SOO A - Integrated Structural Turnout Gear - 06172020.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Integrated Structural Turnout Gear Statement of Objectives

17 June 2020

Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

DISTRIBUTION NOTICE: Further dissemination only as directed by DHS Office of Policy DESTRUCTION NOTICE: Destroy by any method that will prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document.

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Table of Contents 1 Problem Statement

2 Purpose and Scope

3 Background Environment

3.1 Mission Scenarios

3.2 Current Technology Shortfalls and Threats

4 Potential Solution Attributes

4.1 Concept of Operations (CONOPs)

4.2 Additional Capabilities

5 Solution Capabilities and Requirements

5.1 Key Performance Parameters (KPPs)

5.2 Desirable Capabilities or Characteristics

6 System Support

6.1 Contractual Requirements

6.1.1 Period and Place of Performance

6.1.2 System Affordability

6.1.3 Regulatory/Legal Requirements

6.1.4 Contract Deliverables

6.2 Solution Support

6.2.1 Support Concept

6.2.2 Training

6.2.3 Other Considerations

6.2.4 Storage and Maintenance

1 Problem Statement Firefighter turnout gear and supplemental garments must meet all federal standards and high visibility requirements as outlined in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Regulation 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 634 and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements, among others, protecting the first responder from dangerous work environments and hazards. As firefighters face increasingly violent and/or dangerous mission environments, the multitude of standards and requirements associated with these environments cannot be met with current, universal turnout gear. Instead, the firefighter must change their gear to comply with the situation at hand, often disregarding safety for improved readiness (e.g., removing their seatbelt to put on the high visibility vest required for working alongside Federally funded roadways).

2 Purpose and Scope The proposed solution shall leverage existing and new technologies to provide a universal, integrated turnout gear that removes the warranted swapping of gear to fit the specific mission environment. In particular, the proposed solution will provide structural turnout gear that:

• Improves visibility to comply with FHWA Regulation 23 CFR Part 634 high visibility requirements

• Provides ballistic protection to comply with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 3000 Standard for Active Shooter/Hostile Event

• Contains appropriate cut/slice protection on the lower extremities when using a chainsaw.

The scope of this solution shall extend to multiple mission environments for structural firefighting but not to wildland firefighting. The turnout gear can be modular such that layering, pocket inserts, or other mechanisms are used to adapt to varying mission conditions; however, the base turnout gear shall not need to be swapped en route, thus eliminating the opportunity for unsafe handling of the gear. At a minimum, the proposed solution must be adaptable to standard structural firefighting environments (e.g., house fires), Federally funded roadway work, and violent situations (e.g., active shooter event).

3 Background Environment Firefighters are required to respond to a variety of first responder situations that require specific turnout gear, garments, vests, and other items to meet the demands of that mission environment.

These mission environments present challenges to user safety and often require changes to gear which, when performed enroute, is inefficient at best and dangerous at worst. Three of the primary situations are:

1) When working on Federally funded roadways, FHWA Regulation 23 CFR Part 634 requires a 5-point, high visibility tearaway vest be worn over turnout gear. Current turnout gear does not provide adequate visibility; however, donning this vest en route to a mission environment results in the removal of their seatbelt.

2) When responding to violent situations, such as active shooter events, turnout gear does not have adequate ballistic protection to protect the firefighter during these situations.

Firefighters might wear a soft vest underneath their gear, but these are often uncomfortable, difficult to don/doff, and do not have adequate ventilation (i.e., body temperature becomes a concern). The other existing solution is a ballistic vest over the turnout gear which presents similar challenges to the under-the-gear option.

3) When responding in wildland settings, roof ventilation utilizing chainsaws is a common firefighting tactic. Chainsaw operators (sawyers) wear chaps specifically designed to protect the legs. Turnout pants do not offer the kind of protection chaps give in the wildland setting.

3.1 Mission Scenarios

Structural turnout gear is required for everyday firefighting missions. These include, but are not limited to, structure firefighting, technical rescues, hazardous materials mitigation, or disaster response. Ballistic protection is also required when firefighters are working in violent environments with or without law enforcement, in situations involving active shooters, terrorists, or armed rioters.

Integrated structural turnout gear with ballistic protection, high visibility equipment, and chainsaw protection will enable the firefighter to perform their required missions with the appropriate protections in place without the need to unsafely swap gear when mission scenarios change.

3.2 Current Technology Shortfalls and Threats

Successful development of this requirement will result in a solution that will enable firefighters to work safely across missions without having to swap turnout gear. One challenge of providing a solution that covers multiple mission environments is redundancy. For example, not every mission requires ballistic protection, and missions that require high visibility might not require protection from chainsaw accidents. The proposed solution must keep this fact in mind. Additionally, cost and comfort are important details to consider. Ballistic equipment is neither inexpensive nor lightweight. Developing turnout gear that integrates these characteristics will be challenging, but if successful, firefighter safety will increase.

4 Potential Solution Attributes The integrated structural turnout gear will provide firefighters with federally-mandated high visibility when responding to Federally funded roadway incidents, adequate ballistic protection when responding to violent situations, and cutting/slicing protection to the lower extremities from chainsaw accidents. This gear will meet all NFPA standards for conventional firefighter missions.

4.1 Concept of Operations (CONOPs)

The CONOPs for the integrated structural turnout gear will change from current operations because the integrated gear will remove the need for supplemental garments when responding to mission-specific environments. The turnout gear should be donned prior to responding to a mission and in the same amount of time as current turnout gear. The turnout gear shall be regularly inspected and cleaned to comply with NFPA 1851: Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Structural Firefighting Protective Ensembles.

4.2 Additional Capabilities

The multifunctional aspect for this gear and other first responder applications, is a popular solution as it has shown to improve user safety and first responder efficiency in a variety of situations.

Integrated capabilities have the potential to improve cost savings for PPE as well. Although out-of-scope for this capability gap, a multifunctional, integrated structural turnout gear solution has the potential to extend to wildland firefighting operations.

5 Solution Capabilities and Requirements

5.1 Key Performance Parameters (KPPs)

The proposed integrated structural turnout gear solution shall have the following “Must Have Requirements” or KPPs:

• Must meet all NFPA Standards for firefighter turnout gear

• Must provide improved ballistic protection to comply with the NFPA 3000 Standard for

Active Shooter/Hostile Event

• Must meet high visibility requirements as outline in FHWA Regulation 23 CFR Part 634 for working Federally funded roadways

• Must provide chainsaw protection to anterior aspect of the lower extremities.

5.2 Desirable Capabilities or Characteristics

In addition to the must have requirements reported in Section 5.1, the following are desired capabilities and/or characteristics of the proposed integrated structural turnout gear solution:

• Meet the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Level IIIa standard for ballistic protection

• Be lightweight: at or below standard structural turnout gear weight

• Contain breathable fabrics

• Meet a minimal life standard of five years or longer

• Provide a maximum range of movement for improved comfort and flexibility.

6 System Support

6.1 Contractual Requirements

6.1.1 Period and Place of Performance

The length of time of the contract shall be between 12-18 months and shall not exceed the latter. All developmental activities shall be performed at the contractor-designated site(s). Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may require the contractor to perform critical design reviews and/or product presentations at DHS-specified locations.

6.1.2 System Affordability

First responders’ budgets are limited and should be taken into consideration when developing and determining a price per unit cost model. Detail on desired price goes here.

6.1.3 Regulatory/Legal Requirements

6.1.4 Contract Deliverables

6.2 Solution Support

6.2.1 Support Concept

6.2.2 Training

Training information as required shall be provided on any specialized equipment and shall include how to properly store, clean, deploy, and maintain the basic ensemble/unit. Any specialty requirements of personnel conducting maintenance, storage, extraction, or delivery will be identified including certification requirements. Training material shall be available initially in hard-copy and, subsequently, in soft-copy format.

6.2.3 Other Considerations

Human Interface Requirements: Define who will be the target user and others who will benefit from this proposed solution. Also note any specific interaction requirements (e.g., if it is a wearable solution, are there any protection or location needs that must be followed by the user?)

Logistics and Readiness: Describe how the items developed under this award are to be used and by whom (e.g., will these items be used as an integral part of their normal daily activities?)

6.2.4 Storage and Maintenance

The contractor shall identify all necessary storage and maintenance requirements for the proposed solution including: the required maintenance schedule, identification of the specific components of the ensemble that require the maintenance, the type of maintenance required, and whether the maintenance can be performed in the field by operational personnel or if it will be required to be returned to the manufacturer for the required maintenance.

Physical solutions including PPE, shall provide all special laundering instructions, with recommendations for frequency of laundering, if required. Laundering recommendations should be viable and cost-effective for First Responders and First Responder agencies and should ideally be able to be performed “in house.”