International Firefighters Day
We, the team at Coats, would like to express our immense gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for our daring firefighters on this International Firefighters’ Day. International Firefighters’ Day is observed on 4th May to honour the sheer dedication and bravery of firefighters worldwide.
General Norman Schwarzkopf once said, “True courage is being afraid, and going ahead and doing your job anyhow, that’s what courage is.”
Firefighters are front-line workers and hence, are exposed to hazardous materials during their rescue mission. Fire burns down structures, which releases toxic gases and chemicals from electronics, and construction materials. Continuous exposure to such chemicals can lead to respiratory diseases, lung, skin, and other types of cancers.
They are highly vulnerable to several occupational hazards that can pose serious health risks, for instance, smoke inhalation, oppressive heat, severe dehydration, dangerous falls, and collisions with heavy objects or vehicles. To prevent themselves from such injuries, firefighters are required to wear heavy protective equipment & clothing that can weigh up to 45 pounds or more. This excludes the weight of tools and firefighting equipment making firefighting extremely taxing.
Firefighters manoeuvre their way through intense heat and smoke-filled spaces that might also house toxic gases at times to protect trapped victims and take them or often carry them to a safe place. A firefighter has to accomplish all of this in minimum time to ensure low fatality rates. This kind of physical strain can cause musculoskeletal injuries or even sprains.
In addition to this, vigorous physical activity under time pressure and in an intense heat environment can also lead to cardiovascular issues like heart attack and is one of the leading causes of firefighter on-duty deaths.
Firefighters do not typically have fixed shift hours and need to be at the accident site immediately, be it night or day, so they do not have a fixed sleep time. This results in disruption in their sleep cycle, which can impair cognitive abilities, eventually negatively impact decision-making during stressful situations, increase the risk of on-the-job injuries, and lead to health problems, for instance, cardiovascular diseases or mental health problems.
Risks Firefighters Face & Why Right Protection is Important?
Firefighters are exposed to various risks such as carcinogenic chemicals, intense heat, dangerous fumes, choking smoke and toxic gases, to name a few, almost every working day of their lives.
Exposure to such an environment regularly can lead to multiple diseases like cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases like asthma, skin diseases, cancers, mental problems, and other physical injuries. Some of them can be fatal as well.
Being aware of the seriousness of the risks firefighters face, it is crucial to provide our firefighters with adequate support in the form of the right protective clothing and equipment for them to fearlessly and confidently complete their daring tasks at work. Proper protective clothing is the first step to success in a job as important and as challenging as firefighting.
When one is armed with the right protective garments and has access to the best working tools it not only boosts confidence during firefighting but also motivates one to face sudden risks that may arise from nowhere.
We at Coats always aim to do our best to ensure the safety of our heroes – the firefighters with thoughtfully crafted research-backed fire-resistant products.
Coats Revolutionising Fire Protection
From flame-resistant threads, and yarns to trims, Coats is committed to protecting firefighters.
Coats Firefly, a flame-resistant sewing thread crafted from 100% spun meta- aramid fibre, is produced through a vertically integrated aramid manufacturing process. It is designed to offer exceptional flame/heat resistance. Coats Firefly is primarily used in protective wear like firefighter’s gear and work wear uniforms, meeting all safety regulatory standards.
Coats Protos is stronger than steel and can endure temperatures up to 450°C. It’s a 100% para-aramid thread and particularly developed to meet the heat and fire standards in various industries like automotive, aerospace and insulation.
Coats FlamePro represents an innovative range of flame-resistant, cut, and electric arc-resistant blended performance yarns, designed to enhance the quality of protective wear.
Coats Signal Lucence PRO is a range of high-performance sew-on tapes that offer an option to combine three technologies: fluorescence, retro-reflectivity, and phosphorescence in a single material to meet the needs of the hi-vis workwear and firefighter markets.
We celebrate this day to appreciate and pay tribute to firefighters’ commitment, courage, and sacrifice. It marks a remembrance of the fallen heroes who lost their lives on duty, past and current firefighters who continue to work tirelessly each day to keep us and our families safe.
