Firefighters are regularly exposed to sharp objects, hot embers, and other hazardous materials. Due to the job’s risks, firefighting personnel always remains equipped with PPE and other protective tools. The gloves are one such critical aspect of the firefighting uniform. Durable fire protection gloves vary depending on their purpose. Let’s look at the different types of gloves for firefighters, so you can determine which is best for your job as a first responder.
Structural Firefighting Gloves
Firefighters commonly wear structural firefighting gloves, as they’re designed to protect from thermal pressure from interior structural firefighting scenarios. To withstand flashovers, thermal energy transfers, high-heat areas, and piping steam or liquids, this type of glove is made of tough and often thick materials, such as leather.
Structural firefighting gloves must meet the standards set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These standards prioritize firefighter safety by creating a protection threshold that PPE manufacturers’ products must meet.
Wildland Firefighting Gloves
As the name indicates, wildland firefighting gloves are for firefighters dealing with wildland blazes. Because wildland fire conditions differ greatly from structural fires, the gloves do as well.
Wildland gloves shield hands from extreme heat and vapor. These different types of gloves for firefighters protect those risking their lives against blisters, cuts, scratches, and burns. You should always opt for maximum dexterity, comfort, grip, and heat resistance when selecting your ideal pair of wildland fire protection gloves.
Rescue Gloves
Rescue gloves are synonymous with extrication gloves. They’re most often worn by first responders tending to car accidents. These gloves specialize in protection against glass and liquids commonly found at these scenes, such as gasoline, battery acid, and bodily fluids.
You may also want to wear this type of glove while rummaging through a collapsed or burning building. The gloves provide safety from scorched building materials that you’re likely to encounter while on an extrication team.
Rescue gloves offer special grip and dexterity for firefighters to properly handle extrication tools. Rescue mission firefighters commonly use wire cutters, glass cutting saws, and other hand tools that require the utmost control.
When choosing a pair of firefighting gloves to suit your needs, make sure you prioritize size, comfort, and performance. With a wide variety of firefighting gloves on the market, you should have no problem finding a few pairs that will provide the ideal level of protection.