PPE replacement

[kennyv]

I wanted to know if there are departments out there that replace the bunker pants and jackets on a regular basis? Or is it by defect only? Looking through NFPA 1971, I didn't see a heading for replacement. Thanks.

[PFDTruck18]

I wanted to know if there are departments out there that replace the bunker pants and jackets on a regular basis? Or is it by defect only? Looking through NFPA 1971, I didn't see a heading for replacement. Thanks.

Not sure where it is, buts its out there. Also, you can read the gear manufacturers specs. They usually include a life expectancy. Wouldnt be a good thing if a department forced you to use it longer and something happened, law suits and all.

[N2DFire]

It is my understanding that the "unspoken standard" is 5 years due to the fact that NFPA standards are revised every five years.

[cowtown]

We began having an outside contractor test all of our gear a couple of years ago. I believe this was a requirement from the Texas Comm. on Fire Protection, but I couldn't swear to it. We now test the gear in-house due to cost, but what I can tell you from our experiences is that the vapor barrier fails MUCH sooner than any other component. A busy company's gear may only last a little more than a year, particularly the pants.

In the past we would just replace gear when it had too many holes or had been contaminated w/ chemicals, etc. A coat might be in use for 8-10years!

ps. We've used Globe PBI for the past few years, and Quest PBI before that.