Recently, a close friend of the owner of Unleashed Tactical Equipment was severely burned in an IED attack. His wounds are particularly heinous due to his selection of clothing. He was not wearing FR and they worked against him in the blast. In response, UTE has reacted with the Fit to Fight initiative.
In particular, the US military makes it very easy for its troops. Directives prescribe exactly what clothing and equipment troops will wear. Unfortunately, there are scads of others on the battlefield who do not have someone telling them how to conduct themselves and so they must assess their own risks and mitigate them however they can. Has the pendulum swung too far in favor of swaddling our troops in FR? Probably, but they are safer than ever from flame threats. Civilians have a tougher go. They have to decide how to dress.
The point is, for those who are able, consider the environment and the threat. Then, choose proper clothing and equipment. Few would ever go into a high threat environment without armor and a helmet, yet everyday, many venture out into harms way covered in high performance fabrics that will shrink them in a blast.
When in a threat environment, wear a balaclava and gloves. Wear eye pro, preferably goggles. Consider your clothing and the threat you will face. Consider no-melt, no-drip clothing if you don’t want to wear full flight suits or other FR apparel. Do all of this at a minimum. Any part of you exposed in a blast or direct flame threat is going to burn. Research the fabrics your clothing is manufactured from. Find out how it reacts to heat and flame. Stay safe.
Later this week, SSD will be running a feature on the testing of FR fabrics.
