This Training Guide should be mandatory reading for every firefighter. The information is of unparalleled importance.
Creating a Maintenance Program for Personal Protective Equipment - Article Highlight #1
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, incorporates common practices and procedures derived from the input of firefighting professionals, manufacturers, and industry specialists for maintaining personal protective equipment (PPE).
This article breaks down the standard by function and gives examples of how you can implement a program. Not all aspects of the standard are addressed, and the coat and trousers are referred to primarily when discussing cleaning and repairs. The document and training will fill in the information gaps. The standard is so comprehensive that all its aspects cannot be fully addressed in an article; it would require a book.
About the Author:
Mitch Lopez is an engineer with the Highlands Fire District in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he has served for six years. For four of those years, he headed the personal protective equipment (PPE) overhaul program. He has been trained in National Fire Protection Association 1851, oversees the PPE needs for a combination department of 50 personnel, and assists mutual-aid agencies in maintaining their PPE.
Fire-Dex is pleased to offer this article published via Fire Engineering free for all in fire service. Click here to download your PPE Training Guide from Fire Engineering sponsored by Fire-Dex.
