NFPA Standards and EMS Clothing

[Guest]

Currently, i am looking to purchase a set of EMS "turnout" gear/special precautions gear. Essentially what I'm looking for is something that can be easily worn over my duty uniform and provides at least protection from blood-borne pathogens. After a lot of research I've come to the conclusion that there really inst a whole lot of quality gear out there for EMS. So far, i only see two viable options:

1 - Morning Pride USAR/EMS Turnout Gear

    * Certified NFPA 1951 Technical Rescue/USAR, NFPA 1999 EMS, NFPA 1992 Liquid Splash and Haz-Mat

    * Outer shell: 6 oz Nomex Ripstop

    * Moisture barrier: "SR" Crosstech

    * Closure: 6 oz. Nomex Ripstop EWR tan 1.5" Velcro®/zipper

    * Cuff trim: 3" lime 2-tone Scotchlite

    * Inspection port liner

    * EWR tan take-up straps quick-release

    * Pant features: heat channel knees, bellows pockets and angled cuffs

2 - Chieftain Rescuesafe

    *  All Chieftain RescueSafeâ„¢ EMS Outerwear is certified to meet the NFPA 1999 Standard (2003 edition), the only standard specified for EMS outerwear apparel.

    * All Chieftain RescueSafeâ„¢ EMS Outerwear is available in NOMEX IIIA outer shell material, which offers superior flame resistance.

    * All Chieftain RescueSafeâ„¢ EMS Outerwear includes the Stedair 123 moisture barrier by Stedfast®, offering superior protection against intrusion by harmful blood borne pathogens or other potentially dangerous fluids.

    * Chieftain's newly designed outer shell knee reinforcements increase comfort and protection while kneeling and crouching and significantly extend the garment's service life.

http://www.officerstore.com/store/product.cfm/pid_4155_chieftain_rescuesafe_ems_pants_navy_blue_nomex/

The chieftain product seems to be relatively new and i didn't find any reviews on it after a few googel searches. What i like about the Chieftain gear is that its an EMS over pant rather than anything else, but it lacks the haz-mat and splash protection of the morning pride.

So, i come to the central problem i am having. What standards should i look for in EMS clothing. I know that NFPA 1999 is the only EMS standard available, but should i look for additional standards? If so, which ones and is it worth the 300 dollar difference in price?

[Guest partyrock]

Its all about risk analysis. Unless you're at significant risk of becoming involved in paient care inside the warm or hot zones I personally wouldn't worry about the chemical protection. The flash protection sounds great on paper, but in the end it isn't really going to do a whole lot for you. If you are involved in situation where you need that flash protection your hands, head and airway are F-ED. What remains is the cut/puncture protection and the BBP protection.

My breakdown:

Hazmat - Biggest concern is Gasoline, Diesel, Motor oil, Anti-freeze, Freeon, and hydraulic fluid. All of which in the quantities typically seen are not significantly dangerous to first responders. The greatest hazart is inhalation and ingestion. If hazmat is a real concern why not get a few Tyvec suits?

Flash - If my face, trach and hands are burned I'm not so concerned about the rest of me. That said isn't it time we got rid of all these poleyester uniforms that turn to shrink wrap as soon as you even think about fire.

BBP - You unbroken skin offers excellent protection. How much do you want to spend to augment this protection? Is your uniform enough? How about a jumpsuit?

Puncture/tear protection - I've torn more clothing on innocent door knobs and other crap than I have at accident scenes.

If you can't tell by now I'm not about to drop a few hundred on any of these products. I wear my uniform and was even known to rock the shorts when appropriate back in my volley days. If I had an MVA or fire stand-by I had my jumpsuit at the ready.

[Guest]

Party -

Thanks for the breakdown. My Blauer duty uniform is extremely comfortable and durable, and until recently additional protection has not crossed my mind. My biggest concern is blood/body fluids and puncture protection is a secondary concern. As of late, i have found myself on a number of jobs involving significant amounts of blood/body fluids covering a number of rooms. It rattled my cage a bit and has had me researching a number of options - eventually i'll probably settle on something like the Spiewak EMS over pants. Again, thanks for the insight.

[mikerabbit 2]

How about just purchasing a dozen tyvex suits. They will afford you the best protection. If you are going to dress up in coveralls, you should do it right.

[Arrowxt 8]

The mornig pride USAR gear is good stuff if what you are going to do is going to put you in the path of what it was designed for. Ie: extrication, and so on. It does cost more but is built quite tough.

Arrow