TEXTILES & CLOTHING BETTER-SUITED FIREFIGHTERS California's wildland firefighters soon may be wearing safer, more comfortable uniforms, thanks to the efforts of textile and exercise science researchers at UC Davis. The new garments look similar to the current uniforms worn by more than 5,100 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) personnel on call each season but incorporate a more breathable material and design features like a modified shirt collar and two-way zipper that provide increased heat protection and may also allow for better ventilation. Textiles and clothing professor Margaret Rucker and graduate student Elizabeth Anderson (shown below from right) designed the new suit after assessing the needs of CDF wildland firefighters and the problems with the existing uniform. Their improvements may reduce the firefighters' risk of burn injuries and physiological stresses like heat stroke and fatigue caused by the buildup of body heat. To compare the physiological stresses on firefighters wearing the current uniform with those created by the newly designed one, UC Davis exercise physiologist Bill Adams (center) put 18 wildland firefighters through a series of treadmill exercises in a climate-controlled room. Daily over a one-week period, each person's heart rate, oxygen use, body temperature and sweating response were measured during a 90-minute test as the heat in the room or the incline of the treadmill varied. The firefighters were also asked questions about how they felt in each garment. "The new garment prototype felt a lot more comfortable, and it was easier to move around in," said Galen McCray, departmental safety officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "It appeared there was less fatigue and less strain to do the various parts of the testing protocol on the treadmill." Rucker and Anderson's efforts were guided by previous studies conducted by Assistant Professor Gang Sun and Associate Professor Nang Pan, both from the Division of Textiles and Clothing at UC Davis, which evaluated different materials in one, two or three layers for their effectiveness at blocking heat from a fire while providing adequate ventilation. Before the lab experiments, the new suits were also compared with the current suits in tests using a thermal mannequin at the University of Alberta in Canada. The mannequin, built to withstand high temperatures, was dressed in each of the suits and exposed to flames of 1,800–2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to determine the extent of second- and third-degree burns that would occur in four seconds. The standard suit allowed an average body burn of over 14 percent whereas the new prototype averaged less than 10 percent. "To date, the firefighters who have been tested using the new prototype have been pleased with the features we've incorporated," Rucker said. "They feel it is more utilitarian and more comfortable." Part of that comfort is due to Velcro closures at the waist and ankles of the pants and on the jacket cuffs that accommodate different body sizes and allow the suit to be put on or taken off much faster. There is also more fabric in the knee and elbow areas for greater flexibility. The suits will be put to the final test this spring when the 18 firefighters wear them on fire lines. Rucker said she hopes the positive test results and firefighters' response will encourage the CDF to adopt the new suits as the standard uniform.