Do wildland gear ensembles have to be retired after 10 years of service?

[zackman1801]

Hey guys, Im looking into purchasing my own set of Wildland fire pants as my department does not issue them for us. We are a small rural department that does not go to many grass or brush fires, and since we are located in maine we get very few that get past the "grass" fire stage and actually make it into a forest. My question lies in the fact that many stores ive seen them sold at online have brand new unissued pants and jackets that are 1990's era and would be too old if gear has to be retired in accordance with NFPA standards. So far all i have found is that structural gear has to be retired but i cant find anything about wildland gear. At the moment we have guys wearing structural gear for brush fires but as the temp goes up i would not want to be running through the woods with all of that gear on, its far to heavy and hot to be walking miles through the woods with it on. If anyone can help me this would be great. There are some very good deals to be had online but if they are too old to use ill have to pony up the $200 or so for a new pair or stick to wearing my structural gear for now. :(

Thanks
Zack

[Ticonderoga]

Hey guys, Im looking into purchasing my own set of Wildland fire pants as my department does not issue them for us. We are a small rural department that does not go to many grass or brush fires, and since we are located in maine we get very few that get past the "grass" fire stage and actually make it into a forest. My question lies in the fact that many stores ive seen them sold at online have brand new unissued pants and jackets that are 1990's era and would be too old if gear has to be retired in accordance with NFPA standards. So far all i have found is that structural gear has to be retired but i cant find anything about wildland gear. At the moment we have guys wearing structural gear for brush fires but as the temp goes up i would not want to be running through the woods with all of that gear on, its far to heavy and hot to be walking miles through the woods with it on. If anyone can help me this would be great. There are some very good deals to be had online but if they are too old to use ill have to pony up the $200 or so for a new pair or stick to wearing my structural gear for now. :(

Thanks
Zack
I don't know what the NFPA would approve of less.. You wearing out-of-date wildland gear, or waltzing around the brush with your structure pants on.

The latter (in my opinion) is a severe safety risk. Have you ever tried sprinting with those things on?

[zackman1801]

I have, and i fell flat on my face. It didt help that i was chasing a roof ladder down an icy hill though. I think that i have found a solution, i recently found a pretty new unopened pair of forestry pants and jacket for $50 from a seller on ebay. Im looking into buying it now. But it seems strange that the NFPA would look down on wearing out of date forestry gear, when some guys are wearing nothing but a hard hat in the woods now. no fire pants, no jacket just hard hat. rules are rules though, like i said, i spent a long time last night lookup up NFPA rules and standards and the most i can find is that proximity and structural gear has to be retired, and proximity gear specifically specifies that it is NOT wildland gear. So i really have no clue, thats why im asking you guys.

[FortechFEO]

I rotate through wildland gear so much that it is kind of a non issue, but if you look at gear used ten years ago versus today. You do not see a lot of it. Older fire shelters are good for this year, but next year it has to be the next gen in your gear.

[zackman1801]

thats the thing, i really will only use these things maybe one or 2 times, so if i can keep cost down while still maintaining safety (really not a good way to go though) i would be all set. I just dont want to get myself in to trouble wearing older gear and get hurt and be denied benefits, but i dont want to have my legs permanently look like im wearing jeans because they melted to my skin cause i wasnt wearing them.