You might not like it, but fire service responsibility for hazmat is here to stay. And as more firefighters become certified to NFPA 472 Operations as a minimum training competency level for hazmat incidents, there’s growing need to have chemical and hazmat personal protective clothing (PPC) that allows firefighters to actually move and work with less restriction.

Conventional chemical PPC are often heavy and cumbersome, “moonsuits” that, while designed for maximum protection of the user, imposed significant restrictions and limited workers from being able to do some critical tasks. For example, hazmat gloves were multi-layered and bulky, preventing firefighters from picking up small items or operating radio knobs. The fabrics trapped heat and added as much as 20 lbs. to the already heavy equipment load firefighters carry. Wearers often experienced restricted vision due to fogging of masks due to condensation, especially when operating in extreme heat or cold. Booties bunched up in shoes, making walking painful. Those tasked with long-term operations in these suits were truly challenged. Durability was also an issue with some of the garments unable to withstand punctures and tears from sharp objects.

Today’s breed of chemical and hazmat PPC is a bit different, as evidenced by two manufacturers I saw at FDIC. Saint-Gobain showed three suits that are lightweight and more flexible: ONESuit Flash, ONESuit Gard, and ONESuit Pro. All three are single-skin design and are certified to NFPA 1991 (hazmat); ONESuit Pro is certified to both NFPA 1991 and NFPA 1994 (CBRN terrorism). ONESuit Pro also features a minimum 7-year shelf life.

The fabric Saint-Gobain uses doesn’t bunch in the boots, making walking much easier. The gloves are thin enough that you can pick up a pen and write. Best of all: The protective ensembles weigh between 10-12 lbs., significantly reducing the load on the firefighter. Saint-Gobain has also built flash fire protection into its Flash garment.

W.L. Gore takes a slightly different approach. They’ve designed suits around the three zones within hazmat ops: hot, warm and cool. All three are certified to NFPA 1994 and its Multi-Threat Suit is certified to 1992 as well. The less danger in the zone, the lighter weight and less restrictive the garment. What’s great about this is that an IC working the command post in the warm zone can do so comfortably in a protective garment that provides less protection, but can quickly add PPC elements that protect to a higher level should it become necessary.

Gore also uses a very different fabric than Saint-Gobain, something it developed for the military over a decade ago. Its Chempak fabric more closely resembles your turnouts than it does the “plasticy” feel of traditional hazmat PPC. Gore claims this fabric won’t tear, so the traditional guideline that hazmat personnel should never “take a knee” is no longer necessary. The responder is free to bend and kneel, which opens up new ways to work.

So, while hazmat may not be your favorite duty, at least you can look forward to being just a little more comfortable in your moonsuit!

Shannon Pieper is managing editor for FireRescue magazine.