By ALLEN MAPLES
One of the biggest challenges that firefighters face when responding to an emergency scene is the impact of heat stress on their ability to function effectively. Gore offers certified moisture barrier technologies that provide the highest levels of breathability across the broadest range of conditions such as advancements like the CROSSTECH® black moisture barrier. However, in high-heat stress situations, the body can produce more heat than it is able to lose, which increases the body core temperature. Human studies have shown that what might seem like small increases in body core temperature can impair decision making, muscle control, and hearing accuracy, eventually leading to heat exhaustion, all of which can compromise firefighter safety and effectiveness.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, currently uses the Total Heat Loss (THL) test to evaluate breathability of turnout composites. This test is conducted in a relatively moderate environment (i.e., 77°F and 65 percent relative humidity)-an environment that does not represent all of the conditions that firefighters actually encounter. When evaluated in environments beyond these moderate conditions, products start to react differently. For example, two composites that had similar THL numbers can perform much differently in warmer conditions or in those with low-level radiant heat such as heat from the sun, a hot roadway, or a tar roof that needs to be vented. As a result, Gore continues to focus its research on developing new technologies that help reduce the impact of broader fireground conditions on body core temperature.
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