For a firefighter, entering a burning building can mean walking into many hazardous conditions such as heat, flames, smoke and falling debris. Firefighting equipment and clothing continues to change as technology and experience present new and better ways to manage fires. From head to toe, the clothing that firefighters wear helps protect them from the many dangerous conditions associated with their jobs. Firefighters did not always have the protective clothing used today. Because of this, most fires were fought from the outside of burning buildings and structures were rarely entered.
Bunker gear or turnout gear is the term used by many fire departments to refer to the protective clothing worn by firefighters. The name “bunker gear” was derived from the fact that the pants and boots were traditionally kept by the firefighter’s bunk at the fire station and always ready for use. Firefighter gear has since moved out of the sleeping areas and into the engine room. The combination of modern triple-layer turnout gear with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), PASS (personal alert safety system) devices and modern communications equipment have made it possible to enter burning buildings much more safely today. Modern turnout jackets and pants are made of fire-resistant fabrics such as Nomex, Aramid or Kevlar.
