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In-House Pump Systems, Training & Chemicals

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The basis of an in-house cleaning system training is a 3-stage learning process: advanced inspection, advanced cleaning, and advanced repair. Each stage requires multiple steps and procedures. GCS is a NFPA 1851 Verified ISP (Independent Service Provider) and is recognized by all manufacturers  for advanced cleaning and  advanced inspections of structural and proximity firefighting garments.

In-House Pump Systems:

There are many important factors to consider when setting up an in-house pump system and hydro testing for PPE gear. Extractors, testing equipment, chemicals, and following NFPA 1851 regulations all come into play, so it is crucial to get expert help when designing your in-house cleaning system. GCS will install, maintain, and monitor chemical pump systems to make sure you are using the right amount of chemicals, allowing for cost savings overtime.

Training:

GCS instructs departments on the regulations and components needed to evaluate conditions and cleaning methods for protective clothing. For example, bunker gear garments are composed of an outer shell, thermal liner, and moisture barrier, and evaluation of each level, using hydro testing and other methods, must be considered to keep bunker gear in excellent condition. Discoloration of any layer may indicate that the level of protection is deteriorated and that may affect the level of protection the garment offers. Structural ensemble elements must be retired ten years after the date of manufacture. Proximity outer shells must be retired five years after the date of manufacture. And it’s important to know all of the NFPA 1851 requirements…for example, proximity gear should never be machine washed under any conditions. The Gear Cleaning Solutions In-House Service and Support Program will make NFPA 1851 easy for you to understand and implement internally.

Chemicals:

In order to prevent cancer causing build-up on turnout gear and adhere to NFPA 1851 Standards on Selection, Care and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, approved chemicals, with a pH range of at least 6.0 and not greater than 10.5, are required to treat PPE gear. There are many cleansers available, but GCS uses CitroSqueeze, from Solutions Safety, an environmentally-friendly cleaner for professional PPE garments. It is formulated to prevent re-deposition of soil during the cleaning process.

Firefighter Rental Gear

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Fighting fires is a tough job, so its important for all firefighters to have the proper bunker gear in order for them to stay safe. Unfortunately, with firefighter gear being so expensive, it makes it hard for some of us to get all of the gear we need in order to be the best at what we do. Fortunately, at Gear Cleaning Solutions, we have all the types of firefighter rental gear needed to complete any turnout bunker gear set, and we provide them for very reasonable prices with flexible terms. If you are a new firefighter or a emergency response person in training needing bunker pants, bunker coats, structural firefighting gloves, rubber bunker boots, bunker gear bags, fire hoods, or helmets, or a head-to-toe firefighter gear solution, our firefighter gear rental program is for you!

Gear Cleaning Solutions firefighter rental gear program allows our customers the flexibility to purchase the parts of their turnout gear that are in their budget and rent the rest of the gear they need from Gear Cleaning Solutions to stay completely protected while they work. It’s a great service that we are proud to provide to our fellow firefighters across the entire nation. The GCS firefighter rental gear is thoroughly inspected and cleaned in between each use to allow for the highest protection for firefighters.

When you rent firefighter gear from Gear Cleaning Solutions, you also gain access to our certified ISP cleaning service. Firefighters are able to have their bunker gear thoroughly cleaned and rent quality replacement gear, so they don’t go without any important items. With our NFPA 1851 Care and Maintenance program, you can rest assured that we will do the proper cleaning of all of your turnout bunker gear to ensure that you are protected from the hazardous chemicals that accumulate on your gear during the performance of your job.

Cleaning Firefighter Gear

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Cleaning Firefighter Gear Saves Lives

Firefighters save lives, put themselves at risk daily, and protect their neighbors and their communities, often without regard for their own safety. Turnout gear cleaning is an important part of firefighter safety, so it is crucial that the gear is cleaned properly. You can’t just break out the fire hose and blast away! Why? Because wood smoke is made up of small particles of carbon, gases, and other material that leave a penetrating film behind on firefighting gear. If any chemicals or other substances are also producing smoke, there can be extremely life-threatening results. Over time, those particles build up and lessen the effectiveness of fabrics by weakening the fibers.

Fire Departments can clean their gear on-site, but must follow NFPA 1851 compliance in both washing and drying their gear. It’s important to choose the right washing machine (definitely not your grandma’s machine) and safe cleaners like CitroSqueeze® (environmentally-friendly yet effective) for the fabrics they are using. Some machines offer advanced options with detailed usage reporting, allowing NFPA 1851 compliance verification. Drying using a tumbling method may separate the fibers, so fabrics are to be dried by hanging in the station, as long as they are out of the sunlight, or there are PPE drying cabinets that can be used to dry fabrics such as Kevlar® and Nomex® by forcing heated air throughout the cabinet to dry the gear from the inside out. This is an efficient way to dry because it allows drying of both the inside and the outside, without causing excess wear.

If a station lacks the resources to clean their bunker gear on-site, they must still follow standards set by the NFPA. Gear Cleaning Solutions offers a cleaning program that fire departments can rotate into their schedule, plus education and training on NFPA 1851 compliance. Firefighter gear rental is also available to supplement the gear during cleaning.

Clean the gear that keeps our firefighters safe! Brought to you by the firefighters taking care of firefighters at GCS.

 

Contact or Request a Quote

Contact us for firefighter turnout gear repair, rentals, inspections, PPE turnout cleaning, NFPA 1851 training and compliance, or our NFPA compliant in-house service and support program. We are firefighters helping firefighters, and we treat our customers like our family.

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