In the last couple of years, wildfires have become more problematic as they are evolving in terms of speed and intensity. Good thing, wildfire emergency responders are able to keep up by developing new firefighting strategies, and of course, the use of better tools and equipment to get the job done before damage can happen.
Read more as we are going to tackle some of the latest innovations in wildland fire gear, tools and machinery and take a look at how wildland firefighting outfits and tools are enhanced to provide maximum protection against the dangers of putting out wildfires.
New PPEs That Offer Less Stress To The Firefighter
A wildland firefighter would usually carry as much as 60 lbs. of gear. And all this weight along with the restricted movement due to the heavy personal protective equipment would make their job more exhausting and demanding. Thus, causing them to be stressed a lot will dealing with danger.
Good thing, PPE manufacturers have now developed turnout gears that are lighter without sacrificing the heat resistant properties to help address the issue of long-term stress and increased exhaustion. At the same time, these lighter fabrics for wildland firefighter gear solves the problem of reduced flexibility and limited mobility from wearing extremely stiff garments.
The newly developed fabrics only weigh 5.6 oz./sq yd, which is extremely lighter compared to the older fabrics that weigh 7.5 oz./sq yd. And as a result, wildland firefighters are able to maneuver better and accomplish their work with less physical and mental stress.
Moreover, wearing of lighter PPEs reduces the risk of heat stress, which is a serious hazard that can also lead to cardiac arrest and other severe health problems.
Better Firefighting Strategies And Fire Shelters
National Geographic has already featured how “smokejumpers” (wildland fire first responders) are able to execute precision drops through parachutes at low altitudes on the fire ground. And while the method is too risky, it did speed up the emergency response process to kill the fire out faster than before.
In addition, firefighters are also provided with better fire shelters that are designed to keep the heat out and allow breathable air to come in at the same time. These shelters are made from heat resistant silica cloth on the outside and a lightweight fiberglass scrim fabric layer on the inside.
Advanced Technologies To Map Out Direction And Pattern Of The Wildfire
And aside from wildland fire gear, firefighters are now provided with the top of the line technologies to immediately detect hotspots such as:
- Thermal Imaging Devices to track wildfire hotspots ahead of time which can be easily connected to any smartphones to allow the team to focus on high-risk areas and target places that can cause the further spread of fire.
- Fire Surveillance Drones to penetrate fire grounds that can’t be accessed by the team. Likewise, these unmanned aircrafts are used to track the wind patterns and the behavior of the wildfire.
- Virtual Reality Simulations to prepare firefighters in the actual event of smokejumping and to eliminate wildfire outbreaks effectively.
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