Fire coat covered in Tar & Oil

Checkin’ the oil, kickin’ the tires, and fillin’ the tank are simple little things we do to ensure that our vehicles are going to run when we want them to.  Sure these are simple efforts that we take for granted, but,  go without easy “minute maintenance” and the outcome could be catastrophic.  What does any of this have to do with fire gear?  I am just trying to relate.  (As the husband of a 1st Grade teacher, I have learned how to help people relate thoughts to what they know.) 

Fire gear needs the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly inspections the same as your car does.  If your car is dirty, you wash it.  If your fire gear is dirty, you “look cool”.  If your tire is flat, you put air in it.  If your fire gear has a scorch, you are “tough”.  If the car runs out of gas, you fill it up.  If your moisture barrier, outer shell, or thermal liner is in poor repair, you could—  oh yes!  DIE!

It is simple math– we take better care of our cars than we do of our fire gear- the HEART of protection for a firefighter.  Why?  Is it too hard to look over our gear?  In less than five minutes, you can give your gear a quick once over at the start of shift.  Are there rips or tears?  Is the reflective trim torn, coming loose, or not reflective?  Do all the closures work properly?  Velcro clean?  Snaps snap?  Clips clip?  Does it still fit?  Yes, I know gear shrinks in the waist- our bellies never get bigger!  Finally, is it clean?  Does it smell like last week’s fire?  Diesel fuel?  Or a moldy jock strap?  Yes, the sweat for our finely tuned bodies can smell and rot our gear! 

What happens in your department if you find any of these minor flaws in your gear?  Overlook it?  Maybe, but always remember that the firefighter ensemble you wear is your first line of defense to staying alive.  A quick inspection of the “Heart” of firefighter protection can help to keep your heart pumping!

For more rants and raves, give me a call- I can go on all day!

Rob

Fire coat after removing Tar & Oil

The following statements are TRUE:

1- Shamrock Gear & Repair is located is Stark County, Ohio.

2- In the Northeast corner of Ohio, there are over 400 fire departments.

3- In Northeast Ohio, there is only 1 Fire Gear Care & Repair Facility.

4- Shamrock Gear can and will pick up, clean, inspect, repair, and return your fire gear in a timely fashion.  This ensures your gear is compliant to NFPA 1851 and safe for your firefighters. 

5- Shamrock Gear can come to your department and perform Advanced Inspections while keeping your gear in service.

6- Shamrock Gear helps your department get the full life of your gear and saves you money for replacement.

7- You can’t afford not to call our office and find a Maintenance Program  that fits you department.

8- You will not regret your call!!

At Shamrock Gear, we are offering even greater discounted rates on our Maintenance Programs.  The Bronze Program- Cleaning and Advanced Inspection- is the first big step to proper gear care.  We want to help your department get the most out of your budget.  Contact us for the DEEP DISCOUNT fire gear cleaning and inspection program.

330-313-1220

At Shamrock Gear and Repair, we pride ourselves in the fact that many times, when we receive calls asking if we have received fire gear ensembles for repairs, we are able to respond by saying “We cleaned, inspected, made all repairs, and shipped it back already.”  Many times customers are expecting us to receive fire gear for repair a day or two after we have already completed work on the turnouts.  This ability to service gear quickly is one of the reasons that fire departments, oil refineries, and industry continue to contact us for their fire gear cleaning, inspection, and repair.  Your fire turnout gear does your firefighters no good while it sits on a shelf waiting for repair.  Your fire gear does Shamrock Gear no good sitting on a shelf.  For these reasons, we skip the shelf that many repair facilities use.  We see what needs done to your fire gear, and we do it then ship it back to you immediately.

Do you measure your fire gear repair facility’s turnaround time in days, or do you measure it in weeks or months?  Shamrock Gear customers measure turnaround time in days.  We cannot control shipping companies, but we do control our operations.  If you would like to talk to us about our fire gear cleaning, inspection, and repair programs, including our turnaround times, call us at 330-313-1220.

At Shamrock Gear and Repair LLC, we get several calls every week asking us for fire turnout gear inspection forms.  We have decided to add these forms online so that they are available to you anytime you need them.  At Shamrock Gear and Repair, we are all about firefighter safety, so if you need fire gear inspection forms after an incident, you should not have to wait until we open our doors in the morning to get them.

Here is a link to the Fire Gear  Jacket Inspection Form.

Here is a link to our Fire Gear Trouser Inspection Form.

Here is our Fire Gear Inspection Work Order

We hope that these inspection forms will help you during your fire gear inspection.  Remember that you may always call us at 330-313-1220 with any questions.  We are here to help firefighters.  We are a firefighter owned and firefighter operated company.

Shamrock Gear

Safety for Firefighters, by Firefighters

The Shamrock Gear and Repair LLC 2009 price list is available.  To view the price list go to the following link.

2009 Fire Gear Cleaning, Inspection, and Repair Price List

This price list should cover most items including fire gear cleaning, inspection and repairs.  If there are any items not listed that you need, we will discuss that with you over the phone.  If you have any questions about our prices, please call our office at 330-313-1220.  We are happy to help answer your questions, and if we are in the office, a real person will answer your call.  If we are out of the office, leave a message and we will return your call.

In the recent months, we have received many inquiries from fire departments about turnout gear maintenance.  It has been great to hear that so many are really focusing on the safety of their firefighters.  One question we have heard repeatedly from both new and old customers is “Where are you located?”.  Yes, we have moved and yes our new facility helps us to maintain the growing needs of our customers. 

Shamrock Gear & Repair LLC has moved to 9522 Main Ave. SE in East Sparta.  The 2 story 3000 square foot building allows us to keep “dirty gear” completely separate from “clean gear”.    ”The Flow” of our specialized cleaning and repair process has been a great fit in this building, and has made Shamrock Gear the most efficient ISP in Ohio. 

Please feel free to stop by and take a brief tour of YOUR Fire Firefighter Ensemble Maintenance Facility.  We are here to keep you safe!

Shipping Address:

Safety for Firefighters, by Firefighters.

OVERVIEW OF NFPA 1851-2008

NFPA 1851- 2008 Standard on Selection Care and Maintenance of Structural Fire Fighting Ensembles and Proximity Fire Fighting

· Became a document effective February 2001. Revised in 2007 with the newest edition taking effect January 1, 2008.

· Developed to be a companion document to NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Firefighting.

· NFPA 1851 is also applicable to all previous revisions of NFPA 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1974.

· The goal of NFPA 1851 is to reduce the safety and health risks associated with the inappropriate selection and use of fire gear and fire gear elements as well as, the use of poorly or non-maintained turnout gear and turnout gear elements.

· To accomplish this goal, NFPA 1851 provides criteria for the development, and implementation of a Program for the selection, care, maintenance, retirement and related issues affecting protective ensembles and  fire gear elements.

· The NFPA 1851 Program consists of Standard Operating Procedures detailing the following:

· Selection Process
· Inspection of fire gear
· Cleaning of fire gear
· Repair of fire gear
· Issuing and Storage of turnout gear
· Record Keeping
· Retirement and Disposition of turnout gear
· Procedures for Events Involving Injury or Death to a Firefighter

NFPA 1851 is considered a user standard rather than a manufacturing standard and therefore becomes the responsibility of the authority having jurisdiction rather than the fire gear manufacturer.

Feel free to cal us with any questions you may have about NFPA 1851 and how your department can become compliant with this standard.

SHAMROCK GEAR & REPAIR LLC
330-313-1220

Shamrock Gear & Repair LLC specialty services help to save your budget.

Let Shamrock Gear & Repair LLC help you save time and money. Shamrock Gear & Repair offers On-Site Advanced Inspections and Ensemble Maintenance Programs.

On- Site Inspection of all three layers of the fire gear elements by certified personnel include:

Hydrostatic testing of the Moisture Barrier
Visual and light test of the Thermal Liner
Outer shell inspection and test of fabric and hardware integrity and safety properties
Tracking of each individual element
Estimates for repairs, if needed
Fire Department maintains NFPA 1851 Compliance

Maintenance Programs are tailored to fit your department’s needs and budget and can include:

Annual Cleaning & Advanced Inspection of fire gear
Repairs to fire gear when needed or necessary
Tracking of all turnout gear elements
Fire Department maintains NFPA 1851 Compliance

Call today for more information, a quote, or to schedule your On- Site Inspections.

330-313-1220
http://www.SHAMROCKGEAR.ORG

Here is a short list of items from one of our handouts that we take to trade shows.  This is a short list of do’s and don’ts for the care of fire turnout gear.  This list has been very helpful to many people and departments, so we are publishing it here.

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FIREFIGHTER TURNOUT GEAR

“DO’S & DON’TS”

DO: 

DO- Launder your turnout gear every 6 months, and more if necessary. 

DO- Routinely inspect your fire gear for any signs of damage or wear. 

DO- Fasten all closures prior to laundering, insuring that all hooks are fastened, snaps are closed, and any Hook & Loop is covered.

DO- Machine wash your turnout gear using a front load extractor (if possible) at a water temperature no warmer than 105 Degrees. 

DO- Allow your fire gear to dry in a well ventilated area and out of sunlight. 

DO- Contact your fire gear manufacturer or ISP if you have any question on the integrity of your garment that may compromise the protective properties. 

DON’T

Don’t store your garment where it exposed to Ultra Violet rays.

Don’t use chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or “OXY” cleaners. 

Don’t use turnout gear that is soiled, torn, damaged, or otherwise compromised.

You hope that this list is helpful to you.  If you have ANY questions about your fire gear, please call us.  We help many people by answering questions that have never used our services.  We are a firefighter owned business, in business to help firefighters.