NFPA (Fire) 1971

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Mitigate occupational hazards and keep fire fighters safe. Choose PPE that complies with the updated edition of NFPA 1971.

For fire fighters, facing danger every day is part of the job. Safeguard lives on the fireground with NFPA 1971: Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. This critical document establishes minimum levels of protection from thermal, physical, environmental, and bloodborne pathogen hazards encountered during structural and proximity fire fighting operations.

NFPA 1971 applies to design, performance, testing, and certification for structural and proximity fire fighting ensembles and ensemble elements that include coats, trousers, coveralls, helmets, gloves, footwear, and interface components. For the 2018 edition, optional provisions for limited protection from specified chemicals, biological agents, and radiological particulates (CBRN) terrorism agents have been removed from the Standard, and are now in NFPA 1994: Standard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents.

Other content changes in this edition expand your ability to provide better protection to fire fighters.

• A new definition covers protective barrier hood — the optional interface element of the protective ensemble that provides limited thermal, physical, and barrier protection to the coat/helmet/SCBA facepiece interface area. The Particulate Filtration Efficiency Test and Total Heat Loss Test are required for the new optional interface element.
• A new glove sizing system is an evenly graded system that readily lends itself to the use of a Brannock-style measuring device for estimating correct sizing (similar to the sizing system for footwear).