Finding a Fit

There’s no substitute for proper fit on the fireground. And the reason is simple: if your gear doesn’t fit properly, you don’t have the protection you need.

Unfortunately, when it comes to fit, women in the fire service have been underrepresented for too long.

This was a problem that Fire-Dex recognized and took the initiative to face. Women deserve well-fitted turnouts, just like men do, and we believed this goal was attainable. It’s about more than comfort; it’s about safety and having the security of knowing you are protected every time you enter the fireground. Women already contend with unique challenges as firefighters—but their gear doesn’t have to be one of them.

“It's all about safety,” says Fire-Dex's CEO, Lauren Burke Devere. “I want to make sure that they can do their job properly and efficiently. So, it's something that we've really done a lot of research into. I want to make sure that females on the job have properly fitting PPE so they’re obviously set up for success.”

This was one of the key reasons that we designed AeroFlex, the most breathable, well-fitting turnouts on the market today. Fire-Dex partnered with Los Angeles County Fire Department to design these premier turnouts, focusing on several key factors, one of which was fit and functionality. Female firefighters and their unique needs were a large part of the AeroFlex mission, and we’ve spoken to the women in LA County Fire to understand their fit experience, both before AeroFlex and after.

Fit for the Future

Natalie Nardone, a firefighter for LA County recalls her perspective on gear when she became a firefighter, saying, “I never really vocalize or complain to anybody because honestly, I was just happy to be a firefighter,” she explains. “And if that's like, ‘hey, you're going to borrow someone's gear that doesn't necessarily fit you, but it works, I'll take it.'"

For Nardone, the privilege of being in the fire service was so special, she never even spoke up for her needs. This goes to show that just because a problem isn’t spoken, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Many female firefighters likely swallow their discomfort to save face, but this puts them at risk.

“There's a safety concern when your gear doesn't fit properly,” says Fire-Dex designer Sean Bilovecky, “so you need to make it for all body types. And it's not okay to just take whatever's off the rack and like, throw it on you. It really has to be custom.”

So, working with LA County, Fire-Dex took on the challenge.

“Fire-Dex stepped up to the plate,” says LA County Chief Marrone. “They came to our Women's Fire Expo where they provided female fit turnouts for all of our employees. And now they're providing specially fitted turnouts for all of our employees, regardless of gender, to make sure that every firefighter has a properly fitted set of turnouts.”

This dedication to fit, both men’s and women’s, was astonishing for LA County, because it wasn’t something they’d experienced before.

Deputy Fire Chief Eleni Pappas speaks of how grateful they were to Fire-Dex for even being willing to come meet with the women in LA. “We are also very happy with Fire-Dex because Fire-Dex was willing to meet us with our women,” she says. “And for many years manufacturers have told us, ‘Well, it's not profitable for us to make gear for women because there's just not a lot of women in the fire service. And there's not profitability for us to invest in making that.’ And that's understandable,” says Pappas. “But Fire-Dex, said ‘No, we will make gear that will fit women properly.' And I'm just grateful to a company like Fire-Dex who look beyond, ‘Well, we don't have enough women, and the numbers don't pay out for us.’ And they said, ‘no, we'll do the right thing and we're going to fit these women because these women are putting their lives on the line to just like the men do.'”

So that’s what Fire-Dex did. We stepped to the line and found a way to prioritize women firefighters, no matter how many or few.

“Before, I felt like I was borrowing someone else’s equipment,” says Nardone. But with her new AeroFlex gear, she has a completely different experience. “Climbing those steps with the new equipment was a breeze compared to me having to constantly hike up my pants. It lets me work to an optimal level. I’m not fighting myself,” she notes, “which makes me less exhausted. I felt like the turnouts were made specifically for me.”

And with AeroFlex, they are made specifically for her.

Because it’s not the numbers that are important, it’s the people. Fire-Dex believes that every female firefighter should be protected with as much intentionality as her male counterpart. AeroFlex has allowed us to meet that goal, for the first time in firefighting history.

Because when you pledge to serve them, we pledge to serve you. All of you.