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Why don't we copy the French Fire Helmet Designs?
One of the coolest things I have ever received in the mail, ever... arrived at my house a couple of days ago. It was from one of the friends I made here on the FFN, and he is from France, where he works as a professional firefighter. Like many firefighters, we both like fire service related things and are involved with trading things back and forth. What amazed me however, was the functional design that I saw first hand.
Up to this point, I have only seen photographs of french firefighters wearing a very unfamiliar fire helmet style. To be honest, I blew off the design because they just did not look like fire helmets. After having the chance to actually wear one, I offer the following insight for those, like myself, who never have had the chance to see what our brothers and sisters across the Atlantic wear for head and face protection.
The world just keeps getting smaller... I invite everyone to take the time to get to know others around the world with the spirit of sharing and providing the most up to date training and response information available. We are not alone, we have each other.
Prenez garde à rester en sécurité, (TCSS)
CBz
The Casque Pompier (Fire Helmet):
Built in Safety Goggles:
Fire Helmet Protective Visor / Heat Shield:
View Through Fire Helmet Protective Visor / Heat Shield:
Fire Helmet Heat Shield:
05-25-2010 Update: I made direct contact today with MSA and spoke with one of two sales reps that have knowledge of the French Gallet F1-SF Firefighter Helmet. Here's what I learned:
• These "French" fire helmets are manufactured by MSA, which is 100% USA owned and is based internationally out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• MSA bought out the french company Gallet 7-8 years ago, which included this helmet design and manufacturing rights.
• Existing USA style fire helmets are rated to no more than 1500˚F, while this particular style is rated to 1800˚F. Why more? The same technology used by NASA for astronaut helmets visors are incorporated into this design. Both the helmet and face shield reflect the heat, keeping the interior of the helmet cool, with maximum interior helmet temperatures reaching around 95˚F.
• The existing F1-SF helmet does not meet NA standards as mentioned in one of the posts. However, there is such a demand now for this style that MSA is working on providing a NA approved helmet that has the same features but also possesses the necessary impact standards.
• What we are looking at is a glimpse of what the 21st century firefighters are going to be wearing, internationally...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ostahie Remus on
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We have bolth type of helmet. The french helmet give you the impresion od a safer helmet, but , becouse the ear is under the helmet , you lose your equilibrium.
The american style is cooler....., let the air free to the ear , you have more sense of orientation.
Bolth helmet are cool, and can be use in diferent situation.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Having the opportunity of actually owning one of these MSA helmets, I have to say that your synopsis on wildland firefighting usage is spot on. Different environment and type of fire. For structure and other types of fires, covering your head, using a reflective surface to minimize temperature and stress on the firefighter plus an absolutely cool built in visor and shield... I'm so amazed that we have not gone to this more efficient style.
What cracks me up totally is hearing people say that they don't want to buy anything French... Ha ha ha... MSA is a USA company that manufacturers the helmets... Go figure.
CBz
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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It is an interesting design, however I can't get over the fact that the helmet covers up the ears. I'm wondering if there would be any significant hearing loss due to wearing a full head covering helmet like this.
Otherwise, I too cannot believe that this helmet type never really caught on here in the U.S.
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Permalink Reply by Nenad on
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In my fire brigade we use Rosenbauer HEROS-xtreme helmets for structural firefighting.
Helmets are in yelow color that glows in the dark (fluorescent), with explosion proof helmet lamp, integrated googles and visor, nomex neck-back cover.
For forest fires we use lighter MSA Gallet F-2 helmets with googles.
From '94-'07 we used Rosenbauer HEROS helmets (older version).
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Permalink Reply by Maheu on
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Hello everyone.
I'm a swiss firefighter and we happen to use those helmets. I must say I had a good laugh at some of the reproaches made to this helmet by people who have never tried it.
first of all, yes, its french, so what ? Have you all stopped french kissing girls since 2002 ? ;)
I'll reassure you : european firefighters don't become deaf whilst wearing this helmet. I'm pretty confident that all the noises on the scene (engines, fire, hydraulic groups, etc) impede your hearing a lot more.
Plus there's the possibility to mount a microphone and headset in the helmet, so that the guy wearing his SCBA is often more audible on the radio than any other firefighter on scene.
You can adjust a lot of straps inside the helmet, which means you can make it fit perfectly on your head, so that you don't hit the face mask with your nose, and it remains perfectly balanced.
We use two different types of SCBA in my state, and both fit perfectly with this helmet, and the hooks allow you to put it on without removing your helmet.
The only down side i know about this helmet is, as some said, it prevents heat exchanges. Good thing in confined spaces, bad thing in wildfires. That's why units who have to battle against wildfires are issued the F2 helmet.
But this allows also to wear this helmet without a hood, so that, as already mentioned, when your ears get crispy, you know its time to back off.
I've unfortunately never worn an american helmet, so I can't tell you if one is better than the other, but I reckon both have pros and cons, and we would all win in trying out the solutions found in other contries to the same problems and challenges we all face, all over the world...
Keep it safe,
Matthieu
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Permalink Reply by Steven G. Berrier on
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We could even learn a thing or two from our European firefighting brothers when it comes to truck design.
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Permalink Reply by Sandro Kwestro on
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In the Netherlands a lot of departments use the MSA-Gallet helmets.
But there are also a lot of departments which aint using them for vehicle extrication. They use an other style of MSA-helmet, because the Gallet-version will limit you on visuals at the left and right sides of your head during extrication.
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Thanks Matthieu, you've answered many of he questions/concerns I had about the helmets. Maybe someday we'll see them here in the U.S. Stay safe!
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True. Remember the europeans had chevrons and striping on their Fire vehicles long before we here in the U.S. even thought about it.
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excellent input, I have never heard this kind of first account for the MSA Gallet fire helmet.
TCSS,
CBz
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The F1 helmet is a modern firefighter's helmet made in France by Gallet, a subsidiary of MSA, who also produce the SPECTRA military helmet. In service since 1985, the F1 helmet provides protection against impact, fires and electricity, fulfilling the EN 443 European standard.
The F1 was an answer to a requirement of the Paris Fire Brigade for a replacement of the previous helmet (Casque modele 1933 was similar to the Merryweather) which dated back to 1933; these provided insufficient protection for the face and back of the head, and were not thermally insulated. The F1 helmet is hand made, using synthetic materials often covered with galvanised nickel. It can include masks, communication systems and other accessories.
The F1 has been used by the Paris Fire Brigade since August 1985, and has been widely adopted by all of the French fire services, gaining export success in over 85 countries, including fire departments in Quebec, Canada and Japan (notably in Tokyo).
(source: WIKIPEDIA)
Read carefully this article:
http://www.hemmingfire.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/146/EN443_vs_NFPA...
All new european fire helmets are successors of the way that F1 helmet set 25 years ago. Popularity of this style and background information from all over the world confirm that the revolution Gallet did with this design was right.
Remember, first F1 helmets were made especialy for Paris Fire Brigade - one of the busiest Fire Brigades in Europe.
I tried to gooogle for some infos about american ''traditional'' helmets. They look traditional and here the similarity between old helmets stops. All new materials are used for construction of them. Only thin layer of leather makes them look oldschool. I think that there's a lot of marketing issue in this story.
The same philosophy goes in germany where a lot of fire brigades use oldschool helmets but made of new materials.
New very demanding EN 443:2008 standards are difficult to satisfy with old design helmets. More money goes to satisfy standard with obsolet helmet costruction, than to build new one.
http://www.msa-auer.de/index.php?id=166&L=0
http://www.rosenbauer.com/index.php?USER=c63253ba542952b089ce7e15b1...
http://www.pab-buzet.com/
http://www.draeger.com/CA/en_US/products/personal_protection/head/c...
http://www.helmets.co.uk/pages/fire-rescue-services.php
and so on...
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MSA Gallet F2 helmet is one of the most used fire helmets in europe and worldwide in forest firefihting/rescue and similar actions. Also first made for french firefighters, easy finds way worldwide.
The competition is trying to take part of market in this segment.
http://www.msa-europe.com/int/products/head-protection/fire-helmets...
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