true north dragon slayer wildland firefighting pants

1) The certification of wildland clothing to NFPA 1977 is both a time consuming and expensive process

There can be several reasons why a manufacturer could take this short cut approach. Without that certification, suppliers are essentially selling a product that does not meet the minimum safety requirements for the job, leaving the wearer unprotected and at greater risk of injury. The overriding purpose of the NFPA 1977 certification standard is to help ensure that firefighting garments (and gear) consistently meet a set of minimum performance requirements. Simply put, if your wildland clothing does not do its job correctly you as the end user could wind up getting hurt, or worse in the event of exposure to the flame and thermal hazards associated with fighting a wildfire. Wildland clothing is not just workwear clothing or garments that are made with the sole purpose of durability. In fact, this clothing is designed to protect its wearer, or even potentially save a life. It provides a similar function to that of the airbag in a vehicle. However, purchasing non-certified garments can be a risky proposition. Why an NFPA Certification Mattersįrom time to time (particularly in times of crisis like the 2020 fire season), other lesser known garment brands often “pop up” with the intention to sell non-certified garments that are claimed to be perfectly safe PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). This nationally recognized performance standard covers the Protective Clothing and Equipment used for Wildland Fire Fighting, or more commonly referred to as NFPA 1977.

They are also backed by a 3 rd-party clothing certification by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) to meet or exceed the performance requirements of NFPA 1977. The products made by this subset of PPE manufacturers go through extensive field-testing and/or wear trials by firefighters themselves.

The wildland clothing market is largely supplied by a very small group of reputable clothing manufacturers who provide their customers with these protective garments.

The Wildland Clothing Market is Specialized

True north dragon slayer wildland firefighting pants