After 20 years, the Eglingen fire brigade receives new protective clothing. The old model "Texport Fire Survivor" is now being replaced by "Bayern 2000".
Egling - Times change in every respect - and with them the requirements for professional and volunteer fire departments. In the recent past, there were mostly fires, but today it is primarily so-called technical assistance that the emergency services have to deal with.
Fire brigade requirements are changing
"What must never be forgotten in this context is to ensure the safety of the comrades," emphasized district fire chief Marc Vopelius in an interview with our newspaper. According to him, this includes protective clothing that has to be adapted to the changed requirement profile.
A look back: The first protective equipment for the firefighters consisted of a double-breasted, black uniform skirt, which was mostly made of multi-layered felt. Matching trousers, a brass helmet, rough leather shoes and a simple belt made the outfit complete.
After the Second World War this uniform was replaced with gray-green cotton. The model was called "Bayern 1". The successor version (“Bayern 2”), which came onto the specialist market in the 1970s, already had reflective strips and shoulder leather protection. In 1999 the operational clothing was fundamentally revised. The “Bayern 2000” model, a black-orange finish with reflective stripes and in accordance with the EU standard, is still in use today.
History of protective equipment
Markus Fleischmann, First Commander of the Egling Volunteer Fire Brigade, can still remember the “Bayern 2” and “Bayern 2000” models. He himself now carries the latest acquisition of the weir: a signal red jacket, model "Texport Fire Survivor", available in sizes S to XXXL, with reflective strips, equipped with a fire blocker membrane and a sleeve end that prevents that from being put on or while the sleeves slide up.
Lamp, gloves, radio: there is a suitable bag for every utensil in your jacket or trousers.
© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss
Two-way radios, lamps - everything has its place in specially designed jacket pockets and is quickly at hand in the event of an emergency. The gray overtrousers (“Explorer”) with an integrated life belt also offer enough pockets to accommodate wedges for blocking a door, for example. "And you can even reach into the pocket of the jeans you are wearing under your pants through a side opening," explains the commander.
For a good year, a specially set up project group consisting of commanders, respiratory protection trainers and district fire chiefs worked on putting the clothing together in such a way that it meets the needs of the Eglingen weir. The operational clothing used up to now "is partly over 20 years old," explains district fire chief Vopelius. In his opinion, with the new equipment, which, as reported, is to be delivered gradually, the balancing act between "maximum protection and low weight" is achieved.
Eglingen fire brigade gets new protective clothing
The new acquisition comes at a price: "About 1000 euros per man," reveals Vopelius. The weir is "very grateful" to the mayor and the town councils that they have made the funds available. The district fire chief, with a wink, uses a ski suit for comparison: “You can also get into this price range. Only that nobody will wear his ski suit for 20 years. "
The seven Eglingen fire departments are gradually being equipped with new protective equipment. It is precisely tailored to their needs.
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