Catalan company develops enhanced self-protection kit for firefighters

Barcelona (CNA).- An innovative kit developed by Catalan company ‘Vallfirest’ could increase the chances of survival for firefighters in the event that they get trapped in a fire. The self-protection kit includes a fireproof shelter cover which reaches its highest temperature 50 seconds after that of its predecessors and includes a three-minute oxygen kit. “The fires of the 21^st century are very fast and intense so we need tools and protection systems of the 21^st century to fight them”, ‘Vallfirest’ chairman, Javier Baena, explained. The kit, which was presented to the public during the 14t^h International Wildland Fire Safety Summit organised by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) in Barcelona, has already been exported to other countries. So far, Germany, Ecuador and the Spanish Ministry for Defence have acquired some of the kits.

According to ‘Vallfirest’ chairman, the fires of the 21^st century “are very different” and therefore require new equipment to be fought and especially to guarantee the professionals’ safety. The kit “exponentially increases firefighters’ chances of survival” in the event of getting trapped in a fire, Baena explained. The three-minute oxygen kit included in the bag “may seem a short time but is key to surviving when trapped”. According to Baena, having access to fresh air during a fire could allow the professionals to make crucial decisions with greater guarantees, besides preventing the respiratory tracts from being burnt.

The other component of the kit, the fireproof shelter, reaches its maximum temperature 50 seconds after that of its predecessors. This technology has also been used to improve the blanket the company designed in 2003. Thus, the material is now harder and it is meant to be carried on the firefighter’s back rather than on his waist, in order to facilitate their movement. 

Baena, who had enrolled in the wildland fire division of the Catalan firefighter corps, realised the lack of tools for these professionals to guarantee their own safety. The use of new technologies and his determination to innovate have been key to improving the way firefighters face the “new and more intense” fights of the 21^st century.