PORTLAND, OR -- Little has changed in structural fire glove design over the past decade. Traditionally, firemen’s gloves, like their helmets, were made out of leather. While it often provided the protection they needed from lacerations, it became slippery when wet, and lost its dexterity when it finally dried. In cold conditions, this was a bigger problem because the leather lost its elasticity in extreme temperatures. The very tools meant to protect hands from extreme dangers have often been a stumbling block to efficiency. Cestusline’s goal was to raise the threshold of hand protection for the heroes that wear them. .
Cestusline unveiled its new NFPA 1971 Structure Fire glove, FireAttack, at September’s National Safety Council Show in Indianapolis. It will become the flagship of their new Fire Rescue Series of gloves. First responders were involved in the improvements to the initial prototype. These professionals helped the Cestus team overcome six key challenges. See for yourself if the FireAttack® has successfully navigated dexterity, grip, avoidable injury prevention, low light spatial awareness, fast donning, and longevity. “Some things don’t translate with flat pictures. This is a glove you have to put on your hand to believe!” exclaimed one field tester. Years of development with some of the industry’s toughest critics has pushed the design team to make functional improvements that matter.
Vice-President Jennifer Choi explains, "Our company history is centered on gladiator gloves. First responders are TODAY's modern warriors. They face hazards head-on and are ready to do battle in extreme environments." Cestusline illustrated their support of first responders in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey's wake through Houston. The company's territory manager flew to Portland, despite not having power in his own Houston home for weeks, to drive a truck cross-country to deliver water rescue gloves to local rescue teams in Texas.
Cestusline has quietly introduced a full lineup of extrication and duty gloves for rescue teams that operate in and out of water over the past year. These new impact gloves further support the people whose hands face the toughest environments in the world. These selections included new waterproof, high dexterity impact, high abrasion impact, and leather impact models. “The launch of the FireAttack® glove unifies the rest of the collection”, President Elli Choi states confidently. The patent on this glove is a testament to her proud three decade history in making hand protection, but she’s not finished yet. She eludes to a new technical rescue glove on the drawing board that she guarantees will raise eyebrows that is slated for release in early 2018.
For more information, go to www.cestusline.com.
