Full metal jacket!
Ten years ago, standard issue clothing only gave CERN firemen partial protection but today our fire-fighters are equipped with state-of-the-art, full personal protective equipment.
CERN's Fire Brigade team.
For many years, the members of CERN's Fire Brigade went on call-outs clad in their work trousers and fire-rescue coats, which only afforded them partial protection. Today, textile manufacturing techniques have moved on a long way and CERN's firemen are now kitted out with state-of-the-art personal protective equipment. The coat and trousers are three-layered, comprising fire-resistant aramide, a protective membrane and a thermal lining.
The CERN Fire Brigade' new state-of-the-art personal protection equipment.
"This equipment is fully compliant with the standards in force and is therefore resistant to cuts, abrasion, electrical arcs with thermal effects and, of course, fire," explains Patrick Berlinghi, the CERN Fire Brigade's Logistics Officer. You might think that such clothing might be a bit uncomfortable, but you would be wrong. The jacket has been specifically tailored to give the fire-fighters maximum mobility and ease of movement during operations. and is fitted with a protective hood and emergency drag handle. The CERN Firemen also have to use site-specific devices such as dosimeter, access card and radios, for which several pockets and storage pouches have been added for convenience of use.
The bright orange colour with all-new high-visibility stripes will make it easy to distinguish the CERN firemen from their Swiss and French counterparts, whose fire-fighting attire is yellow and blue respectively.
