The variety of colours in turnout gear
Why are there different colours at all?
Originally, firefighter clothing was a uniform, which is usually dark blue. This had the „advantage“ that dirt could not be seen quickly and the clothing looked neat and attractive.
Over time, a material called PBI was developed in the USA. This could not hold colour well, so the colour blue was not feasible. This is how the colour PBI Gold was created. Today, the colour gold is very much in vogue, as dirt and contamination are more visible, thus reducing the risk of contamination spreading. Furthermore, in times of firefighter cancer, it is particularly important to be able to see dirt. There are now also other colours, such as red. Why red? Because red is the typical fire brigade colour and is always associated with the fire brigade.
We also have the colour yellow in our range. Our wildland suit, the RANGER. Wildland suits were originally developed for very warm areas, as wildfires can occur in hot months. In these areas, you spend several hours in the heat and therefore need very light clothing. In addition, light-coloured clothing does not become charged as quickly in sunlight as dark-coloured clothing. You can easily test this out in summer by standing in the sun wearing a black shirt and a white shirt. Who hasn’t experienced this effect?
And how did the colours for the reflective strips come about?
Yellow-silver-yellow reflective strips were specially developed for the fire service, as these flame-retardant fabrics are not available in fluorescent colours. However, the fluorescent and reflective stripes ensure that firefighters are still clearly visible.
Because these special materials are not available in all colours. Not like shirts that are manufactured 100,000 times. This is a special area of application, so there are fewer suppliers and less choice.
Suits often no longer consist of just one colour, but have coloured applications, as the clothing should not only protect, but also look good. As a result, the cut is also being adapted and modernised, moving away from the uniform character.
Do you have any questions about the different colours of our clothing? Then please send us an e-mail or contact us via WhatsApp.
