Outfitting Firefighters

  • By Lexi Krock
  • Posted 04.30.02
  • NOVA

It has never been more clear to Americans that it is not the clothes that make the firefighter, but rather something else—an ineffable combination of courage, strength, and honor. Undeniably, however, the firefighter's uniform, imbued with tradition and fashioned from materials of the highest quality, itself embodies many of the qualities inherent in its wearer. In this feature, discover the various components of a firefighter's "turnout" gear (an antiquated term for firemen, who "turn out" for blazes) and learn how they help firefighters on the job in a high-rise-building fire scenario.

Launch Interactive

Equip two firemen with the gear needed for a high-rise response.

This feature originally appeared on the site for the NOVA program Building on Ground Zero.

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© NOVA/WGBH Educational Foundation

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