Shamrock Gear Restoration is pleased to announce the launch of the Irish Pride Suspender. This suspender was made to commemorate the long history of Irish Heritage within the fire service.

These suspenders are now available for purchase on the Shamrock website. The Irish pride suspender incorporates all of the innovative features found in the Shamrock Heavy Hitter suspender line.

Order now for Christmas delivery!!

We are looking for department members that would be willing to participate in our Trial Wear Evaluation process. Participating departments would receive 2 pair of the suspenders to be worn and evaluated. We would hope that the suspenders could be evaluated by multiple members of your department.

These suspenders have been developed to improve upon the general “stock” suspender. We have spent time looking at what will be most comfortable, economical, and functional for today’s firefighter. The suspender project has been cared for under the watchful eye of a 20 year veteran firefighter, with the comfort and functionality of the end user in mind. We didn’t try to re-invent the wheel just make it roll smoother!

If interested, please call our office at 330-313-1220 or e-mail info@shamrockgear.org.

Remember, all of our products are constructed here in the USA. Products are developed for firefighters by firefighters.

The program is simple, for an additional $11.00 up charge per element, we will perform advanced cleaning,  inspection and repair on your gear in just two days, at our shop in Hudson.  Provided you gear reaches us by 11:oo am on day 1, it will be cleaned and inspected that day.  Repairs will be completed on the following day and your gear will be shipped by days end.  If for any reason your gear cannot be completed because of severe damage, pending warranty issues etc.  We will notify you immediately and only normal processing rates will apply. This program is for no more than 5 sets of bunker gear per department at a time.

As always we greatly appreciate your business and your feedback, so keep the comments comming .  At Shamock, our family of Fire Fighters is pleased and honored to help keep you safe!!

Please feel free to contact us anytime at 330-313-1220.

We posted a NFPA 1851 summary on our blog some time ago, and it may be of use to anybody looking for information on NFPA 1851.

A few things about NFPA 1851 and fire bunker gear cleaning:

• NFPA 1851 does not “certify” an organization to clean fire gear, any claims of being “NFPA 1851 Certified” are false.
• NFPA 1851 spells out several “levels” of cleaning.  These levels of cleaning are “routine” “advanced” and “Specialized.”
• NFPA 1851 sets a minimum set of records that must be maintained on every set of firefighting gear including any dates and reasons for fire gear advanced cleanings.
• NFPA 1851 states that soiled or contaminated elements shall not be brought into the home, washed in home laundries, or washed in public laundries unless the public laundry has a dedicated business to handle fire fighting protective clothing.
• NFPA 1851 states that every six months, at a minimum, elements that have been issued, used, and are soiled, shall receive advanced cleaning.
• NFPA 1851 says that heavy scrubbing or high velocity power washers shall not be used.
• NFPA states that cleaning or decontamination solution shall not be greater than pH 10.5

These are just a few points from the NFPA 1851 document.  Again, you may find the summary of NFPA 1851 useful.  In our next post, we will talk about NFPA 1851 and fire bunker gear repair.  If you have any questions about NFPA 1851, and you would like to speak to us, we welcome your phone call.

Call Shamrock Gear at 330-313-1220 and we will help you decipher the NFPA 1851 document.

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

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!!

Recently, I have seen a large influx of traffic and visits from Texas, Kansas, California, Michigan, New York, and Florida.  There have been as many, or more, visits from those states as from Ohio.  This tells me that those states are looking for answers to the question “What do we need to do to maintain our gear and stay NFPA compliant?”.  It is not a simple answer, but not complicated. 

1)  Get a copy of NFPA 1851.  Read it.  Try to understand it (or stay awake while you read it).  Make a list of questions you have about the standard.  Interpretations of the document may vary from one person to another.  Getting a basic understanding and begin planning your Maintenance Program.

2)  Contact your Firefighter Ensemble Dealer or Manufacturer.  Get their recommendations. 

3)  Find a list of verified Independant Service Providers (ISP’s) and contact one, two, or all of them.  Ask your questions.  Look for training, services, references, prices, so on and so forth.  Interview that ISP to see if they are going to be the right fit for you and your department.

4)  Search the World Wide Web for online training.  Read the articles, watch the videos, do what you can “in house” that will save you money and keep members safe.  With the proper training from an ISP, you can do a lot of general maintenance yourself, right up to the point of advanced steps and sewing or repairs. 

At this point, it is time to choose an ISP for further assistance and repairs. 

It all sounds very simple- maybe it is.  But, it is not a task that should be taken lightly.  The individual in your department that has or takes on the task of your department’s gear maintenance should be diligent in the procedure and task.  The assignment could be overwhelming if there is no Program in place.  A quality ISP can be of great assistance.

So, if you are in one of the states that I mentioned earlier, and you are not getting answers in your state, contact Shamrock Gear, we can help!!

Remember:

We test our fire pumps, we test our fire hose, we test our SCBA’s, we test our ladders- DO WE TEST OUR FIRE GEAR?

Rob Leahy