Hoods

[SageVigiles 1,194]

In the market for a new hood. I know there's a lot of new stuff out there, including the carbon ones.

Can anyone explain the pros/cons of the different options? Nomex, Carbon, PAC II, PBI, etc?

Any recommendations on specific ones?

[STAT213 332]

The one they give me. It is my favorite, mostly because the price is right.

[16fire5 693]

The one they give me. It is my favorite, mostly because the price is right.

But what if it's not black like all the cool kids?

[STAT213 332]

Somehow, someway, I'll get by. I gave up worrying what the cool kids wore LONG ago.

[bad box 371]

Here's a couple of tests done comparing various hoods that are currently available to the fire service:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zPLFTOdnF0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8jHJOTIBBw

[FF1 172]

these hoods are getting TOO good in my opinion. Reason being, yes, you want protection, but you also want to be able to "feel" the heat a bit. this will allow one more sense to give you an idea od conditions. These new hoods can practically be brought into an inferno and wont let you feel a thing

[GBFD111 73]

these hoods are getting TOO good in my opinion. Reason being, yes, you want protection, but you also want to be able to "feel" the heat a bit. this will allow one more sense to give you an idea od conditions. These new hoods can practically be brought into an inferno and wont let you feel a thing

I have to respectfully disagree with you. You should be able to read the conditions around you to make good decisions without having to "feel" the fire. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS CONSTANTLY. God forbid you need to bail out or a mayday is called and you are not in an ideal location, I would want myself and the other members of my department, or any department for that matter, to have the BEST PPE to give the best protection to that firefighter until that brother is safe.

[FF1 172]

I have to respectfully disagree with you. You should be able to read the conditions around you to make good decisions without having to "feel" the fire. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS CONSTANTLY. God forbid you need to bail out or a mayday is called and you are not in an ideal location, I would want myself and the other members of my department, or any department for that matter, to have the BEST PPE to give the best protection to that firefighter until that brother is safe.

I hear you. To clarify, I do agree... continuous size up is paramount. You always monitor conditions. My point on the hoods is, you can get antiquate protection, yet begin to feel heat when the temperature reaches a certain level.

I agree whole heartedly that size up is the 1 thing you live and die by, but it doesn't hurt to be able to have a second sense (feel) giving you another view of conditions.

[FFPCogs 863]

I hear you. To clarify, I do agree... continuous size up is paramount. You always monitor conditions. My point on the hoods is, you can get antiquate protection, yet begin to feel heat when the temperature reaches a certain level.

I agree whole heartedly that size up is the 1 thing you live and die by, but it doesn't hurt to be able to have a second sense (feel) giving you another view of conditions.

I have to agree as well. When you start feeling heat to the point of discomfort you're already in a precarious position, so the "better" the protection the longer it takes to feel the environment around you, thus making you actually less safe. I also wholeheartedly agree with ongoing size up and strongly advocate knowing your buildings and how they react when on fire. On the other hand, and I won't speak for anyone else, but most fires I've been in have tended to be situations of total or near total smoke blindness. As such as part of my personal size up while working a fire attack or search I have had no other means of determining my immediate situation other than the heat I'm feeling. I think it is imperative that members thoroughly know all of their equipment, how to use it and it's limitations and that includes working in their PPE. This happens through training. My VFD doesn't get alot of work so what I try to do in training is simulate actual fire environments in terms of smoke and heat so guys get accustomed to feeling what working in "normal" or should I say safe heat feels like. This is a valuable aid in helping them to gauge conditions when working for real out in the field. Flashover simulators while a great training tool, are just not the same as actually working in that environment. And while training fires in burn buildings are a far cry from the real thing in the field, they are for all intents and purposes the best tool we have in that regard.

BTW I'm not sure of what brands are the best but here's a tip for your hoods taught to me by one of my mentors. Sew the back flap of your hood to the inside of your turnout coat where it normally sits when donned.

Edited November 15, 2013 by FFPCogs

[Bnechis 3,961]

these hoods are getting TOO good in my opinion. Reason being, yes, you want protection, but you also want to be able to "feel" the heat a bit. this will allow one more sense to give you an idea od conditions. These new hoods can practically be brought into an inferno and wont let you feel a thing

When we added hoods (number of years ago) we never really looked at them, we sort of just went with a hood is a hood. We had a house fire, fire on the 2nd floor. conditions in the living room on floor #1 - No heat, very light haze. 2nd floor bedroom, heavy heat and smoke. Video from CP shows the bedroom window blowing out, as a backdraft occurred in the bedroom.

Firefighters on the 1st floor were standing up, waiting to go to the 2nd floor, all wearing SCBA and hoods.

The backdraft caused the living room ceiling to drop, and the members were forced to the floor from the heat. One member received 2nd degree burns thru his single ply hood.

There was no heat to feel 10 seconds before he was burned. We have changed our attitude and understand that rapidly changing conditions make the old, I need to feel the heat a poor indicator.

[FFPCogs 863]

I don't think anyone in their right mind would advocate going back to the good ole days of no hoods, that is simply foolishness. But neither should we go so far as to discount using heat as an indicator of your environment either. It is but one of a number of factors such as visible fire conditions prior to entry, building construction and reading smoke that we should all be paying attention to when working an aggressive attack. Nor should we ever become completely reliant on our technology to give us signs. Thermal imaging cameras, heat guns and heads up displays are great tools too, but they are just that, tools. And like any tool they work best in conjunction with our senses and experience, not as replacements for them.

[tbendick 27]

Just an FYI with feeling heat.

FDNYs new attitude is when you feel heat threw your ppe you need to leave or cool the room with a line.

[latemedic39 4]

I feel that with the development of new gear and hoods is that not feeling the heat we are going in farther than is safe due to the total encapsulation of the ppe I agree that you need to read the fire to monitior ever changing conditions to adapt and adjust to keep safe especially with the new types of construction materials that are being used ,but when its too hot for the ears its time to leave

[msm232 69]

I think this article by Timothy E. Sendelbach sums it up pretty well.

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/firefighting-operations/are-your-ears-burning

Stay safe.

[FFPCogs 863]

I think this article by Timothy E. Sendelbach sums it up pretty well.

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/firefighting-operations/are-your-ears-burning

Stay safe.

Sorry but I just read this guys full bio and while he makes some valid points, I'm not sold on his views. Seems he's spent much of his 28 years teaching firefighting and not practicing it.

Edited November 15, 2013 by FFPCogs

[ks1980 36]

In my opinion, just a opinion which may not be popular is that our PPE is now too good. (If that makes sense)Let me explain, I feel that now our bunker gear is amazing but at the same time it is letting us get further in to what may be a bad situation. With the new materials and what not yes we are safer, but more in danger ie/ getting into such a hot area that our SCBA masks fail. Now I have not witnessed this, but there are reports. And the "New Construction" burns way faster and hotter then "legacy", and with advancements in our gear we go further then before.

So to stop me from rambling further I am not against hoods, just saying to ensure we don't get a false sense of security in the gear. One note to this yes I was doing overhaul at a job not wearing hood, pulled some overhead and had a small ember fall onto my collar of my bunker coat burned back of my neck so lesson learned the hard way.

[everybodygoes 331]

Just an FYI with feeling heat.

FDNYs new attitude is when you feel heat threw your ppe you need to leave or cool the room with a line.

Or in your case pull the whole company out while the 10-45 is just around the hallway on the couch in the living room cause you need to wait for a line that is coming down the street cause the can man didn't want to disrespect the Lt and tell you no when he should have.

[Guest]

I believe the new NFPA SCBA standard addresses mask failures.