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rown Proofing Turn Out Gear

February 23, 2010 by Forest Rothchild Filed under Articles, Featured

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A firefighter dressed in turnout gear and no ersonal flotation device !PF"# falls out of a

small boat during a flood in $e% &ersey %hile attemting to hel flood victims'Tragically, he dro%ns'

All firefighters have the otential of e(eriencing accidental immersion in flooded

 basements or trenches, covered ools, and oen %ater sites' &ust loo) at the number offire ersonnel standing on the *ennein +ounty ridge collase in turnout gear %ith no

PF"-s' .f you suddenly end u submerged in the %ater %hile %earing turnout gear doyou )no% %hat to do survive/

.n the 10-s F"$ had a roblem %ith firefighter immersions during ier fireoerations' alt 4utch5 *endric), the trainer for the F"$ 6ecial 7erations "ive

Teams at the time, develoed a dro%nroofing turnout gear rogram in resonse to the

 ier situations' The information resented in this article comes from that rogram andho% it has develoed over the last 30 years'

This article does not ta)e the lace of actual hands8on training %ith certified instructors,

%ho can immediately recogni9e the very subtle signs that recede anic, and %ho are

caable of managing that situation' A erson can go from aearing fine to a fulldro%ning mode in seconds' The urose of this article is to increase a%areness of the

imortance of dro%nroofing training and of %earing aroriate ersonal flotation

devices during all resonses to )no%n %ater sites' .t also describes %hat should be

learned during training so you can evaluate a training rogram'

:any fire deartments today still re;uire firefighters to resond to all calls in turnout

gear, including %ater oeration calls' 6tandard 7erating Procedures should state that

any firefighter %ho comes %ithin any ossible area of accidental immersion should %earan aroriate PF"' T%enty8feet from the %ater-s edge is a common distance for

re;uiring PF"-s' ut, if there are ris)s such as stee or sliery emban)ments, limited

visibility %eather, structure collase, strong %inds, or moving %ater, then the 20 footdistance should be e(tended aroriately'

hat is an aroriate PF"/ .t is a PF" %ith enough buoyancy to hold u a firefighter in

fully saturated turnout gear' There is only one %ay to find out %hether a PF" is

aroriate or not, and that is to go in a ool %ith the PF" and turnout gear' :a)e sure

to do this test in the shallo% end of the ool so that if the PF" is not buoyant enough to)ee the %earer-s air%ay dry, the %earer can simly stand u' Roe off the dee end of

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the ool to revent the ossibility that a firefighter accidentally ends u in %ater too dee

to stand in' :a)e sure to have at least one safety erson er PF" tester to rovide any

needed assistance' e recommend not having more than three testers in the %ater at atime, and )ee them at least five feet aart so they cannot grab each other' Remember

to be a%are that everyone has different buoyancy characteristics based on fat to muscle

ratios' *ence, a PF" that might )ee one erson at the surface in turnout gear, might not%or) for someone %ho is a serious body builder' +onsider, also, %hat tools a firefighter

carries in their coat oc)ets'

hen erforming this PF" test, first stand vertically and oen the to of the coat to

release the air from under the coat' +ross your arms over your chest and s;uat to releaseany traed air' <very int of air is e;ual to a ound of buoyancy' Ten ints of traed air 

gives the %earer ten ounds of buoyancy, %hich may be enough to )ee the air%ay dry'

PF"-s have to %or) in the %orst case scenario = %hen there is no air traed under theturnout gear'

7ne ;uestion that al%ays arises is should the PF" be %orn under or over the turnoutcoat/ e tend to refer under for the follo%ing reasons>

1' 7ne reason relates to si9e' .f the PF" is not large enough to go over the coat

comfortably, then there is a greater chance that it %ill not be fully closed, andtherefore %ill not %or) roerly' 7r, if closed, it might cause breathing difficulty

during e(ertion'

2' .f the PF" is not buoyant enough, the turnout coat can be ditched if the PF" is%orn under the coat' Lastly, if immersed firefighters are able to ma)e their %ay to

shore, they may need to ditch the coat to be able to get out of the %ater' A

saturated turnout coat can be very heavy, esecially %hen it is out of the %ater'

Fatigue or a very soft mud bottom may become unmanageable if firefighters haveto carry the %eight of the coat'

3' A snug PF" over a turnout coat can revent air from being traed in the coat,

%hich %ill decrease buoyancy and %armth' Air is an imortant insulator' This iscan be an imortant consideration since %ater conducts heat 2? times faster than

air, and %e loose heat at the same rate in @2 degree F air as in 0 degree F %ater'

@' 7ne roblem %ith %earing the PF" under the coat is that the safety officer maynot be able to tell from afar %hether or not firefighters are %earing PF"-s, since

there are not visible %hen covered by a turnout coat'

The first ste in learning ho% to survive immersion %hile %earing turnout gear is to learn

ho% to survive immersion %hile %earing standard clothes and no PF"' This s)ill, calleddro%nroofing, hels students become more comfortable in the %ater and teaches them

ho% to effectively move in the %ater %hen survival is an issue' +omfort and roer

movement are critical to surviving turnout gear immersion, and can ma)e the difference bet%een life and death for non or oor s%immers'

6ome trainers esouse that turnout gear %ill definitely )ee you afloat in the %ater' This

is not al%ays true, and thus is a dangerous statement' .f the coat is damaged, if the %ater

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current is strong, or if struggling releases too much air, then the firefighter can raidly

 become significantly negatively buoyant and dro%ning could occur in less than B0

seconds'

The tragic fact that firefighters have dro%ned %hile %earing turnout gear is the harsh

 roof that turnout out gear does not guarantee to )ee you afloat' The )ey to survivingturnout gear immersion is to )ee yourself buoyant enough to float, and to be e;ually

caable of ditching the turnout gear if too much air is lost'

hile being immersed %ith clothes on, some eole can float, and others have a greater

muscle to fat ratio ma)ing floating not a realistic otion' Also, floaters need bobbing

s)ills to be able to survive in saturated turnout gear' obbing in itself is an art form that

re;uires a ;ualified instructor and enough ractice'

"ro%nroofing is a collection of s)ills involving bobbing, floating, and breath control'

6ome )ey asects of both dro%nroofing and surviving in turnout gear include>

1' :ove as little as ossible to )ee air traed in the turnout gear and to revent

fatigue' .f any movement is necessary, do it slo%ly, gently, and minimally'2' Cee muscles rela(ed = tense muscles decrease buoyancy'

3' reathe before you feel a strong urge to breathe' This %ill hel revent a build u

of carbon dio(ide' .ncreased carbon dio(ide levels increase the urge to breath andthe li)elihood of anic'

@' Cee as much of your body, including your head, in the %ater as ossible = any

 body art out of the %ater is dead %eight that %ill drive you do%n%ards'

?' hen vertical, )ee your hands and arms lo%er than your shoulders, but not allthe %ay do%n' Thin) about ho% you %ould start to give someone smaller than

you a hug'

7nce students can comfortably bob in %ater too dee to stand in for at least ten minutes,then it is time to ut them in turnout gear' *ere is the mindset>

“Stop. "o not anic, control your breathing, and thin)'” :ost li)ely the turnout gear %ill

)ee you afloat for %ell over ten minutes = if you stay calm, cool, and collected' &ust do

%hat you %ere trained to do and you %ill survive' *ave trust' .f the turnout gear is notholding you u, ditch it as you %ere trained and you %ill survive'

Helmets and Collars

Almost all modern helmets float, %hich ma)e them a useful tool' hen you feel yourself

falling in %ater learn to refle(ively hold your collar closed and loo) u%ard' Dse your

other hand hold onto your helmet to revent losing it, or if you are %earing an 6+Amas) use that hand to hold the mas) in lace' 7nce you are immersed, slo%ly remove the

helmet %ith the oen art facing do%n%ard to tra air, and then tuc) the helmet under an

arm to rovide lift' hen used roerly, a helmet can )ee many firefighters afloat until

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hyothermia sets in' "o not let go of your collar or helmet' Loo) around to determine the

safest route to travel to get out of the %ater'

The reason for loo)ing u %hen falling in %ater is to hel revent a laryngosasm'Accidental immersion can cause a gas refle(, articularly %hen the %ater is cold' .f the

mouth is under%ater or in the slash 9one %hen the gas occurs, %ater can be asirated!inhaled#' hen fluid touches the trachea, the haryn( changes its shae and the

eiglottis seals over the trachea to revent more fluid from entering the lungs' A ersone(eriencing a laryngosasm cannot inhale or e(hale, %hich can lead to dangerous anic'

6hould this occur, do %hatever it ta)es to remain calm and the laryngosasm %ill

eventually release'

Turnout Boots

hen you first fall in the %ater the boots may )ee your legs afloat because of air

traed in them' Float on your bac) %ith one hand )eeing the collar closed and the other 

securing the buoyant helmet' .f you are a short distance from land, secure the helmetunder the arm holding the collar, and very gently use the other arm li)e an oar to roel

yourself bac)%ards' Cee the %rist bent slightly do%n%ard to lessen the release of air

from the cuff' "o not )ic), as this can cause air loss in the boots, and the loss of

imortant buoyancy' Also, )ic)ing %ith boots on is very inefficient and can result infatigue'

Al%ays )ee in mind = every movement may cause you to lose more air and buoyancy'

Rela(' e calm, and move gently and slo%ly %ith deliberation'

.f the boots lose buoyancy, or the rest of the gear becomes negative, then it is time to

 become vertical to reare for doffing the turnout gear' .f your feet are still buoyant butthe rest of you is losing buoyancy, then gently roll to a rone osition and gently lo%er

your legs' To ditch the boots they have to fill %ith %ater' This is done by gently %igglingtoes and if necessary, slo%ly rotating an)les' "o not attemt to )ic) them off' .f your

 ants fit snuggly over the boots you may need to gently use the toe of one foot to slo%ly

 ush do%n%ard on the heel of the other'

.f ossible secure one of the boots, emty it, and lace it uside do%n in the %ater' A bootcan rovide even more buoyancy than a helmet' .f you can, secure both boots' That %ill

 rovide a significant amount of buoyancy'

Laced boots are more difficult to remove, and may not hold as much air as standard ullon boots' They %ill ta)e additional training to ditch them if that becomes necessary'

Tournout Coats

The vaor barrier bet%een the outer shell and inner thermal rotection of the coat %ill

tra air as long as the coat is roerly closed and if it has not been damaged by heat, %ear 

and tear, fire residue, or chemical damage' .n our tests %hen firefighters entered the %ater 

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 bac)%ards, for%ards, or head first, enough air %as traed in their coats to )ee most

firefighters floating'

Cee your head in a for%ard osition and gently s;uee9e the collar closed to revent airescaing from the nec)' .f air has escaed, tuc) your chin, release the collar a little, and

 blo% air bac) in' .f you have heavy tools in the oc)ets, slo%ly reach do%n %ith onehand and ditch them

.f the coat loses too much air, and you are sin)ing, it is time to ditch the coat' Thisre;uires a %ell racticed, secific rocedure' .f the coat is removed in the %ater the same

%ay it is removed on land, the otential for dro%ning %ill be high' .f the coat is allo%ed

to dro behind the rear of the body, as is done on land, the inner lining can entra the

arms lo% and behind the body' 7nce in that osition, the coat has a tendency to dro belo% the buttoc)s and around the legs, thereby restricting uer and lo%er e(tremities'

The follo%ing rocedure facilitates maintenance of ositive buoyancy and freedom of

movement>

1' .f you are holding a boot, slo%ly lo%er it and secure it bet%een your legs, and letthe helmet float directly in front of you'

2' 7en the coat slo%ly from the bottom u %ith one hand %hile maintaining collar

closure' Dnfortunately some styles of coats only allo% a to do%n oening rocedure' *old the collar closed %ith these coats as %ell'

3' 7nce the coat is comletely oened, remove it by grabbing both bottom corners

and bringing them over the to of your head, fliing it inside out %hile catching

air underneath it'@' At this oint there should be a 4illo%5 of air in front of you, %ith your arms still

in the sleeves of the 4illo%5' Practice this rocedure so that you can catch thehelmet under this 4illo%5 for added buoyancy' Additional air can also be blo%nunder the coat into the 4illo%5'

?' Lastly, ull your arms slo%ly out of the sleeves one at a time, )eeing the air in

the 4illo%5'

This techni;ue re;uires commitment and ractice' 7nce you start removing the coat overyour head you cannot sto' .t has to come all the %ay in front of you or your head %ill be

traed in the coat' .nstructors may choose to have some or all students ractice this

 rocedure first in the shallo% end or %hile %earing PF"-s'

Bunker Pants

.f ants loose flotation, they should be ditched, %hich re;uires the rior removal of the

 boots and coat' Eently remove the susenders, oen the ants, and gently ush them

do%n and off'

SCBA Masks and Clinders

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:ost firefighters, %ho accidentally enter %ater %ith an 6+A mas) on, refle(ively ri

their mas)s off' That is the last thing you %ant to do' As long as you have air in the

cylinder, the mas) %ill contain air, and thus rovide ositive buoyancy and a dry air%ay'7nce the mas) is removed, it becomes negatively buoyant' 7ne of the reasons firefighters

refle(ively ri the mas) off is because it may free8flo% and chatter in the %ater due to it

 being a ositive ressure system' "o not be alarmed by this' .t %ill not hurt you' Train tosto, thin), and act = )ee the mas) on as long as it is roviding air' Pushing the mas)

against the face may hel to decrease the chatter'

SCBA masks are not SC!BA masks" t#e were $OT designed for immersion or

su%mersion. &ust %e'ause ou 'an %reat#e wit# t#em at t#e surfa'e does $OT mean

ou s#ould use t#em to attempt an in(water res'ue) T#is is true for man reasons

%eond t#e s'ope of t#is arti'le.

There is an inverse relationshi bet%een cylinder ressure and buoyancy' Full cylinders

%ill have less buoyancy than emty cylinders' :ost full systems %ith full cylinders %ill

still allo% you to float if you )ee air in your coat and use roer rocedures' .f you aresin)ing then it is time to ditch everything' our instructor %ill teach you ho% to do this,

and ho% to decide if it should be ditched' .f 

Summar

e believe all firefighters should have some tye of dro%nroofing turnout gear training

if there is the chance that they could accidentally end u in %ater' Aroriate PF"-s

should be mandatory for any %ater oeration' Learn ho% to bob and ossibly float in the

%ater %hile %earing clothes rior to %or)ing %ith turnout gear' Learn to move slo%lyand gently %ith confident calmness'

And as alt says, 4%ith roer training, immersion %hile %earing turnout gear %ill not

mean instant death' Training, a racticed lan, and a cool head %ill save your life' henused roerly, turnout gear can become a tool to save you, rather than a %eight to dro%n

you'5

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