe not the one you are interested in. IE. The glove meets the standard for abrasions and not structural firefighting.

[opsoverkill]

The best I have found for vehicle rescue are the run of the mill safety glasses. Cheap. They never fog up and they are the perfect size.

[thelurker]

rreis said:

I have not personnally worn the Protech 8, but I have seen two guys with burnt hands that were wearing them at FH Expo Live Burn. These guys thought their hands were melting and tore the glove off very fast. The problem I understood was because the the gloves interior contained a polyester aramid fabric which dosnt disapate head well, especially after doing several burns. Most of the people I know that swore by the glove at first have switched to another glove after they were in a quality job.

I will agree that while lighting and stoking the training burns at the academy, I have found the backs of my hands got extremely hot, however, the crews that were just coming in the door, finding and extinguishing the fire, doing the search, and exiting, there were no problems at all.

I have been to training in which I have seen the Instructor wear double hoods, Leather Fire gloves and additional undergloves, and a heavy sweatshirt under his coat. This was inside the same simulator we were all in, and he said he wears all of that because he is in the heat for a lot longer than we are.

All of this made sense to me, so I began wearing the heavy gloves when QTOing at the academy again, but when I am working a line, or working at a real fire, it's the ProTech Gloves all the way.

[thelurker]

hp4l said:

Can anyone reccommend decent goggles. I'm looking for something for mainly extrications. I know the cheap ones are good incase I lose them. Any thoughts?

I agree with S.V. Go with safety glasses rather than goggles. Safety glasses have much less of a fogging problem, and are much cheaper to replace when the lenses get scratched. Go to HD, lowes, or All Industrial in Edgewater Park and get yourself a decent pair of safety glasses and maybe even the croakie thing like chad told josh about.

[hp4l]

Thanks for the opinions guys. I'm gonna go stock up on the cheap ones because I have been known to lose and break them.

[opsoverkill]

4399 usually has a box of them!!!! The box is even designed for easy access!!!

[3105]

hp4l said:

Thanks for the opinions guys. I'm gonna go stock up on the cheap ones because I have been known to lose and break them.

Check your gear pockets in the next day or two...Santa will make a deposit.

Safety Nazi