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Garbage on helmet bands
I know I am a sub-rookie and all, but I have a major problem with firefighters carrying all kinds of garbage on their helmet bands. I recently saw a new minted LT who had every inch of his helmet band covered with crap, including a pair of trauma sheers with plastic handles. The last time I looked at my trauma sheers, the had a handle that could only withstand autoclave temps up to 280 degrees. It seems to be a sign of expertise to carry all that s*** on your helmet. Thoughts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James on
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I think its stupid to have a helmet band because once you get much heat on it it will break. That is why fire gear has pockets.
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Permalink Reply by Nick Devries on
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this is just my 2 cents. i have a garrity, 2 wedges, and widow punch. i really can't think of anything else i would need in a structure (i keep the window punch there because i jabbed my leg once when it was in my pocket...that sucked). all the other tools i carry in my pockets are pretty much auto extrication/overhaul tools, so i'll probably have my extrication gloves on anyway.
on another note, i had an LT that used to carry a PLASTIC action figure/barbie doll in his helmet all the time just to see how much it melts in a fire. he came out with pretty pretty twisted figurines after some good roasters, but they never got to the point of dripping down and being a hazard. it takes a lot before plastic gets to that level of "meltiness."
as for it getting hung up...those bands aren't THAT secure. i'm sure it wouldn't be more than a little tug, and you'd see them pop right out.
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Permalink Reply by roy yoder on
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nit pick is right. if you go back to the day of cotton duck and 3/4 boots you will see agressive ventilation and offensive fire attack or a defensive attack. why? it was a matter of what they could take in temp and smoke with their gear. they were great at ventilation which made for milder conditions inside. we have gear now that stands greater temps and smoke and we have let ventilation on the truck and have said that it looks macho to have stuff melted down and burned up. we need to look at the whole job and the whole dept. in question before we jump at any one. i have guys that don't belive that it is needed to drain a pump in the winter. what say ye in north dakota? see what i mean. i find it hard to access my pockets when i am on my knees and ba on. i don't carry anything on my lid but do carry a channel lock pliers a six in one screwdriver and an electrician pliers in my pocket. i have two helments one to fight with and one to train with. the one for training is in good shape withe little heat and smoke damage and the one i fight with still passes test but is burnt pretty bad from one fire that we had known (3) children inside. we are a combo dept. with one man on duty and all others vol. we lost the 3 but i give them the best chance i could and went deeper than i probally should have as far as osha and all the other folks that try and keep stupid safe, but that is another story. what i am saying is that firefighting is not one dimensional and you can't take a mans helment in judgement without seeing the rest of his armament. this includes his years in service, manpower, training of himself and his brothers======= i think you get the idea.
i said i don't wear anything on my lid but i think i will start wearing a candle that is just to THERE. thanks firesiren for the post.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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ok... so maybe I didn't actually have a picture showing burns on the neck from melted plastic from the fire helmet... perhaps I may have fudged a bit and posted the photo from a radiation burn instead... burns are burns but you've got to admit, this got your attention. Yea for wearing nomex hoods! This guy sure didn't. For the hazmat guys out there, I believe this is a Beta burn. ms
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Permalink Reply by mike wright on
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Most of us on my department dont have anything on their helmets. I have a light on a band on mine. I do this so i can see inside and dont have to use my hands to keep the light where i need it. My asst chief has a light with a metal holder on his. The less stuff on the helmet the lighter it is and less chances of getting tangled on stuff.
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Permalink Reply by Todd on
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Again, I will point out that NOWHERE in my post did I say anything about breaking the innertube. It's been my experience that stuff that is wedged between an innertube and a helmet isn't all that hard to dislodge, thus would NOT be much of a entanglement hazard as the force that most healthy adult humans can generate enough force to overcome the friction that is holding these items in place. Honestly, if the theoretically entangled person is physically unable to generate the required force to make a wedge, flashlight, or the trauma shears mentioned earlier in the thread then they will likely NOT be entangled because they would not have the strength to move while wearing a modern fire helmet and SCBA mask.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Let me guess - the firefighter that was burned by the melting stickers wasn't wearing a flash hood, didn't have his ear flaps down, and was in conditions that were deteriorating to the point that firefighters shouldn't have been there. Oh, and the turnout coat collar was probably turned down, but that's just another guess.
Also, the NFPA-required reflective stickers also melted and contributed to the burn injury...just another guess.
I've had bucketloads of flaming roof tar dump on my helmet without sustaining a single pinprick of a burn. There was a lot more tar and a lot more fire than a few helmet stickers can generate, even if you spiral-wrap your helmet in scotchlite tape.
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Permalink Reply by Anthony Lochmandy on
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We dont tend to have these issues in the wild first because the crap would fall off and second our leadership corps would kick our ....
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Permalink Reply by charlie tollett on
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is this person that you are talking about a member of your fire department
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Permalink Reply by Justin Buck on
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i dont carry anything on my helmet. i dont put anything on my helmet bc it might get in my way
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Permalink Reply by Jay on
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I do agree, I am a retired FF with 35 years on the job.. Last 8 years I was involved in RIC trainging.. part of my job was using the Thermal Camera in the smoke room - I would sit and watch everyone crawl through the maze, have to take off SCBA, crawl through holes, put SCBA back on and other duties - all in BLACK/DARK and with fake smoke... I always got a kick out of the guys with all the items on their helmets - those were the first to go when in tight qt's - still they love their 'tools' on their helmets and they still wear them... Hey, life is short,, if you want to wear the crap, go ahead, who does it hurt... Hey, its look 'cool',,,lol
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Rookie EMT, Welcome into the FIRE/EMS Service and I hope you become a Paramedic to it will pay ten fold in your career.Now back to your question even though you may not know don't ever hesitate to ask any question because there is no question that could ever be unintelligent but in my thirty year career and I have been a firefighter that was always going inside the structure and running rescue so on my New Yorker helmet around my rubber band I had wood chalks (different sizes) to prop open doors and to shut down a sprinkler head my shears for rescue work,possibly a small flashlight, a crayon to mark doors that have been searched for victims and etc. So young man or young lady its a mature firefighter or rescue tech that does multi tasking when hes on the scene if he has to so never think this junk is crap because there is a reason that a seasoned firefighter would carry these small gagets to make his or her job alot easier especially if you have a working fire with entrampment or a bad wreck so never hesitate to ask a veteran firefighter and they will break you into the fire service.God Bless You and Good Luck.Hugh Fawcett 57 House Irwin,PA
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