West Midlands Fire Service agrees new kit deal

AROUND 2,000 firefighters from the West Midlands are to be kitted out in protective fibres developed by Yorkshire textile firm Hainsworth.

The win for Leeds-based Hainsworth will see firefighters across the region’s 39 community fire stations wear the fabrics.

It comes following similar contracts with other fire services across the UK and in countries including the United States, Europe and Middle East.

The West Midlands Fire Services will use Hainsworth’s TITAN kit, a patented double cloth construction which helps give added protection to heat.

The eight-year contract will see the state-of-the-art kit rolled out to all firefighters in the West Midlands. The uniform, in a dark blue and red, replaces the magma coloured uniforms previously worn by the service. The kit is manufactured by Bristol Uniforms, a leading manufacturer of protective clothing.

Charlotte Brandt, sales manager at Hainsworth Protective Fabrics, said: “This success is recognition of the technical knowledge and relentless passion for innovation which has led to us developing unique patented fabrics which set the benchmark within the protective fabrics industry.

“We know that the biggest threat to firefighter safety is heat stress and our fabrics have been specifically designed to combat this threat. The biggest issue is not the threat posed by external flames but body heat not being able to escape from a firefighter’s protective kit during day-to-day work.

“West Midlands had previously worn Hainsworth TITAN and we are delighted that the service has chosen to stick with us after evaluating all options available on the market.”

Hainsworth, based in Pudsey, has more than 225 years of textile expertise and has been at the forefront of protective fabric innovation for more than 100 years, working with the emergency services and the military.