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British Fire Department Phases Out Traditional Helmets
Lancashire Telegraph
THESE futuristic helmets are the latest line of defence for firefighters in Lancashire.
The headgear, featuring integral goggles and a reflective face shield, is being piloted in Haslingden before being introduced across the fire service.
The helmets will provide the best protection yet against heat, and feature a torch that can be safely used even in situations where firefighters are surrounded by flammable vapour.
The MSA Gallet fire helmet is also more padded than traditional headgear, and will be a better fit thanks to adjustable straps.
Already members of the Haslingden team, who will be using them during active service over the next two months, have been trying them on for size.
Andy Coulton, Rossendale watch manager, said: "The purchase of the new helmets emphasises Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's commitment to ensure protection of their employees, even in times of great economic difficulty for public services.
"The helmet fits the head snugly and will not tip, or shift sideways, essential in testing situations such as animal rescue and waterside incidents, as well as firefighting.
"Other features include integral goggles and a reflective face shield which provides additional thermal protection, and a helmet-mounted torch rated as 'intrinsically safe' for those situations where flammable vapour could be ignited by incandescent bulb illumination."
The traditional-style firefighting helmet will be phased out over the next few months after serving officers for more than 10 years.
Fire experts said advances in materials and technology have superseded the current design.
Haslingden Fire Station was chosen to be one of three stations to roll out the helmet's evaluation following successful trials at Washington Hall near Chorley last year.
Related
Lancashire firefighters blazing a trail with new helmets
Copyright 2010 NewsQuest Media Group Limited
All Rights Reserved
July 14, 2010
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Allen Ray Corey j.r. on
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some info on the MSA: F1 SF Gallet
http://www.msa-europe.com/fileadmin/msa/leaflets/English/36/36-106....
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Gallet mask to helmet interface I hope this answers some questions
http://www.msa-europe.com/fileadmin/msa/leaflets/English/05/05-432....
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Thanks to the FFN, I made a great friend who is a firefighter in France that wears these helmets. We did the trade thing and I now possess my very own, so my observations are based on actually wearing the helmet and evaluating the differences between the traditional USA helmet style and the MSA Gallet. One thing that totally cracks me up is that I have read posts from some saying that they would not support a "French" helmet... Ha ha ha... And by the way, this helmet is really cool to wear... literally and maybe, just maybe, one might look just a little badass... It's kind of a Luke Skywalker type of thing...
CBz
About MSA...
Established in 1914, MSA is the world's leading manufacturer of safety products designed to protect people throughout the world. Many MSA products, while simple to use and maintain, are sophisticated in design in that they typically integrate any combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations.
With headquarters located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, MSA employs approximately 5,000 associates and maintains operations that extend around the world. These resources include manufacturing operations on five continents, major R&D centers in the U.S, Germany and China, and more than 40 international locations that help protect lives in more than 140 countries.
A publicly held company, MSA's stock is traded over the NYSE exchange under the symbol MSA. The company has annual revenues of approximately $1 billion and has achieved record growth in revenue in 9 of the past 10 years.
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Kind of a cool design that might aid in providing more light? Not sure if there is an advantage to having the light at chin level verses the more common headlamp approach...
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I think it's a safe bet that SCBA masks are designed to be worn in conjunction with this helmet style. Remember, it's USA citizens that design and manufacture these helmets. It's probably just a matter of time before more departments in the USA realize the benefits of this helmet style. There is a reason why professional athletes (skiing), professional drivers (motorcycle and auto) have gone to the full face helmet. Any exposed skin is subject to injury. This helmet design, using NASA style technology adapted for fighter pilots coupled with use of a reflective surface enable interior helmet temperatures to be very cool. Plus, it's kind of a cool helmet to wear as well...
The view out of the visor is very clear, kind of like looking through blue blocker sun glasses.
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Both the internal "fighter pilot" style safety googles (that can be moved into position by a side lever on the helmet) and the external gold plated reflective heat shield work very well with proving extra eye protection. The bottom of the reflective outer shield is designed to work in concert with SCBA, which I believe can be either a Draeger or MSA SCBA style. Internal communication is provided as a part of the SCBA mask assembly.
CBz
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A heavy duty lever, mounted on the side of the helmet is used to flip the internal goggles up or down.
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The external face shield pulls down and has a piece of metal on the bottom of the shield that provided additional protection for a MSA or Draeger SCBA that is designed to be used in conjunction with this helmet.
Communications are part of the SCBA mask assembly and vary dependent upon the manufacturer.
CBz
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Permalink Reply by Russ on
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cool looking but you know us american firefighters, 200 years of tradition unintrupted by progress... like it bu i'd like to test drive it...ho much does it cost (us funds) and what colors can i have? and do you have to wear a hood with it?
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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cool looking but you know us american firefighters, 200 years of tradition unintrupted by progress...
Aint that the truth??!!
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