I have another fireman question

[Alpo]

I just saw a commercial for a TV show called Fire Country.

 

Half the fireman in the commercial had long hair and were wearing beards.

 

It seems to me that having hair on your face while fighting a fire is right up there with wearing a nylon jacket while fighting a fire. Such a good way to get some severe burns.

 

And on top of that, how do they seal a respirator?

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

It's not about urban firefighters.  It's about wildland firefighters.  Totally different creatures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dr. Zook]

From Dept of Labor- OSHA

 

Facial hair in the face sealing area is unacceptable. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 

This is Phx FD L9 training and RTO inspection of proper SCBA placement.

 

[watab kid]

i know and have known a few firemen , none had facial hair when they were on the force or volunteers , none had long hair either , but then all served in the 80s and 90s so maybe things are different now , 

[Subdeacon Joe]

6 hours ago, Dr. Zook said:

From Dept of Labor- OSHA

 

Facial hair in the face sealing area is unacceptable. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 

This is Phx FD L9 training and RTO inspection of proper SCBA placement.

 

 

Primarily fighting structure fires, not wildland/brush fires.  The wildland firefighters don't use that kind of gear. SCBA is good for maybe an hour,  wildland crews are on the line eating smoke for 8, 10, 30 hours at a time. They can't carry that many tanks with them.   

 

 

 

 

 

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and that's the kind of firefighters the show is about. 

[Texas Joker]

TV SHOW Alpo. Not real

[Rip Snorter]

The VFD I served on had gear like the wildland crews shown.  We had neither the equipment nor the training to enter structures on fire and did not.  I cannot recall ever going to a structure fire, though we did occasionally wet down or foam structures that were in the path of a wildfire. 

Edited December 6, 2024 by Rip Snorter
Typo

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

11 hours ago, Dr. Zook said:

From Dept of Labor- OSHA

 

Facial hair in the face sealing area is unacceptable. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 

This is Phx FD L9 training and RTO inspection of proper SCBA placement.

 

Oh Goodie!  More government edicts for the slow-minded.

[Subdeacon Joe]

[Sedalia Dave]

Lack of the ability to get a good seal when using an OBA is why the Navy banned beards in the early 80's.

 

AFAIK Navy Aircrew were not allowed to have beards long before that.

[Ozark Huckleberry]

One popular story is that chemical injury due to a poor seal on a gas mask is why Hitler wore a toothbrush moustache.

[Dr. Zook]

@Subdeacon Joe -- you are absolutely right --- what I posted was structural firefighting gear & training/protocols.

 

Little bit of Triva: 

Why Do Wildland Firefighters Wear Yellow Shirts?

In years past, the original color of the shirts worn by firefighters was orange, but these orange shirts created problems with air support. The pilots of the aircraft carrying fire retardants thought the orange was small fires and ended up dousing the firefighters with the fire retardant.

[Rip Snorter]

BTW, wildland clothing shirts, pants, boots and gloves are all highly fire resistant and you are advised to wear cotton or wool under.  Then there is the "shake & bake".

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Dr. Zook said:

@Subdeacon Joe -- you are absolutely right --- what I posted was structural firefighting gear & training/protocols.

 

Little bit of Triva: 

Why Do Wildland Firefighters Wear Yellow Shirts?

In years past, the original color of the shirts worn by firefighters was orange, but these orange shirts created problems with air support. The pilots of the aircraft carrying fire retardants thought the orange was small fires and ended up dousing the firefighters with the fire retardant.

 

Thanks.  I was trying to address the subject of the show about which Alpo asked, not the urban firefighters. The wildfire crews are a different breed.   And,  while many do sport beards, it's by no means universal.   

[WOLFY]

I have done both… my preference was being a city firefighter.  Wildland only crews could have beards, we were limited to mustaches (not extending beyond our upper lip) cause we did have air-packs with 45 min bottles).

Edited December 7, 2024 by WOLFY