Duration: 10/01/2010 to 09/30/2012

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Throughout most of the past decade wildland fires have dominated natural resource management issues. There appears to have been an increase in the prevalence of large scale wildland fires throughout the United States in recent years; a large scale fire event takes place every two-three years. (USDA Forest Service, 2010) Many of the larger fires have occurred in the Western Region. The increase of wildland fire activity has forced natural resource managers to focus more of their attention and resources on fire management. (USDA Forest Service, 2010) The operational budget resources directed to fire management have focused primarily on prevention and intervention. Not only have operational budge resources been directed to prevention and intervention management efforts but so has wildland fire research dollars. An area of research focus that has been lacking is the human factor. Not only is it important to factor in the human element in wildland urban interface (WUI) related issues but it is also important to direct attention to those in the heat of the battle, the firefighters.

A report presented at the April 1999 conference on wildland firefighter safety stated that personal protective clothing strikes a balance between protection and worker comfort. (Sharkey, 1999, p. 33). Recently the question of comfort in the personal protective clothing for wildland firefighters was brought to the attention of these researchers. The issues raised by female wildland firefighters to the researchers call into question not only the comfort factor of the personal protective clothing but also the impact that lack of comfort might have on the full protective nature of said clothing. These women reported ill fitting clothing which created bruising and severe chaffing leading to semi-permanent skin conditions. There were also issues raised related to clothing comfort which lead to a lack of focus while on the fire line. Comfort from a clothing perspective is that the wearer is psychologically and physiologically unaware of the clothing. This does not appear to be the case of the women who spoke to the researchers.

An examination of the 1977 Design Requirements for federal firefighter uniforms indicate that the design is based on body measurements. It further appears that these measurements were based on the male body and numbers reduced to fit the female body. However there does not seem to be any indication that consideration was given to the differences in body type and shape between male and female (National Fire Protection Association).

Firefighters clothing typically consists of a flame resistant outer shell and an inner shell which consists of a moisture barrier, a thermal barrier and a lining material. (Kermel, 2010; Cameron, 2009) Although the fit and comfort issues raised by the female firefighters were primarily related to design and style of the protective clothing, issues were also raised with the fabric and construction quality.

The issues raised by the few female wildland firefighters interviewed by the researchers warrant further investigation. Although some of the issues raised by the female firefighters also apply to their male counterparts they seem more prevalent amongst females. Since the early 1990s there has been a significant increase in the number of female wildland firefighters employed by national agencies. This study has implications for several areas within the textiles and apparel field; apparel design, textile science, apparel production, and product innovation for human well-being. There is also the potential for this project to draw interest from our colleagues in the areas of forestry and natural resources. In order to sustain our natural resource systems it is important that we address the safety and well-being of those individuals committed to the management of those resources.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

Meet during the 2010 International Textiles and Apparel Association annual conference to further clarify project goals and objectives, identify additional activities and station assignments.

Activity 1: Needs assessment
Conduct a formal needs assessment of fit and comfort concerns related to the protective clothing of female wildland firefighters. Needs assessment will be conducted through written survey and focus group interviews.

Activity 2: Redesign of personal protective clothing for female wildland firefighters
The needs assessed in activity 1 will be integrated into new prototypes. The new prototypes envisaged in this project are expected to improve the wearers physiological comfort, while providing better protection. In order to make necessary changes in styles, collaboration with apparel manufacturers and federal government will be pursued.

Activity 3: Procurement efforts for external funding
Note: In this activity, this proposal may need to address a particular funding opportunity such as The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

Fit and comfort concerns related to protective clothing of female wildland firefighters will be communicated to apparel manufacturers and federal government agencies. This initial dialog will be the first step to making necessary changes in styles to personal protective clothing for female wildland firefighters with enhanced functionality via improvements in protective, physiological, and aesthetic attributes.

Organization/Governance

Officers will include a chair and a chair-elect/secretary.

Duties of the chair are to organize the annual meeting, coordinate communication between meetings via email, and assure that task assignments are complete. The term of service of chair will be two years.

Duties of the chair-elect/secretary are to solicit reports from members for collation and distribution at the annual meetings, maintain a current list of committee participants, take minutes at the annual meeting, and to prepare and submit the accomplishment report. The term of service as chair-elect/secretary will be two years, with advancement to chair for the following two years.

Duties of the technical committee are to submit annual reports in a timely manner so that they may be collated and distributed at the annual meeting, communicate project results, and contribute to the ongoing activities of the committee.

Literature Cited

Cameron, B.A. (2009). FCSC 3171 Introductory textile science course packet. Fall 2009, University of Wyoming.

Kermel (No date). Wildland firefighting gear. Retrieved from
http://www.kermel.com/site/Wildland-firefighter-clothing-4283.html

National Fire Protection Association (2005 Edition). Design Requirements. Retrieved from
http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=124&URL=Codes%20&%20Standards

Sharkey, B. J. (1999). Heat stress. In Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Recommendations of the April 1999 Conference. Retrieved from http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/safety/ref_material/content/wldlnd_ff_health_safety_recomm.pdf

USDA Forest Service. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/budget

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

CO, IA, OK, WA, WY

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Oregon State University