Capt. Jim Fire Hood (Response Protection Corp.)

Phone: 802-728-4501

Website: www.responseprotection.com

What a Fire Hood Should Do

There are many misconceptions about the purpose of the protective fire hood. It is shocking that we hear some firefighters saying that they want their hood to block all feelings of heat when they are operating inside a structural fire. The protective gear that firefighters wear for interior operations has improved dramatically over the past 20 years. Bunker gear has been refined and lightened, boots have been greatly improved as to traction and durability, gloves have seen a huge increase in protection and durability and hoods have been modified and are now presented technology derived from the space shuttle program as we see with the carbon fiber hood.

The drawbacks of some of the protective gear now on the market is the potential to “encapsulate” the firefighter in a protective wear that can place him lead them into locations and situations that pose tremendous danger to them.

In the “old days” firefighters relied on our ears to alert us to dangerous changes in room temperatures. When I started in the FDNY in 1974 I was taught by the senior members of my South Bronx truck company that I should “listen to your ears” When my ears started to hurt it was time to give very serious consideration as to backing out. The heat rise that my ears told me was occurring was a danger sign that firefighters today still need to be aware of.

A firefighter that is wearing a heavy thick hood, heavy bunker gear and thick gloves may not be aware of the thermal changes around him or her that signify danger. This “encapsulation” can place firefighters in a room or area where the conditions are rapidly becoming ripe for a flashover.

Our hoods are there to protect us from burns. A hood that keeps us “nice and warm” in the winter can also keep you from feeling the heat in a fire. Today’s structures are loaded with components that contribute to rapid high heat build up and flashover potential. Energy efficient windows do not fail as quickly as the old single pane windows did. This allows for a high heat build up in each room. The expanded use of plastics and synthetics in our furnishings and structural components also provides fuel for an extremely hot and toxic fire. When you add these factors to an encapsulated firefighter you can see the potential for sudden and disastrous incidents.

The “Captain Jim” fire hood is manufactured from Spentex© which is a carbon fiber material laced with Kevlar. It is extremely lightweight (6 ozs) and very durable. Spentex© has been washed over 100 times with little or no degradation of properties. Some of our competitors add fire protective additives to their material to give it its fire protective ability. Spentex© has no treatment additives, it is the fiber itself that provides the fire protection.

As you can see from the videos on www.responseprotection.com the “Capt. Jim” fire hood provides a far greater flame and fire resistance than the competitors. The best part of the hood is that it allows for a degree of heat transference to allow the firefighter to be aware of sudden thermal changes that we all dread. When we demonstrate the hood using the torch you can see that the competitors hood bursts into flames in a very few seconds, The Capt. Jim” hood provides over 20x the flame protection, giving you a far greater chance to escape a dangerous situation safely. During the test, when the torch is run on the “Capt. Jim” hood the feeling inside is similar to a very warm cup of coffee. So when your ears start to feel warm in the “Capt. Jim” hood, the competitors is already burning.

It is vital that firefighters understand their safety gear as well as they understand their tools and equipment. Don’t let yourself become “encapsulated” to the point of being unaware of the dangers surrounding you. Heavier and thicker is not better. Awareness is the key to safety.

Please read the story of the Capt. Jim O'Donoghue at www.responseprotection.com

Kevin F. O'Donghue

Batt. Chief, FDNY (Ret.)

Get in touch!

Informaton- 802-728-4501

Email: [email protected]

Kevin F. O’Donoghue- 802-728-4501

Email: [email protected]

Bill Bujarski- 914-841-4567

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]