How far have firefighters’ fire suits and their materials come, and is there enough societal interest and investment in them?

Fire suits are essential equipment to protect the lives of firefighters and are made of meta-aramid, para-aramid, and PBI fibers. However, questions are being raised about whether there is enough societal interest and investment in this equipment.

 

Fire suits are clothes that protect against fire. Firefighters have to jump into the fire to save lives in extreme conditions, so fire suits are more than just protective gear, they are essential life-saving equipment. Fire suits are designed to protect firefighters from the dangers of heat and fire, allowing them to perform their duties safely. They are also becoming increasingly important as the frequency and intensity of large fires are increasing due to rapid climate change.
The only thing that protects against fire and heat better than a fire suit is a thermal suit, which is made of aluminum coated clothing, but it is not as active as a fire suit and is not as commonly used in the field. They are typically used in specialized situations, such as hazardous residual fire removal after a fire or in industrial settings, rather than to extinguish a fire. In order for a garment to be fire resistant, it must not only not transfer fire and heat into the garment, but it must also retain its shape without breaking down in the same way that normal clothing would when exposed to high temperatures or fire.
Fire suits are made from meta-aramid and para-aramid fibers, with polybenzimidazole (PBI) fibers used for the outer fabric. These fibers play a key role in protecting the firefighter’s body in high-temperature environments. In particular, meta-aramid and para-aramid fibers utilize their respective properties to maximize the durability and functionality of fire suits. Fire suits are primarily made of meta-aramid fibers with some para-aramid fibers.
Para-aramid fibers are a very hard material with a high tensile strength of 026 g/d and a tensile modulus of 4,601,100 g/d, and are used in many applications due to their low cost. A typical example is Kevlar, which is used to make body armor. Para-aramid fibers are used in fire suits to increase the strength of fire suits by supplementing the lower strength meta-aramid fibers.
Meta-aramid fibers are the fibers that determine most of the properties of a fire suit, as they make up the majority of the fabric. These fibers have excellent heat resistance and flame retardant properties. In particular, it is highly heat-resistant in the long term, retaining more than 70% of its strength even after 1,000 hours of exposure at temperatures above 250 degrees, and flame-retardant, making it less likely to burn. These properties allow firefighters to work for long periods of time at high temperatures. It is also less harmful to firefighters’ health because it releases relatively fewer toxic gases than other fibers when it burns during firefighting activities. In addition, firefighters often go to firefighting activities in factories, and this fiber has good electrical insulation, reducing the risk of electric shock, and excellent chemical resistance, making it safe for firefighting activities in chemical plants. This fiber is used because it does not change in size or strength due to changes in temperature and humidity, and it is easy to process into clothing.
Polybenzimidazole (PBI) fibers are very heat-resistant and flame-retardant, and retain their strength even at high temperatures. These fibers perform particularly well in direct contact with flames, allowing firefighters to face the dangers of high temperatures. Like meta-aramid, it also has very low thermal conductivity, chemical and abrasion resistance, and is one of the best performing fabrics for fire suits, but it is very expensive and is only used as an outer layer.
Firefighters are often talked about in the news these days. In particular, there is a growing concern about their poor working conditions and lack of equipment. Some of the stories are heartwarming, like the one about a woman donating money to buy clothes for firefighters, while others are outrageous, like the one about the uninspected items delivered by the Department of Safety. These issues mean that firefighters are not being provided with even the minimum protective gear they need to keep people safe on the front lines. Just like Iron Man is nothing more than an ordinary man without his suit, firefighters can’t save us from danger if they’re in the wrong clothes. Just as Iron Man keeps improving his suit to become stronger, we want to see more investment and advancements in fire suits so that the heroes who save us can become safer and stronger.
And it’s not just fire suits that need to keep improving, but all the equipment and technology that firefighters use. In a rapidly changing environment, new types of fires and disasters are occurring, and the latest technology and equipment are essential to prepare for them. Firefighters don’t just put out fires, they are tasked with saving lives and protecting property in a variety of disaster situations. Their safety is directly related to the firefighting suits and equipment they use, which is why governments and societies should pay more attention to and invest in their equipment.