Firefighter's helmet

Firefighters inChicago

Fire helmets from around the world on display at theHall of Flame Fire MuseuminPhoenix, Arizona

For centuries,firefightershave wornhelmetsto protect them from heat, cinders and falling objects. Although the shape of most fire helmets has changed little over the years, their composition has evolved from traditionalleatherto metals (includingbrass,nickelandaluminum), to composite helmets constructed of lightweightpolymersand otherplastics.

Leather helmets

Example of stovepipe fire hat

The original American fire helmet was created by a New York City luggage maker who was also a volunteer fireman in the 1830s, seeking a better design more tailored to the unique requirements for firefighting than the "stovepipe" "helmets" then in use. Stovepipe was essentially atop hatmade of stiff leather with painted design to identify fire company and provided no protection.Leatherwas chosen as the preferred material both because it was what the man, Henry Gratacap, was familiar with, but also because thick treated leather was flame-resistant and highly resistant to breaking apart.Leatherheadis a term for evolutions of these leather helmets still used by many firefighters in North America.Leatherheadis also slang for a firefighter who uses a leather helmet as opposed to more modern composite helmets. The leather helmet is an international symbol of firefighters dating to the early years of organized civilian firefighting.

Leather helmet

Typically, traditional leather helmets have a brass eagle adornment affixed to the helmet's top front of the helmet to secure a leather shield to the helmet front, though on the original design it also served as a glass-breaking device.Leather helmets have fallen into disuse, only seeing use in some fire departments in North America, such asNew YorkandHouston.Canadian fire departments (e.g.Toronto Fire Services) that use the Leatherhead have a beaver in place of the eagle for the brass adornment. Such leather helmets, as well as modern derivatives that retain the classic shape but use lighter, more modern composite materials, remain very popular in North America and around the world in places that derive their firefighting traditions from North America.

Brass eagle and beaver

The eagle's origins can be traced to approximately 1825. An unknown sculptor created a commemorative figure for a volunteer firefighter's grave. Firefighters did not wear eagles before that, but eagles became associated with fire helmets ever since. Canadian firefighters adorn their helmets with the beaver because it is Canada's national animal.

These ornaments protrude from the helmet and can catch on window sashes, wires and other obstacles, frequently leading to damage. As a result, many fire departments provide traditional helmets using modern plastic and composite helmets without eagles or beavers, jokingly referred to assalad bowls,turtle shellsandslick topsdue to their streamlined shape. However, many firefighters and fire departments still retain the leather helmet as a matter of tradition.

Early respirators

Dräger smoke helmet, German fire service museum

Tyndall's hood

In 1871, British physicist John Tyndall wrote about his new invention, afireman's respirator,featuring a valve chamber and filter tube. This device used cotton saturated withglycerin,limeandcharcoalto filter smoke particles and neutralizecarbonic acid.The device was featured in the July 1875 issue ofManufacturer and Builder.

Neally's smoke-excluding mask

George Neally patented asmoke-excluding maskin 1877 that he marketed to fire departments. This device featured a face mask with glass eyepieces and rubber tubes, allowing respiration through a filter carried on the chest.

Merriman's smoke mask

A Denver firefighter known as Merriman invented an early hose mask that was featured in the January 7, 1892 issue ofFireman's Herald.This respirator featured a tube like that of an elephant trunk connected to an air hose that ran parallel to the firefighter's water hose.

Loeb respirator

Bernhard Loeb of Berlin patented a respirator (US patent #533854) in 1895 that featured a triple-chambered canister carried on the waist that contained liquid chemicals, granulated charcoal and wadding. This respirator was used by theBrooklyn Fire Department.

Dräger smoke helmet

Invented in 1903 byDräger & Gerlingof Lübeck, Germany, the smoke helmet was a fully enclosed metal helmet with glass face mask, featuring twobreathing bagscovered by a leather flap worn over the chest. This respirator became so critical to mine rescue operations that rescue workers became known asdraegermen.

Metal helmets

A traditional metal firefighting helmet fromArlington County, Virginia,c. 1974

Merryweather helmet

Napoleonic helmets

Napoleon Bonapartereordered the various fire fighting organisations in Paris (and later other cities) into a unit of theFrench Armycalled theSapeurs-pompiers.They wore abrasshelmet with a high central crest, similar tothat wornbydragooncavalry, with a frontal plate on which a badge representing their city was em Boss ed.This style of helmet was widely copied across Europe and beyond.

Merryweather helmet

Merryweatherhelmets were used by Britishfire brigadesfrom theVictorian erauntil well into the 20th century. These helmets were modelled on the helmets of theSapeurs-pompierswhich Captain SirEyre Massey Shawhad seen on a visit to Paris and introduced to theMetropolitan Fire Brigadein London in 1868, replacing a black leather helmet. The design was widely copied by other British andBritish Empirefire services.These helmets were made of brass, but those belonging to officers weresilver plated.Metal helmets areconductive,a safety hazard as use ofelectricitybecame widespread, so a new helmet made from a composite ofcorkandrubberwas introduced in London and elsewhere from 1936. However, duringWorld War II,military-stylesteel helmetswere adopted, similar to theBrodie helmetused by theBritish Army,to improve protection during air raids. A composite helmet was reintroduced after the end of the war.Traditional brass helmets remained in service inQueensland,Australiauntil 1970.

Aluminium helmets

Some departments, such as theBuffalo Fire Departmentfor example, used aluminium helmets up to the mid-1980s.

German DIN fire helmet

InGermany,many fire brigades still use the old GermanDINfire helmet. Early on, this helmet was simply analuminium alloyversion of the M1942Stahlhelmused by the Wehrmacht, standardized in 1956 and normed in 1964 by DIN 14940. The material was AL-CU-MG, normed by DIN 1725. At about 800 g, it was lighter than most fire fighting helmets.

The color was Wehrmacht black in the beginning or red in Bavaria. The norming process of the 1960s changed color to a fluorescent lime yellow. This helmet uses a white reflecting stripe and black leather neck protection. Most fire brigades use this helmet with an easily mountable visor.

The German DIN fire helmet does not correspond to the currently valid European EN 443 standard for fire helmets due to its conductivity. German fire brigades are allowed to use existing aluminum DIN fire helmets, but if new helmets are necessary, firefighters must purchase either composite or a newly developed version of the old helmet with EN 443-compatible coating. At about 900 g, coated aluminum helmets are still relatively lightweight. Some manufacturers currently produce fire helmets constructed ofglass fibre reinforced plastic,replicating the look of old German DIN fire helmets. However, it is not uncommon that fire brigades move to modern helmets like the F1.

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  An early 19th century French fire commander's helmet, on display inBasel
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  AVictorianScottish fireman's helmet, exhibited atHuntly House Museum
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  A Russian fire helmet dating from before theRussian Revolutionin 1917
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  London firemen wearingBrodie-likesteel helmetsduring World War II
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  Historic German fire helmets, predecessors of the DIN helmet
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  German firefighters with DIN helmets

Modern composite helmets

Modern structural helmet

Modern composite "Metro" structural firefighting helmets

French F1 helmet, with its integral face mask

Modern structural helmets (that is, those intended for structure fires) are made of thermoplastic or composite materials. Such helmets were designed to provide a more modern, sleeker look, and lighter weight compared to the traditional American helmet design, while retaining the distinctive profile. If desired, a face shield can be attached to the front. The Newer "Metro" helmets (the name given by several leading helmet manufacturers) with smaller brims and rounded edges are also much lighter than both leather and composite traditional helmets. However, designs which emulate the original New York-style American helmet design persist due to their continuing effectiveness and a general preference towards tradition or traditional appearance, and remain widely popular in both leather and composite. North American manufacturers continue to make both styles in parallel. The New York and Metro style helmets are worn in theUnited StatesandCanada.The Metro style is also used inAustraliaand parts of Asia (notablyMacau,Taiwan,andGuangzhou) however, they do not feature the shield at the front, and instead will often display the crest or logo of the local fire authority. Most countries outside of the continental US, especially Europe, use a different style of fire helmet which covers more of the head, including the ears, and will sometimes have a nape protector at the back. This style is often referred to as a "Euro" style helmet, and most are fitted with a full face visor, eye protection, and a light. Recent examples of a "Euro" style helmet include theMSA Gallet F1 XF,and the Rosenbauer HEROS-Titan Pro.

Urban rescue helmet

These helmets are used for urban search and rescue, technical rescue, and medical rescue applications and are shaped differently from traditional fire helmets.Most designs are derived from them, but feature a lower profile and elimination of excess protective area to facilitate better freedom of movement for the head in confined spaces. Those derived from North American-style helmets often appear to be similar to a commercial hard hat, while those derived from European styles such as the MSA Gallet F2 appear more similar to rock climbing helmets. As they are made from the same materials, these types of helmet often carry the same flame, impact and heat resistance standards that their larger counterparts do, and still offer mostly seamless compatibility with SCBAs.

Helmet colors

British Royal Navy firefighters with yellow helmets

In some countries, most notably the United States and otherAnglophonecountries, the firefighter's helmet color often denotes the wearer's rank or position. In Britain, most firefighters wear yellow helmets; watch managers (two grades above a regular firefighter) and above wear white helmets. Rank is further indicated by black stripes around the helmets. In Canada, regular firefighters wear yellow or black; captains (two grades above regular) are in red and senior command officers in white. Likewise in the United States, red helmets denote company officers (one or two grades above regular), while white helmets denote chief officers (three or more grades above regular).

However the specific meaning of a helmet's color or style varies from region to region and department to department. One noteworthy example is theLos Angeles County Fire Department's use ofMSA Safety"Topgard" Helmets depicted in the 1970s television seriesEmergency!.Firefighters used all black with colored company numbers on the shield below the "L.A. County" in blue on the top half. Engine and squad companies used white numbers, with paramedics switching to green and a two-color "paramedic" decal later affixed to either side of the helmet. Truck companies used red numbers. Captains' helmets were black with a white stripe down the helmet's center ridge, and the numeric shield portion in white. Battalion Chiefs helmets were solid white with black numbers. These helmets have since been discontinued in favor of a more modern style using bright yellow, orange, and red, among other colors to denote rank, though the colored number panels persist. This particular setup has been copied by a number of other California fire services. Another example is theSan Francisco Fire Department.Engine company helmets are typically all black; truck company helmets are black with alternating red and white quarters on the helmet dome. Most other fire services in the United States and Canada simply use either black or yellow for most firefighters and white for commanders, with some using red for denoting unit leaders.

TheSouth Australian Country Fire Service,as with many Australian fire services, use specific colors for specific roles. White helmets are for firefighters (with a red stripe for senior firefighters). Lieutenants have yellow helmets; captains have yellow with a red stripe, deputy group officers and above have red helmets while paid staff have a blue stripe on their helmet.

InNew Zealand,helmet colours were changed in 2013 to assist with identification of the command structure at a large multi-agency incident. Firefighters wear yellow helmets, plain for a base-rank firefighter, with one red stripe for a qualified firefighter, and with two red stripes for a senior firefighter. Station officers wear red helmets with one blue stripe (previously yellow with one blue stripe), while senior station officers wear red helmets with two blue stripes (previously yellow with two blue stripes). Chief fire officers and their deputies wear white helmets; regional and area commanders and their assistants wear silver helmets; and the national commander and their deputies wear black helmets. Trainee and recruit firefighters wear fluro-green helmets (previously red).

InGermanyandAustrialime-yellow phosphorescent helmets are commonly used. Different colours, which indicate different ranks, are rarely used.However, it is common to use different kind of identification markings on the helmets. As fire service is mainly organized by the different federal states and in the end is the responsibility of the different communities, there is no standard kind of identification markings for helmets. In Bavaria for example the "Kommandant" (elected fire chief) is marked with a red vertical stripe on the helmet and the “Gruppenführer” (group leaders) with thin black rubber bands around the helmets.It is also quite common to use helmet markings for different possible functions like medic or SCBA.While identification markings according to the rank on the helmet are permanent, officers and sub-officers usually wear coloured vests over their bunker-gear in order to indicate their currently carried leading-position.

InPolandit is legally regulated by the National Headquarters of theState Fire Servicethat paid full-time firefighters from theState Fire Serviceuse red and volunteer firefighters from Volunteer Fire Services use white as the colour of their helmets.However it is common to see Volunteer Services to use different collors such as yellow or somethimes silver, while theState Servicesticks to the rule.

Fire Helmet Safety Standards

Many countries, regions and industry groups have developedsafety standardsthat outline performance criteria as well as information on the selection, care, and maintenance of fire helmets

North America

In North America, theNational Fire Protection Agencyhas developed several industryconsensus standardsfor various types of helmets that may be used by fire service personnel, including:

• NFPA 1971,Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
• NFPA 1951,Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents
• NFPA 1952,Standard on Surface Water Operations Protective Clothing and Equipment
• NFPA 1977,Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting and Urban Interface Fire Fighting

In order to comply with the NFPA standards, helmets are required to be tested and certified by independent third-parties, and bear the certifying body's logo and a compliance statement.Such third-party certifications are issued by theSafety Equipment Institute (SEI)andUL Solutions.

Europe

European Standardsdeveloped for the performance of helmets that may be used by fire service personnel include:

• EN 443,Helmets for fire fighting in buildings and other structures
• EN 16471,Firefighters helmets - Helmets for wildland fire fighting
• EN 16473,Firefighters helmets - Helmets for technical rescue

See also

• Fire safety
• Glossary of firefighting equipment
• Glossary of firefighting terms
• L'art pompier
• List of headgear
• Cap

External links

• National Emergency Services Museum
• San Francisco Fire Museum pagewith pictures
• gallet.fr F1 helmetManufacturer's web site
• Killorglin Fire & RescueKillorglin Fire & Rescue site includes a breakdown of the parts of the Gallet helmet
• Der FeuerwehrhelmA helmet collection: See fire helmets of the past and the future, from Germany and the whole world.
• FirehelmetcollectionA worldwide fire helmets collection from Italy.
• http://home.bt /techgadgets/technews/firemans-helmet-can-see-through-smoke-11363895600280?s_intcid=con_RL_Helmet
• Leather Fire HelmetatA History of Central Florida Podcast