Your department

[medmark]

The explorer program i am involved with is a moderate size group. We are allowed to go on ride alongs with the real firefighters but we are not allowed to do anything on scene unless they really need help. Currently the department has given the explorers turnout coats and fire boots. I have been pushing for full turnout sets but have gotten nowhere which sucks. The reason the "higher ups" give for not needing turnout gear is that we wont have use for it on calls because we are not allowed to be that involved, the explorers are "observers". What is your departments policy and are you issued full turnout gear? What are you allowed to do on scene and what is the liability?

[42VTExplorer]

What is your departments policy and are you issued full turnout gear? What are you allowed to do on scene and what is the liability?

Our Explorers are issued NFPA compliant gear. This includes helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, hood, and boots. I personally have a flashlight and other things in mine for outside use, but that is a whole 'nother topic.

We will pretty much do everything but interior, and other things prohibited by the BSA/LFL regulations. If you do a search through this forum you'll see that this has been discussed many times before. ..Incase you don't know, the [ SEARCH ] button is on red menu to the left, in white lettering.

[mdoddsjffhnfc]

i'm not an explorer, but i'll give you an example of our junior program.

we're given a full set of turnout gear: coat, bunkers, boots, helmet, Survivor flashlight, accountability tags (2)

various items: Fire gloves, leather work gloves, 10ft rescue rope, tire valve stem remover, safety goggles.

The juniors in my department are allowed on the fireground and are allowed to do various things...except enter a building and climb certain ladders. That's why we have the whole shmere.

[medmark]

But what is the need for turnout gear? Thats the issue im having difficulty with.

[42VTExplorer]

If you're on the fireground, that's need enough! Does your department allow firefighters to be on the fireground without their FULL gear?

Explorers must be equipped with personal protective equipment that is appropriate for the activity being done.

This is from the Learning For Life website, located at:

http://learningforlife.com/

I don't know what you get to do on scene with your department, you were vague about that. You stated you can observe, and sometimes get to help if they really need it. I'd use what I stated above as your reasoning to get more gear. While it's a nice luxury, in your case, it may not be warranted or needed.

I'm all for cadets/juniors/explorers that are on scene having full gear, but if you're only watching, you don't need it, and can stay behind the yellow tape like any civilian.

If you REALLY want all your own gear, and know you're going into the fire service, purchase your own. I am in the process of purchasing myself all new (hopefully Globe) turnouts. Oh, and get yourself a leather too, while your in the process.

[CaptainMikey]

We are issued pants, coat, helmet, hoods if we can find them, most of the explorers save up and get some of the stuff themselves.

For scene stuff we do everything except for climbing, interior, and other prohibited things.

We do do training where we learn proper climbing techniques, interior techniques, car fire, etc...

[Moose2028]

here we are issued gear, it is not new ( from the mid 80's), but it gets the job done.

we are issiued helmet either orange for sr. command, blue for sta. officer, or black for regular explorer (color depends on rank), bunker coat (black), bunker pants (black), nomex hood, gloves, boots.

on scene we can do anything a regular ff can except enter a burning structure, opperate the jaws of life, or have direct pt care.

we are allowed to put out grass fires, opperate a hose line outside of the structure, we also get alot of stuff off of the trucks, change scba's. we are allowed to ride out on any truck as long as there is room and the call is in curfew.

[MFDExplorer51]

When we originally started, the Juniors at the time were issued jackets, helmets, gloves, and 3/4 boots.

Then time progressed, we became Explorers, and we all started taking classes and actually doing things on calls, and then we were given nomex hoods and bunker pants to go with the rest of the stuff, all along the way having accountability tags of course.

People who go and get their interior cert. are either given gear that is suitable, which it is anyways, but there might be a minor problem or something, or fitted for new gear.

Now the necessity for a full set of turnouts is because:
1) It keeps you SAFE on a fire scene, regardless of what your doing, it keeps you more safe to have bunker pants on then not.
2) When you take FF1 or whatever you may have, you need full turn-outs.
3) Someone mentioned NFPA? and BSA LFL? All those require you to have at least pants, jacket, helmet, gloves, and boots. Which is the minimum in my mind that can be interpretted to "appropriate to the situations. A Nomex becomes appropriate when once begins their FF1 or whatever.


However, if you are just watchers, and are going to be far enough away, then what you have is appropriate. It all just is based on your situation.

[ndvfdff33]

When I joined I had get the Pager,Bunkers and went from there..I could respond to everything and do anything except Enter the hot zone...


Needs for turnouts are if your on any scene you should have turnouts on..Except Med's of course.....