Design is in

British firefighters sporting newly designed suits

Firefighters battle all kinds of circumstances, from extreme fire and flood to rescuing kittens from the drain. Since they are meant to protect civilians during disasters, how can they safeguard their own lives? The only savior is their uniform. The firefighters in Britain can be soon seen sporting a brand new uniform, which is much more efficient than the old one.

Firebuy Limited was established in 2006 to deliver English Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) procurement at a national level. It is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and after the thorough evaluation of bids submitted by companies world-wide, Bristol Uniforms Ltd was selected as the service provider.

Although the design brief was clear, the design had to have a fine balance in function. These points influenced the design:

Protection (from heat and flame)
Lightweight (for carrying someone)
Supple (to move away from falling debris)
Trust (for the public to accept)

The end result had to find a fine balance between advanced technology and common sense. Two biggest challenges were to make the uniform efficient, and to make the firefighters more easily identifiable by the public. Another challenge was to coordinate the suit with the clothing worn beneath it.

For the first time women firefighters get to wear suits that are custom designed for them. As of now the suits come in 28 different sizes. Many a time, women firefighters were encouraged to discontinue from the service since the smallest of the gloves or footwear were too big and reduced their efficiency at work. Although women in service only account to just more than 3% of the total firefighters in Britain, the fact that a suit has been designed for pregnant firefighters, it is a major step in encouraging women to join the service.

Minority groups are also to benefit from the new design. Extras such as turbans and hijabs have been designed. In an official press release, Fire minister Sadiq Khan said: “The uniform now available shows that cultural beliefs are being recognized, as we seek to increase the representation of ethnic minorities within service.”

The challenge was also to bring in consistency of style. At present, firefighter uniforms vary across Britain. This adds to the confusion. The new design would create a national uniform of red and gray station clothing, and muted gold fire suits.

It is believed that firefighters spend only 10% of their time dealing with emergencies. The other 90% of the time they are gaining public trust. The new suit surely does help when dealing with emergencies, and with time it may also become a national identity that the public would be proud of.

The design, we feel, is the step towards addressing issues such as equality and diversity in work environments.

By Armeen Kapadia and Sanjay Basavaraju