Advancing Firefighting Technology
Photo via Unsplash
By Mel Bearns
Firefighting presents complex challenges to firefighters as each situation is unique, and first responders almost always face different scenarios on every call. Research from the National Fire Protection Association shows that as recently as 2022, local fire departments responded to an estimated 1.5 million fires in the U.S. that resulted in 3,790 civilian deaths, 13,250 reported injuries, and $18 billion in property damage. Protecting those who protect us is of critical importance, and fire departments are always on the lookout for new equipment, innovations and technology that improve safety, readiness and efficiency.
Technological advancements in safety and fire suppression continue to lead the evolution of protective equipment, and the 2024 Emergency Services Show, which just took place in Birmingham, United Kingdom, is one of the premier international first responder services events. This article highlights some of the new offerings from MSA Safety, a leading provider of firefighter safety solutions.
What’s New
Key highlights from the Birmingham show include the MSA Bristol Gallet F2XR, a multifunctional advanced rescue helmet that provides significant upgrades in comfort, versatility and accessory integration. This new piece of equipment was developed for applications that include forest firefighting, technical rescue, urban search and rescue, traffic accidents and rescues at height or on water.
Another offering from MSA Safety that garnered a great deal of attention is the company’s Rescue Stretch garments, designed to provide significant improvements in comfort and protection against pathogens and common chemicals, coupled with a substantial weight reduction. Breathable, windproof and waterproof, the new flame-retardant GORE-TEX fabric provides firefighters with enhanced freedom of movement and elasticity.
The MSA Bristol X4 Wildland is a single-layer jacket and pant combo designed to respond to long intervention durations in hot environments, offering excellent protection and safety while providing superior comfort and light weight. Created for firefighters working in outdoor scenarios that include search and rescue, firefighting and emergency response, the Wildland garments are a fitted design that allows for greater freedom of movement and is offered in male and female-specific designs to ensure optimal ergonomic fit and protection.
This year, the MSA Bristol X4 TRW-Hybrid firefighter PPE is also new—a multipurpose and easily convertible technical rescue and wildland garment with a removable moisture barrier. The X4 Wildland is an advanced technical rescue garment with the barrier in place. With the moisture barrier removed, it becomes wildland compliant, allowing firefighting rescue squads to optimize their budgets by serving two applications with one outfit.
Improvements in Hardware and Software
In addition to PPE, MSA highlighted enhancements to their proprietary Connected Firefighter Platform – an ecosystem of hardware and software technologies that help fire departments better manage their PPE and related data associated with use and maintenance. The company showed how data transmitted directly from the M1 self-contained breathing apparatus to the cloud is integrated with FireGrid accounts to help enhance safety, provide better information for on-scene decision-making, and improve remote monitoring and post-event analysis. Coupled with updated FireGrid Inventory Management capabilities, this platform assists with digitizing tasks such as compliance checks and inspection schedules. It also helps inventory managers better address equipment management challenges, eliminates paperwork, improves accessibility to information, and assists fire departments with tracking equipment location and usage to manage equipment cleaning, inspection, and maintenance to enhance equipment longevity.
"With our Connected Firefighter Platform, we're continually working to provide valuable insights to firefighters and fire brigades without adding complexity or getting in the way," said Bob Apel, MSA Safety Executive Director of Fire Service and Digital Experience. "At ESS, we had conversations with our customers, showcasing how our solutions can help them make progress toward their safety goals and make compliance easier. We know the fire service market and environment are constantly evolving, and we are continually looking at ways to enhance our capabilities to bring innovative solutions to the fire service to help keep firefighters safe and ready to go."