How Rockland Custom Products went Above and Beyond for Firefighter Safety: Gear Clear™

It takes only 30 seconds for a fire to spread rapidly inside a home, but that wasn’t always the case. Over the last few decades, homes have been built from natural materials (wood and glass) to now synthetic materials (plastic and petroleum). Although houses are able to be constructed quickly and efficiently, synthetic materials are causing more harmful exposure of carcinogens to first responders.

What does this mean for Firefighters?

Those most affected by this are the men and women who risk their lives during a fire. Studies have shown that firefighters are at a higher risk than the general population for certain types of cancers, and could develop other fatal illnesses while on the job. This also includes younger firefighters with only a few years of exposure also being affected.

Exposure prevention has been a crucial factor to reduce the number of firefighters developing cancer.  The NFPA 1851 continues to update their guidelines to keep our firefighters safe, but there still much more needed to be done to educate and protect.

Rockland Custom Products Stepping up their Game

President & CEO of Rockland Custom Products, Robert E. Squicciarini, Sr. began to realize there was a change needed. “After 9/11, when we were there on the pile that night and weeks later I saw some pictures that we took. The same picture with a flash, compared to the picture without a flash, it looked like it was a snowstorm” said Squicciarini. “We had no idea what we were breathing there, we had no idea that that stuff was everywhere.” Squicciarini biggest concern wasn’t about himself, but what he was bringing home to his family. “Now I’m driving that back a half hour to go home and driving around to go to dinner and putting, you know, possibly my kids someday and my wife and they’re going to breathe all this stuff, that doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense. So that’s kind of when it hit me originally that maybe this is a problem.”

Rockland Custom Products went above the current standards of the NFPA 1851 and developed the Patented Gear Clear™. The venting system actively and safely protects firefighters and their passengers by eliminating dozens of airborne contaminants and off-gassing emitted by soiled turnout gear from entering the vehicle.

“We came up with an idea for a ventilated box, so we can pull in some fresh air, eject the bad air out of the bottom of the vehicle, and keep that ventilating all the time. Also helps dry the gear as well and keeps those contaminants away from the family and away from them (Firefighters) too.” With its airtight enclosure, anti-backflow, valves, and waterproof/dust proof exhaust fan, Gear Clear™ blocks contaminants from entering the passenger cabin.

Outshining from its competition, Gear Clear™ has an active ventilation system, which causes 100% change of air. The cabinet is also large enough to include gear, such as helmet and gloves that are generally ignored in the cleaning process, but can get just as dirty. The ventilated cabinet allows for their turnout gear to be immediately removed when leaving an emergency scene, allowing for minimal overall exposure. Now firefighters don’t have to worry about harmful toxins lingering within their home or firehouse.

Gear Clear™ is offered as an individual cabinet or with a command cabinet. To learn more about Gear Clear™, click here. You can find this and the rest of the Rockland collection available on Wholesalepublicsafety.com. If you have any questions feel free to reach out!