Firefighters suited and booted

Derbyshire firefighters will soon be wearing new technologically advanced gold coloured personal protective equipment.

They are ditching the grey and red uniforms they have been wearing for the past 10 years for gold tunics and leggings which provide many enhanced safety features. 

The switch follows a joint trial carried out with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service which saw firefighters testing a range of available kit. 

Area manager Rob Taylor said: “The new kit is much more than just a change in colour and appearance, it’s about the safety and wellbeing of our crews. 

“A firefighter’s personal protective equipment is vital in providing protection at the wide range of incidents that they attend.

“The lightweight fabric provides enhanced protection from radiated heat, as well as increased mobility.” 

He added: “A change from the dark grey colour that our communities are used to seeing our crews wearing, means that any contaminants that come into contact with their kit can be quickly identified and cleaned. 

“The new PPE is also available in a wide range of sizes to accommodate both our male and female firefighters, something that is essential in ensuring that the built-in safety features provide the right level of protection in the right area of a firefighter’s body and of course, it also means that the new kit is comfortable to wear as firefighters can often be at incidents for lengthy periods of time.”