How Modern Technology Helps Develop Better Firefighter PPE
Fighting fire is grueling, hot, and definitely hazardous. And most of us may not know this but, their job is getting even harder these days as firefighters have to deal with riskier firefighting situations like increased heat loads, dealing with toxic substances, and other physically demanding challenges.
With this in mind, certain developments in firefighting apparel and equipment are also made to safely equip these professionals as they try to save lives and stuff while performing their job. And as a result, these changes in protection technology have paved the way for new and revolutionary PPE designs.
Learn more as we are going to talk about how modern technology helps develop better firefighter PPE for the future in this post.
A Fabric That Reacts To Temperature
Researchers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have recently developed a kind of fabric that automatically expands and contracts as the temperature changes. Likewise, another group of scientists was able to create a fabric called “bio-skin” which opens and closes depending on how hot the surrounding temperature using bacteria.
With such innovations, we can safely say that future protective equipment will be able to increase or decrease thickness based on how hot the exterior gets to provide optimal thermal protection for the wearer. Also, this same technology is expected to improve the dispersal of body heat as well as lightening the weight of the firefighter PPE to properly respond to the kind of protection required according to the actual risky conditions.
Shoes That Prevent Firefighters From Falling Off
Other researchers have also been making new changes in terms of firefighter footwear to prevent the person from falling off. This invention is called “B-Shoes” and is already featured on CNN. And it makes use of sensors to activate motorized heels placed in the outsole part once the wearer is outbalanced.
Although, not yet released for occupational use, the product proves to be promising enough to be included in the firefighter’s PPE repertoire sooner than later. And that’s because balance is essential in a fireman’s work that they have to maintain equilibrium regardless of how uneven the surface they are dealing with during fire incidents.
Shape Memory And Shape-Changing Material
A team of material scientists and engineers have also developed a type of smart material akin to memory foam called “shape memory polymer” (SMP) that can change shape when being lighted or heated and can revert back to its original shape. Aside from that, this material is also capable of “self-assembly”, which is why it is classified by scientific experts as a multi-functional smart material.
Now, this polymer material can be very useful in creating firefighter helmets that can easily shift from American to European style in an instant to properly respond to the fire operation.
Final Thoughts
Overall, these things we have tackled here may just be speculations of how the future firefighter PPE will look like. But still, it is a good way of anticipating these technologies to be integrated into the current PPE design so the firefighting industry can intelligently prepare in attacking tomorrow’s fire incidents and how to execute those attacks efficiently.