For firefighters, “technical rescues” include vehicle rescue, trench rescue, high and low angle rope rescue, water rescue, swift water rescue, agricultural rescue, heavy machinery rescue, EMS operations, tower rescue, structural collapse, urban search and rescue, wilderness search and rescue, confined space rescue, and man in machine. Between 2008 and 2018, according to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments experienced a 49% increase in non-fire related incidents, and 64% of those required technical rescue services.
And this has led to changes in PPE. Changes to technical rescue helmet testing and certification include:
- Vented shells permitted
- Electrical conductivity test on shell material and not entire assembly
- Chinstrap width reduced to minimum of ½” or 12mm
- Chinstraps are permitted to be mounted on suspension system
- Elimination of flame resistance tests
- Adopted EN 16473 on lateral impact testing/offset force transmission test
- Product labels cannot be metallic or attached with metal fasteners
MSA’s Cairns XR2 Technical Rescue Helmet responds to all of these changes and more. It features a compact design with lightweight materials and is adaptable to multiple on-scene scenarios with click-in accessories.
Contact us to learn more.
