TECHNICAL NOTES. Data Collection Summary for PPE Care and Maintenance

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TECHNICAL

NOTES

Data Collection Summary for

PPE Care and Maintenance

A Summary of Data on

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Care and Maintenance Practices Collected from

the Fire Service, Independent Service Providers, and PPE Manufacturers

Prepared by:

Paul Kashmanian and Casey C. Grant, P.E.

Fire Protection Research Foundation © February 2014

The Fire Protection Research Foundation

One Batterymarch Park

Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 02169-7471

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F

OREWORD

Fire fighting personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential part of the gear used by fire fighters. Like all equipment, fire fighting PPE requires appropriate care and maintenance. The goal of this project is to provide a data collection summary of current practice and policies for fire service PPE care and maintenance, with resulting deliverables that help guide standards revisions as well as to support future research on this topic.

The Fire Protection Research Foundation expresses gratitude to members of the project’s technical panel for their guidance throughout the project and to all others who contributed to this research effort. Special thanks are expressed to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for providing the project funding through the NFPA Annual Code Fund.

The content, opinions, and conclusions contained in this report are solely those of the authors.

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A

CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Fire Protection Research Foundation expresses gratitude to those that assisted with the development and review of the information contained in this report. The Research Foundation appreciates the guidance provide by the Project Technical Panel, and from the NFPA who provided funding.

About the Fire Protection Research Foundation

The Fire Protection Research Foundation plans, manages, and communicates research on a broad range of fire safety issues in collaboration with scientists and laboratories around the world. The Foundation is an affiliate of NFPA.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

Keywords: fire, fire service, fire fighting, personal protective equipment, PPE, gear, care, maintenance, inspection, cleaning, retirement

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P

ROJECT

T

ECHNICAL

P

ANEL

Ken Block, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services & Metro Chiefs (AB) Rita Fahy, NFPA Fire Analysis & Research Division (MA)

Bill Haskell, NIOSH NPPTL (MA)

Steve King, NFPA TC on FAE-SPF Chair & FDNY Retired (NY) Steve Lakey, VISPA & Northwest Safety Clean Inc. (OR)

Beth Lancaster, CTTSO/TSWG (VA) Karen Lehtonen, Lion Apparel Inc (OH)

Kirk Owen, NFPA Fire Service Section & TenCate (TX) Jim Reidy, Texas State Association of Fire Fighters (TX)

Jeff Stull, International Personnel Protection Inc. (TX) Tim Tomlinson, Addison FD & Gear Cleaning Solutions (TX)

Dave Trebisacci, NFPA TC on FAE-SPF Staff Liaison (MA)

P

ROJECT

S

PONSOR

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T

ABLE OF

C

ONTENTS

Executive Summary ... 13

Chapter 1: Introduction ... 15

Chapter 2: Background/Literature Review ... 19

2.1 General Issues Involving PPE Use, Care and Maintenance ... 19

2.2 PPE Related Standards ... 21

2.3 Fire Service PPE Inventory ... 23

2.4 Health and Safety Research Related to PPE ... 26

2.5 Research on PPE Use, Care and Maintenance ... 27

Chapter 3: Methodology ... 31

Chapter 4: Results ... 33

4.1 Fire Service ... 35

4.1.1 Line Fire Service Member Survey Results ... 37

4.1.2 Staff Fire Service Member Survey Results ... 65

4.1.3 Both Fire Service Members Survey Results ... 89

4.2 Independent Service Providers (ISPs) ... 119

4.3 Manufacturers ... 143

Chapter 5: Summary Observations ... 161

References ... 163

Annex A: Fire Service Survey Announcement ... 167

Annex B: Fire Service Survey Questions ... 169

Annex C: Independent Service Provider (ISP) Survey Questions ... 187

Annex D: Manufacturer Survey Questions ... 193

Annex E: Independent Service Provider (ISP) Contacts ... 197

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S

UMMARY OF

F

IGURES

Figure 1: The Arrangement of the PPE Maintenance World ... 16

Figure 2: Phase I of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 1 of 3) ... 16

Figure 3: Phase II of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 2 of 3) ... 17

Figure 4: Phase III of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 3 of 3) ... 18

Figure 5: Key Definition from the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851 ... 22

Figure 6: Responsibilities for Garment Element Inspection, Cleaning and Repair ... 23

Figure 7: Estimation of the Lack of PPE and PPE at Least 10 Years Old... 24

Figure 8: Estimation of Departments with Fire Fighters Lacking PPE ... 25

Figure 9: Percent of Departments Where Some PPE is At Least 10 Years Old ... 26

Figure 10: Diagram of Fire Service Survey Layout ... 33

Figure 11: Divisions and Subdivisions within the Fire Service Survey ... 34

Figure 12: Survey Results, Fire Service Members Question 1 ... 35

Figure 13: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 2 ... 37

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Figure 39: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 31 ... 65

Figure 63: Survey Results, Fire Service, Both Members Question 58... 89

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Figure 92: Survey Results, ISP Question 1 ... 120

Figure 113: Survey Results, Manufacturer Question 1 ... 144

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Figure 129: Announcement for Fire Service PPE Survey ... 167

Figure 130: Fire Service Survey, Page 1 ... 169

Figure 147: ISP Survey, Page 1 ... 187

Figure 152: Manufacturer Survey, Page 1 ... 193

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E

XECUTIVE

S

UMMARY

Fire fighting is inherently dangerous, and personal protective equipment (PPE) is a critical part of the gear used by fire fighters. All gear requires appropriate care and maintenance, and fire service PPE is no exception. Improper care can shorten the life of PPE and affect its performance, while cleaning gear too infrequently could influence contamination risks such as cancer.

The goal of this project is to provide a data collection summary of current practice and policies for fire service PPE care and maintenance. This project is intended to provide useful background information to help guide standards revisions and support future research addressing cleaning, decontamination, retirement, and related care and maintenance issues.

Currently, NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting provides requirements for the selection, care, and maintenance of structural and proximity PPE; however, it lacks specificity in certain key technical areas. Revisions to these requirements occur periodically, and the data collected by this effort is intended to assist with the on-going assessment and revision of these requirements. Further, as future research is conducted on PPE related issues such as cleaning, decontamination and retirement, it is intended that the data collected by this research study will provide helpful baseline information to better guide future research.

The primary approach to achieve the project goal is through an extensive information collection effort using online survey tools, supported by a brief review of the applicable literature and typical practices within this community. The questions in these surveys are varied, based on certain distinguishing characteristics of each of the three key stakeholder groups and in some cases soliciting personal opinions on the topics. The online surveys have been focused toward capturing pertinent information and address the following primary constituent groups and sub-groups:

1) Fire Service

a) Line (Fire Fighters) b) Staff (Administration)

c) Those Involved as Both (e.g., Line Fire Fighters with Policy Responsibility) 2) Independent Service Providers (ISPs)

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The key summary observations from this data collection effort are that the role of standards has value in providing a baseline, more education and out-reach is needed with the user community of best practices, and further research on this topic is needed. This report will be provided to the applicable NFPA Technical Committees for their consideration, along with other public input, as they continue their work the next edition of NFPA 1851.

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C

HAPTER

1:

I

NTRODUCTION

The care and maintenance of fire fighter PPE is a long-standing issue. This topic has been the subject of discussions at various technical and professional forums (e.g., 2012 Urban Fire Forum).1_{Subsequently, this topic was submitted as a research project under}

the NFPA Code Fund program, and as a result received funding and was initiated in the spring of 2013.2_{This report will be provided to the appropriate NFPA Technical}

Committees for their consideration, along with other public input, as they continue their work the next edition of NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.

A key question that lacks a clear answer and that helped initiate this effort is: “How are fire fighters and fire departments maintaining their PPE?” Using this as a starting point, other questions that were considered and help define the PPE landscape include the following:

 How often are fire fighters and fire departments cleaning their gear?

 What is the average shelf-time (time spent sitting in storage) of the gear?

 Are fire fighters and fire departments using gear that was manufactured more than 10 years ago?

 What happens to the gear once it is “retired”?

To address these questions, this study provides a brief literature review on areas that relate to the issue of PPE care and maintenance. These areas include the evaluation of PPE, the needs of the fire service, and the impact on health.

In addition to the literature review, this study surveyed three constituencies – the fire service, ISPs and manufacturers. The methodology section of this report describes how a data collection survey tool was developed, distributed, and collected for each constituency. The results provide the data collected from each of the three primary surveys, followed by brief summary observations.

In terms of providing and handling fire service PPE, the groups of interest are the PPE manufacturers, independent service providers (ISPs), and distributors. In general, manufacturers generate the PPE, distributors act as agents on behalf of manufacturers

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Figure 1 shows the operational relationship that exists between the groups that provide and handle fire service PPE. Some organizations are solely one of these three types, but others function as a combination. For example, there are some companies that provide care and maintenance services as an ISP and also operate as a PPE distributor.

Figure 1: The Arrangement of the PPE Maintenance World

It is helpful to consider the typical life cycle of fire service PPE. This is illustrated by a series of three related illustrations shown in Figures 2 through 4, each of which show a particular phase of the PPE lifecycle.

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Starting this lifecycle, the PPE is produced by the manufacturer, as illustrated in Figure 2. The next step is that the PPE is sent and/or sold to the fire service; however, a distributor could be involved in this process. Manufacturers either sell their PPE directly to the fire service or use a distributor to sell their PPE.

Figure 3: Phase II of the PPE Life Cycle (Illustration 2 of 3)

As shown in Figure 3, once the PPE is purchased and in the possession of the fire service, it experiences constant environmental exposures (e.g., chemicals, fires, sunlight, etc.) that detract from the PPE’s design characteristics. Within the fire service, the PPE will go through a series of continuous cycles that include cleaning, inspecting, and repairing. Here we see that the cleaning and repairing is handled either in-house or outsourced.

The outsourcing for both cleaning and repairing is performed by the ISPs or manufacturers while the in-house tasks can be conducted by the end users (i.e., fire fighters) or trained personnel within the fire department. It is noted that while inspections, cleaning, and some repairs can be done in-house by trained personnel, if advanced garment repairs are done in‐house the fire department is expected to also include third party verification. Typically, advanced garment repairs are done by the original garment manufacturer or a verified ISP.

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discarded/destroyed or used for non-live fire training purposes. In some cases used gear is re-sold. This re-sold gear may possibly return to frontline use, typically via different fire fighters and different fire departments. The re-use of old used gear is discouraged, especially PPE that is either over 10 years old or has been deemed unsafe and removed from service regardless of age, based on lack of assurance on the integrity of its original performance characteristics.

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C

HAPTER

2:

B

ACKGROUND

/L

ITERATURE

R

EVIEW

This section provides a brief review of the available and applicable literature on this topic. This is done for the purposes of providing a baseline for consideration and to provide a useful context for the data collection effort. It’s acknowledged that this is not an exhaustive review of the applicable literature.

2.1 General Issues Involving PPE Use, Care and Maintenance

The literature is full of reports, articles and publications that address all aspects of PPE, including its use, care and maintenance. Some of the more noteworthy examples are explored in this section.

The fire service relies heavily on the durability and performance of their PPE to fulfill their duties. Without adequate fire-fighting gear, the fire service is challenged to complete the tasks they are asked to perform. Manufacturers are relied upon to provide acceptable performance characteristics of PPE, while the independent service providers (ISPs) are responsible for making sure the PPE is properly maintained. Fire departments are responsible for making sure their PPE is properly maintained, and they can do much of this in-house, use an ISP or their PPE manufacturer.

The durability and performance characteristics of fire-fighting PPE have become topics of interest since the NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of

Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, was first

established in 2001. 3_{One such study by researchers at the University of Kentucky}

focused on the post-use evaluation of fire fighter gear.4_{This is intended to compare}

durability and performance of used fire fighter gear as well as whether the 10-year retirement rule is suitable or not.

Cleaning is important for maintaining useable gear and minimizing long-term fire fighter exposure to contaminants, but the cleaning process itself may erode the original protection features built into the gear, and ultimately compromises the durability and performance characteristics of the original PPE. This is taken into account with the evaluation methods set forth by both NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for

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be used in determining whether fire fighter gear is still within the intended tolerances of its original protective features3, 5

During its lifespan, PPE endures many harsh conditions and environments that can damage the PPE and, in turn, compromise the fire fighter’s health. Once the level of safety provided by the PPE has been diminished, it is recommended that it be retired.6

Some reasons and causes for a diminishment in the fire fighter PPE safety level include exposures to high thermal temperatures, ultra-violet light, and the nature of fire-fighting operations.7_{Even though the new, synthetic fibers developed and used by}

manufacturers are helping to lessen the damages inflicted upon fire fighters, there must also be action taken by the fire fighters to ensure that they are doing whatever they can do to ensure the performance of their PPE by keeping it clean and well-maintained. With proper care including inspections, cleaning and repair throughout the life of the gear, its lifespan can be maximized, and just as importantly if not more so, assure that it will perform as intended.

A telling indicator of interest in this general subject area is the level of activity handled by NFPA staff on the advisory service questions they receive on their assigned codes and standards. These inquiries handled by the NFPA staff are telltale examples of the kinds of issues that are facing fire fighters, manufacturers, and ISPs.

For example, during the time frame of June 2012 to June 2013 there were a total of 46 inquiries transmitted to NFPA staff on NFPA 1851. Of these, 29 inquiries were directed towards the retirement and replacement of PPE, with other inquiries addressing the lifespan of helmets and ISP verification.8

The helmet issue was one of recent special attention involving the retirement of old and used equipment. This relates to the argument that helmets should be exempt from a blanket retirement age that is applied to other PPE. This is a topic that is complicated by fire service tradition on wearing scuffed, rugged-looking helmets as a “badge of pride.”9

The world of PPE is vast and involved in many other industries besides fire fighting and emergency response. Examples of other applications are mining, law enforcement and the military. In the United States, the sale of PPE is a relatively large market.

In recent years the aftermarket sales arena of PPE has proliferated. Here, aftermarket refers to used gear sold by other than the original equipment manufacturer. It is natural

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marketplace dynamics for older gear to be re-sold if it still has value, and fire fighter PPE is no exception.

Aftermarket sales of PPE raise questions with the retirement of PPE. This is addressed by NFPA 1851 which indicates that the retirement of fire fighter protective ensembles and ensemble elements should not exceed 10 years past the date of manufacture and that the fire fighter gear may only be used for “…training that does not involve live fire, provided the ensembles and ensemble elements are appropriately marked as being for non-live fire training only…”.10_{It further indicates that the fire fighter gear should be}

disposed of and not placed back into the active fire combat.

In practical applications these NFPA 1851 provisions pertaining to retirement are often not followed. Various online auction and product sites demonstrate that it is relatively easy to locate and purchase used fire fighter gear that is past the 10 year mark for retirement. Recent advancement of the internet and the World Wide Web technology has greatly facilitated the handling of this used aftermarket equipment. In recognizing this situation, it should be clearly understood that selling, or giving, used PPE that is either over 10 years old, or has been deemed unsafe and removed from service regardless of age, is not recommended or allowed by NFPA 1851. 11

2.2 PPE Related Standards

Standards are a tool in today’s civilized world to reflect the will of society on complex technical topics. By their very nature standards establish requirements and limitations, and they do so to achieve acceptable levels of health and safety.

There are multiple standards that pertain directly to fire service PPE, and the two most notable and directly applicable to the subject area addressed by this report are NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire

Fighting, and NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.12, 13_{In general, NFPA}

1971 focuses on the design, performance, testing, and certification of new structural and proximity fire fighting protective ensembles, while NFPA 1851 focuses on care and maintenance issues.

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Additionally, this standard is important to the independent service providers and PPE manufacturers.

The scope of NFPA 1851 states that, “This standard shall specify the minimum selection, care, and maintenance requirements for structural fire fighting protective ensembles and the individual ensemble elements that include garments, helmets, gloves, footwear, and interface components that are compliant with NFPA 1971.”14_{. Additionally, it applies}

for proximity fire fighting protective ensembles and ensemble elements.

The 2014 edition of NFPA 1851 was issued in September 2013 and included updated terminology that clarifies which parties are responsible for each aspect of care and maintenance, such as inspection, cleaning, and repairing of fire fighter gear. Figure 5 summarizes key definitions. These definitions describe the primary stakeholder groups that are the focus of the information collection, which are manufacturers, organizations (that handle fire services), and independent service providers (ISPs).

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Additional helpful information is included in Figure 6, the responsibilities for garment element inspection, cleaning and repair from the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851. This describes the organization responsible for the cleaning, inspection, and repair services of ensembles and ensemble elements. This addresses the element manufacturer (MFG), verified Independent Service Provider (V ISP), verified organization (V ORG), manufacturer-trained organization (MT ORG), and the end user (USER).

Figure 6: Responsibilities for Garment Element Inspection, Cleaning and Repair from the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851

2.3 Fire Service PPE Inventory

Fire fighters require appropriate gear to protect themselves and others as they fight fires and carry out their duties, often in a hazardous environment. An important question is: what is the PPE inventory they are using? Further, how many fire fighters do not have gear, or is the gear they are using questionable in terms of the performance parameters for which it was originally designed?

This is partially addressed by a series of “Needs Assessments” conducted by the Fire Analysis and Research Division at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The NFPA Fire Analysis and Research Division has released the “Needs Assessment of the

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the initial 2001 first edition, this was followed by the second edition in 2006 and a third in 2011. The later versions built upon preceding editions, and thus our focus here is on the “Third Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service” issued in 201115_.

The more notable items within the Third Needs Assessment relating to the scope of this effort are those that refer to how well fire fighters are equipped with PPE and the age of the PPE currently being used. As shown in Figure 7, there is both a shortage of PPE and a plenitude of PPE that is more than 10 years old.16_{This is based on over 4,600 fire}

department responses, and it illustrates the number of fire fighters in departments where not all fire fighters are equipped with personal protective clothing. It also shows the percent of fire departments with some personal protective clothing that is at least 10 years old by size of community. It is noted that numbers in Figure 7 are shown to the nearest thousand and sums may not equal totals due to rounding.

Figure 7: Estimation of the Lack of PPE and PPE at Least 10 Years Old

The Third Needs Assessment further reports the percent of fire departments where not all emergency responders have their own PPE by size of communities, and this is shown here in Figure 8.17_{This information is useful in expressing the extent of the PPE}

shortage fire fighters are facing in both larger and smaller communities from survey feedback based on the collection of this data in 2010.

For comparative purposes the information in Figure 8 includes the data collected for all three Needs Assessments and helps to clarify the percent of fire departments where not

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all responders have their own PPE. Overall, nearly two-thirds (63%) of fire departments reported that some of their PPE was at least 10 years old (shown in Figure 7).

Figure 8: Estimation of Departments with Fire Fighters Lacking PPE

Figure 9 further expands on Figure 7, and shows the percent of fire departments where some PPE is at least 10 years old, by size of community.18_{Again this provides a}

side-by-side comparison of the data collected with all three Needs Assessments, and helps to demonstrate the trends.

It is noteworthy that there is a correlation between community population and the percentage of departments with gear that is 10 years or older. Figure 9 also demonstrates that when the jurisdictional population protected by the fire department is smaller, the percentage of departments with older fire-fighting gear is larger. The

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departments do not have reserve PPE sufficient to equip 10% of their emergency responders.

The information in Figure 9 shows that nearly two-thirds of the fire departments use PPE that is at least 10 years of age. The trend since 2001 indicates there is a slight drop in the percentage of fire departments using PPE that is at least 10 years old (74% in 2001 to 63% in 2010), it still remains an important issue for the fire service, especially for the smaller departments that struggle for available resources.

Figure 9: Percent of Departments Where Some PPE is At Least 10 Years Old

2.4 Health and Safety Research Related to PPE

Some of the research in the literature addresses fire fighter safety and health issues. These studies raise questions on the possible influence that dirty or contaminated gear may have on the long-term health and well-being of fire fighters.

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For example, Occupational and Environmental Medicine recently published an informative scientific NIOSH report concerning the health risks associated with firefighting. The report, “Mortality and cancer incidence in a pooled cohort of U.S. fire fighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia (1950–2009),” used a large sample pool of fire fighters for evaluation and found that there is a correlation between firefighting and cancer.19

The significance of this particular report is its use of the largest sample set of fire fighters to date, approximately 30,000, and its supplement to similar findings in other research related to cancer and disease in fire fighters.20_{Cancers that fire fighters are at}

increased risk of developing include those of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems.21

Additionally, this is the first study to report evidence of malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer consisting of malignant cells that are found in the linings of the stomach. In comparison to the U.S. population, fire fighters experienced twice as many incidents of malignant mesothelioma mortality.22_{This information places the spotlight on the}

dangerous occupation of fire-fighting and the importance that must be placed on using clean and safe PPE.

Fire fighters expose themselves to hazards other than fire, which include biological, chemical, nuclear, electrical, and mechanical hazards among others.23_{However, the}

pollutants and dangerous particles that result from fire are often detrimental to a fire fighter’s health. Even during the aftermath of a fire, fire fighters may be exposed to contaminants that include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other fire particulates.24

Additionally, it has been reported that fire fighters can also be exposed to PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs.25_{As fire fighters are becoming increasingly aware of the toxic chemicals they}

are exposed to on duty and the associated cancer and disease risks, the emphasis on using PPE that is (1) able to withstand harsh conditions, and is (2) clean or does not contain any contaminants from previous activity.

2.5 Research on PPE Use, Care and Maintenance

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been in place for much of the last century, with document like NFPA 1961, Standard on

Fire Hose, in existence since 1898. In recent decades a greater awareness of health and

safety issues has resulted in an elevated focus on the care and maintenance of arguably the most important equipment fire fighters use, their PPE.

Research on the general subject of PPE care and maintenance has seen active on-going work over the last several decades. This is exemplified by a summary published in 1999 of a status update of research on fire service PPE and future directions.26_{This provided}

a focus on developing methods to estimate equipment lifespans, development of test standards for thermal protection, and recommendation for future PPE research.

One research project that provided a framework for other research that followed later was an effort that summarized the “Research, Testing and Analysis of the Decontamination of Firefighting Protective Clothing and Equipment.”27_{This was a}

multi-part effort with the first portion of the work provided in 1996 and the follow-up portion building upon this work and completed in 1999. The effort reviewed retired PPE and evaluated the effectiveness of care and maintenance practices under a variety of situations, and also addressed the impact of multiple cleanings on certain performance characteristics designed into the original PPE.

One later study addressed this topic as part of the United States Fire Administration Executive Fire Officer (USFA EFO) program. In a report, “Addressing Maintenance and Replacement Issues of Structural Firefighting Ensembles for Honolulu Fire fighters,” the study indicates how some fire departments operate to supply their fire fighters with the safest PPE and provide the best care and maintenance procedures while operating within a set budget.28_{As an example the study highlights one large department with a}

$1 million budget for its care and maintenance program replaces their gear every 6 years then using the gear for recruits in years 7 through 10 before disposal.29

On the topic of in-house versus outsource cleaning of fire-fighting gear, there are departments that purchase the washing machines and equipment based on cost effectiveness. The aforementioned study provides an examples of fire departments conducting its cleaning and inspecting within the department.30_{When fire departments}

take this approach they usually use one of the two following formats: (1) a centralized location where each fire station sends its gear, or (2) each fire station within the department has its own care and maintenance equipment.

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There are natural variations as to how fire departments and fire fighters handle the care and maintenance of their structural fire-fighting ensembles and ensemble elements. Specifically there are multiple approaches to complying with NFPA 1851 requirements, and these variations range from outsourcing to an independent third party organization, such as a verified ISP, to keeping care and maintenance of gear in-house and having someone who is trained in the department performing the cleaning, inspecting, and repairing. A relatively common approach involves fire departments that do much or all of their inspections and cleaning in‐house, but use an ISP for all repairs. Some departments do only a portion of their inspections and cleaning in‐house and use an ISP to assist. It is worth noting that based on the 2014 edition of NFPA 1851, advanced garment repairs can only be done by the manufacturer, a Verified ISP, or by a Verified Organization.

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C

HAPTER

3:

M

ETHODOLOGY

The methodology for this information gathering effort used a data collection approach that was implemented electronically online via the internet. This was available for completion for an approximate two-month period starting in late summer, 2013.

The online data collection effort is varied and based on certain distinguishing characteristics of each of the three key stakeholder groups. These online surveys focused on capturing pertinent information and address the following primary constituent groups and sub-groups:

1) Fire Service

a) Line (Fire Fighters) b) Staff (Administration)

c) Those Involved as Both (e.g., Line Fire Fighters with Policy Responsibility) 2) Independent Service Providers (ISPs)

3) Manufacturers

The process used for creating the surveys consisted of first identifying the key topics to address. These include the following:

 How often are fire fighters and fire departments cleaning their gear?

 What is the average shelf-time (time spent sitting in storage) of the gear?

 Are fire fighters and fire departments using gear that was manufactured more than 10 years ago?

 What happens to the gear once it is “retired”?

Questions and available answer choices were revised and refined with the help of the project panel and others. The questions were then summarized in three separate electronic survey tools that were made available to interested parties.

The electronic survey for the fire service members was designed to have them answer certain questions that applied to their position within the fire service. The first question provided a gateway to establish the specific series of questions the respondent would answer from that point onward. The reasoning for this method was to have those who are strictly fire fighters answer fire fighter questions and those who function more in the administrative aspects of the fire service answer administrative questions.

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It is acknowledged that data collected in this on-line manner has inherent limitations, such as the possibility of multiple responses from a single organization, or respondents may or may not have submitted their information as an official spokesperson representing their particular organization. The data collected have not been evaluated in the traditional statistical sense, since the pool of respondents is not well defined based on the open manner of this on-line based collection effort. Nevertheless, the information collected herein is considered to be of useful guidance for this topic area.

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C

HAPTER

4:

R

ESULTS

The key part of this project is the on-line data collection. The questions that were used were designed for (1) members within the fire service, (2) ISPs and (3) PPE manufacturers. The fire service survey required additional detail for data collection, and this is displayed in Figure 10.

Figure 10: Diagram of Fire Service Survey Layout

The fire service survey was created to target three specific sub-branches of the fire service. The three fire service sub-branches are line (fire fighter), staff (administrator), and both (line and staff). This approach was used because each has specific needs and interests when it comes to PPE care and maintenance. For example, certain questions asked about inventory, purchase, and long-time storage, and these are topics applicable to staff administrators but not necessarily line fire fighters.

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The following sections of this report summarize the results of the surveys. Because the information is voluminous, it is organized in a logical fashion to assist the user. For the fire service survey, it was already mentioned that the results are divided into the following three sub-sections: line, staff, and both. Within these three sections are parallel subdivisions of questions that address the topics of general information, gear specific, PPE cleaning, PPE retirement, PPE storage, miscellaneous items, fire exposure, demographics, and additional information. Figure 11 illustrates the subdivisions within each section of the fire service survey and the question range for those subdivisions in the parentheses underneath.

Figure 11: Divisions and Subdivisions within the Fire Service Survey

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4.1 Fire Service

The fire service survey collected a total of 1,148 responses over a period of approximately two months (August 29-October 31, 2013). The fire service survey began with the same first question to determine which duties were handled by the respondent. It is important to note that 1,473 respondents answered Question 1, and 325 of those then exited the survey thus resulting in 1,148 completing the fire service survey. From the given choices in Question 1, which asked what role the respondent fulfills within the fire service, 588 chose “Line,” 205 chose “Staff,” and 355 chose “Both.”

R e s p o ns e P e rc e nt R e s p o ns e Co unt 49.4% 728 19.6% 288 31.0% 457 1473 0 s k ip p e d q ue s tio n

Staff (Administrator, Policy Setter, Management) W ha t is y o ur ro le within the Fire S e rv ic e ?

a ns we re d q ue s tio n

Line (Firefighter, Officer, On-Scene)

Fire Service FINAL survey

Both

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4.1.1 Line Fire Service Member Survey Results

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Figure 14: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 3 Response Percent Response Count 48.8% 287 22.3% 131 28.9% 170 588 140 skipped question No

Are your Policies/SOPs/SOGs based on NFPA 1851?

answered question

Yes

Don't Know Answer Options

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Is your compliance with these Policies/SOPs/SOGs mandatory?

answered question

Yes

(40)

Figure 16: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 5 Response Percent Response Count 91.3% 537 0.5% 3 7.3% 43 0.9% 5 588 140 What types of firefighting gear do you have in your possession and/or use?

Other

Structural PPE

skipped question

Both

Answer Options

answered question

(41)

Figure 17: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 6

One Two More Than

Two Response Count 375 197 15 587 371 199 15 585 323 215 47 585 492 80 13 585 302 219 65 586 441 125 14 580 588 140 Boots

Hoods skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question

As a firefighter, how many sets of STRUCTURAL gear do you have assigned to you (i.e. your responsibility)?

Helmets Coats

(42)

Figure 18: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 7 Manufacturer Verified ISP (Independent Service Provider) Person in FD trained by Manufacturer Person in FD trained by an ISP End User (e.g., Firefighter) Response Count 13 82 89 70 408 587 13 81 89 70 409 587 9 47 81 65 444 585 9 42 84 64 442 586 8 45 79 65 447 584 9 42 80 62 441 581 588 140 Boots

Hoods skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE INSPECTION within your Fire Department?

Helmets Coats

(43)

Figure 19: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 8 After Each Fire or When Dirty 3 to 5 Times per Year 2 Times per Year 1 Time

per Year Never Other

Response Count 164 64 99 188 34 39 588 164 64 99 187 34 39 587 170 63 84 177 47 43 584 162 64 87 181 49 43 586 167 67 88 175 46 43 586 160 67 87 179 47 44 584 588 140 Boots

How often do you or your organization INSPECT its structural fire fighting gear (on average)?

Helmets Coats

(44)

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE CLEANING within your Fire Department?

Helmets Coats

(45)

Figure 21: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 10 After Each Fire or When Dirty 3 to 5 Times per Year 2 Times per Year 1 Time per

Year Never Other

How often do you or your organization CLEAN its structural fire fighting gear (on average)?

Helmets Coats

(46)

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE REPAIRING within your Fire Department?

Helmets Coats

(47)

Figure 23: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 12 Response Percent Response Count 41.8% 246 37.2% 219 20.9% 123 588 140 skipped question

Cleaned at a Central FD On-Site Location Where is your PPE cleaning conducted?

answered question

Cleaned at Each Station

Cleaning Outsourced to Third Party Answer Options

(48)

Figure 24: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 13 Response Percent Response Count 47.2% 58 9.8% 12 41.5% 51 1.6% 2 123 0 Not Applicable answered question skipped question

If outsourced to Third Party, is the Third Party a Verified ISP? Answer Options

Yes No

(49)

Figure 25: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 14 Response Percent Response Count 15.3% 71 9.9% 46 4.1% 19 65.6% 305 5.2% 24 465 0

Verified by Third Party Answer Options

Not Applicable Trained by ISP

skipped question

For Fire Departments that directly handle their own PPE cleaning, what are the qualifications of the staff?

Not Trained

Trained by Manufacturer

(50)

Figure 26: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 15 Destroyed or Discarded Used in Non-Live Fire Training Used in Live Fire Training Donated to

Others Resold Don't Know

Hoods skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question What happens to the PPE when it is "retired"? (check all that apply)

Helmets Coats

(51)

1 - 3 Years 3 - 5 years 5 - 7 Years 7 - 10 years 10+ Years Response

Count 7 37 84 238 222 588 7 37 86 237 220 587 59 76 84 170 191 580 5 28 67 202 278 580 86 83 81 150 180 580 16 73 104 169 220 582 588 140 Boots

How frequently is your PPE being "retired"?

Helmets Coats

(52)

Of the 264 respondents who answered ‘yes’ to this question, 243 provided comments. The largest number of respondents argued that replacement should be based on use, condition or inspection by an ISP, rather than time from manufacture. For those who suggested a specific change in lifespan, twice as many respondents suggested a shorter lifespan (usually 5 years) than a longer lifespan, in some cases pointing out concerns regarding contaminants and carcinogens in the used gear. Mention was made that the durability and quality of different types of gear varied, and that that should be taken into consideration. The point was made that requirements to replace equipment can be an issue for some departments.

Response Percent Response Count 44.9% 264 55.1% 324 588 140 skipped question No

In your opinion, do you think the NFPA 1851 Standard should revise the current 10 year maximum lifespan for structural and proximity firefighting ensembles and ensemble elements?

answered question Yes

(53)

Figure 29: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 18 Fire Station Dedicated PPE Storage Room Fire Apparatus Personal

Vehicle Home Other

For firefighters, when NOT on duty where is your PPE stored? (check all that apply)

Helmets Coats

(54)

Do you believe the area where your protective gear is stored is well ventilated?

answered question

Yes

(55)

Do you believe that your protective gear is exposed to sunlight where it is stored?

answered question

Yes

(56)

Has your gear ever been contaminated with chemicals or hazardous substances that has required its removal from service?

answered question

Yes

(57)

Do you believe your gear is adequately cleaned?

answered question

Yes

(58)

Are you concerned about contamination remaining in your clothing?

answered question

Yes

(59)

Figure 35: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 24 Response Percent Response Count 5.1% 30 11.2% 66 11.6% 68 15.3% 90 56.8% 334 588 140 skipped question

How many live fires (when PPE is exposed to fire) does YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT respond to in a given year (12 month period)?

7 - 10 Less Than 3

answered question

5 - 7

Answer Options

10+ 3 - 5

(60)

Figure 36: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 25 Response Percent Response Count 11.4% 67 25.2% 148 20.7% 122 15.3% 90 27.4% 161 588 140 skipped question

How many live fires (when PPE is exposed to fire) do YOU PERSONALLY respond to in a given year (12 month period)?

7 - 10 Less Than 3

answered question

5 - 7

Answer Options

10+ 3 - 5

(61)

Figure 37: Survey Results, Fire Service, Line Members Question 26 Response Percent Response Count 6.0% 35 4.8% 28 6.6% 39 9.5% 56 13.3% 78 19.9% 117 20.7% 122 19.2% 113 588 140 skipped question 999,999 - 500,000 24,999 - 10,000

What is the population of the jurisdiction protected by your Fire Department?

249,999 - 100,000

answered question

1,000,000 or more

49,999 - 25,000

499,999 - 250,000

9,999 or less Answer Options

(62)

400+ 399-200 199-100 99-50 49-10 9 or fewer Response _Count

77 24 60 74 127 100 462

7 10 27 59 230 65 398

588 140

skipped question What is the total number of operation personnel in your Fire Department?

Answer Options Full-time (Career) Uniform Part-time (Call or Volunteer)

(63)

Survey respondents were asked if they had any additional comments or information they wished to share for this project. Many thoughtful and constructive comments were received, and they are summarized here.

Several of the respondents reported on the current practices in their own fire departments concerning cleaning and replacement of PPE, and often expressed concern about the lack of training, proper cleaning equipment and general understanding about the importance of cleaning PPE. There were also additional comments about the retirement requirement being based on measures or considerations other than only the time from manufacture, similar to those mentioned earlier. There were some questions about patching equipment, degradation of fabrics and material over time, and protection from UV exposure during storage.

Some additional suggestions included issuing multiple sets of PPE to each firefighter, or at least multiple hoods; requiring better fit of firefighting gear; developing a method for record-keeping; providing more training courses, particularly from the manufacturer; developing an encapsulating bag to store used PPE; and installing commercial washers and dryers in all fire stations.

(64)

(65)

4.1.2 Staff Fire Service Member Survey Results

Figure 39: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 31 Response Percent Response Count 87.3% 179 12.7% 26 205 83

skipped question

Does your Fire Department have any Policies/SOPs/SOGs for PPE care and maintenance?

Answer Options Yes

No

(66)

Figure 40: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 32 Response Percent Response Count 72.2% 148 20.5% 42 7.3% 15 205 83 skipped question No

Are your Policies/SOPs/SOGs based on NFPA 1851?

answered question

Yes

(67)

Figure 41: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 33 Response Percent Response Count 74.6% 153 23.9% 49 1.5% 3 205 83 skipped question No

Is your compliance with these Policies/SOPs/SOGs mandatory?

answered question

Yes

(68)

Figure 42: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 34 Manufacturer Verified ISP (Independent Service Provider) Person in FD trained by Manufacturer Person in FD trained by an ISP End User (e.g., Firefighter) Response Count 3 52 58 41 103 205 3 51 57 40 101 203 1 20 54 46 118 202 1 19 57 47 117 203 1 21 53 46 119 203 1 19 56 44 121 203 205 83 skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE INSPECTION within your Fire Department?

Helmets Coats

Boots

(69)

Figure 43: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 35 After Each Fire or When Dirty 3 to 5 Times per Year 2 Times per Year 1 Time per

Year Never Other

Response Count 63 21 52 51 2 16 205 62 21 52 50 2 16 203 67 22 47 48 3 16 203 65 20 45 52 3 17 202 67 21 48 47 3 15 201 63 20 47 51 3 17 201 205 83 skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question How often do you or your organization INSPECT its structural fire fighting gear (on average)?

Helmets Coats

Boots

(70)

Figure 44: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 36 Manufacturer Verified ISP (Independent Service Provider) Person in FD trained by Manufacturer Person in FD trained by an ISP End User (e.g., Firefighter) Response Count 2 55 23 20 125 205 2 54 22 20 124 203 0 24 22 20 145 203 0 20 19 16 152 200 0 26 22 16 144 201 0 22 20 15 152 202 205 83 skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE CLEANING within your Fire Department?

Helmets Coats

Boots

(71)

Figure 45: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 37 After Each Fire or When Dirty 3 to 5 Times per Year 2 Times per Year 1 Time per

Year Never Other

Response Count 103 18 34 33 4 13 205 103 18 33 33 4 13 204 108 19 24 28 7 17 203 105 16 24 29 8 21 203 106 17 23 29 9 19 203 106 16 20 28 12 20 202 205 83 skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question

How often do you or your organization CLEAN its structural fire fighting gear (on average)?

Helmets Coats Boots

(72)

Figure 46: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 38 Manufacturer Verified ISP (Independent Service Provider) Person in FD trained by Manufacturer Person in FD trained by an ISP End User (e.g., Firefighter) Response Count 36 142 18 6 17 205 36 141 18 6 17 204 31 92 19 8 29 169 36 85 27 11 36 184 32 89 19 8 30 169 41 88 18 10 30 177 205 83 skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question

In the following table, who handles the STRUCTURAL firefighting PPE REPAIRING within your Fire Department?

Helmets Coats

Boots

(73)

Figure 47: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 39 Response Percent Response Count 35.6% 73 42.0% 86 22.4% 46 205 83 skipped question

Cleaned at a Central FD On-Site Location Where is your PPE cleaning conducted?

answered question

Cleaned at Each Station

Cleaning Outsourced to Third Party Answer Options

(74)

Figure 48: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 40 Response Percent Response Count 80.4% 37 4.3% 2 13.0% 6 2.2% 1 46 0 If outsourced to Third Party, is the Third Party a Verified ISP?

Not Applicable Yes

skipped question

answered question

(75)

Figure 49: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 41 Response Percent Response Count 22.0% 35 18.9% 30 8.2% 13 48.4% 77 2.5% 4 159 0 skipped question

For Fire Departments that directly handle their own PPE cleaning, what are the qualifications of the staff?

Not Trained

Trained by Manufacturer

answered question

Verified by Third Party Answer Options

Not Applicable Trained by ISP

(76)

Figure 50: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 42 Response Percent Response Count 26.4% 42 21.4% 34 11.9% 19 64.2% 102 19.5% 31 23.3% 37 159 0 skipped question Answer Options

Active Ingredients per Chemical MSDS PH Levels in Dilution while Cleaning

answered question

When choosing cleaning chemicals for your department's in-house cleaning, which of the following does your department take into consideration? (select all that apply)

Specific Cleaning Efficacy Info from Vendor PH Levels in Concentrate

Don't Know

(77)

Figure 51: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 43 Destroyed or Discarded Used in Non-Live Fire Training Used in Live Fire Training Donated to Others Resold Don't Know Response Count 94 56 6 77 4 4 205 94 56 6 77 4 4 205 133 31 4 45 1 6 203 108 46 6 60 4 5 202 136 31 3 43 1 7 203 121 40 4 55 1 5 203 205 83 skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question What happens to the PPE when it is "retired"? (check all that apply)

Helmets Coats

Boots

(78)

Figure 52: Survey Results, Fire Service, Staff Members Question 44

1 - 3 Years 3 - 5 years 5 - 7 Years 7 - 10 years 10+ Years Response Count 4 9 38 98 56 205 4 9 37 98 56 204 33 38 28 60 44 203 5 7 19 87 85 203 50 30 30 49 42 201 11 35 42 67 48 203 205 83 skipped question Answer Options Gloves Pants answered question How frequently is your PPE being "retired"?

Helmets Coats

Boots