Since 1836,
millions of firefighters have put their trust in the innovative design and
quality construction of Cairns? fire helmets. No other fire helmet company
can claim a longer history or more expertise in the manufacture of fire
helmets. Throughout this history, one theme has remained constant: To protect
firefighters, Cairns has always incorporated the latest technological advances
worthy of the best helmet materials and design. Because of this, Cairns
helmets are the best fire helmets available.
Today's Cairns helmets prove this with outstanding exclusive features such
as the impact cap shell release system, just one of the many safety features
that are patented by Cairns, and thus, ours alone.
Because helmets not made by Cairns lack these safety features, other helmet
manufacturers may not understand their value. In fact, we have learned that
some competitors' inaccurate comments about our products have led to confusion
and misinformation in the fire service marketplace. This bulletin is intended
to state the facts and clear the confusion.
We'll start with a brief review of Cairns Helmet System features
and components.
Helmet
Weight:
The Cairns philosophy on helmet weight is to create the optimal balance
between helmet performance and helmet comfort. Cairns offers some of the
lightest helmets available on the market today. When firefighters compare
fire helmet weights of comparably equipped helmets, they should make their
own judgments, and not rely solely on the information provided by manufacturers.
Weigh the helmets yourself. Information supplied by the manufacturer may
not always accurately represent the weight of that specific helmet.
Helmet
Shell Material:
All fire helmet companies generally use the same shell material in fire
helmet construction. The differences among helmets may be due to a specific
blend or the dimensions that a helmet manufacturer designs their helmet
to.
Cairns uses an optimal blend of fiber material to create a shell that is
both lightweight and durable. The fiberglass shells use 1- and 2-inch-long
fibers which interlock to create this performance balance. Other manufacturers
use only a single length of fiber, which does not optimize the strength
of the helmet shell.
Helmet
Design:
Cairns fire helmets have some of the lowest ride-heights in the market.
Compare the crown clearance of our popular Cairns 1010 model (with an impact
cap) to a competitive traditional helmet (with a non-impact cap). The distance
from the inside of the Cairns 1010 shell to the suspension straps is less
than 2 1/2 inches. The competitive helmet, without an impact cap, is actually
taller at more than 2 3/4 inches high.
This clearly refutes any claim that using a thermal impact cap will create
a higher riding fire helmet. This is simply false. Plus, a higher riding
helmet is less balanced and more cumbersome in confined spaces.
Thermal
Impact Cap Foam:
Cairns chooses to use a foam impact cap because of the many advantages of
this design. Manufacturers in many industries know the benefits of using
a "cellular" structure to reduce damage from impacts and to provide insulation
properties. Using our own Cairns history and knowledge in firefighter head
protection, we have designed and manufactured helmets without impact caps
in the past. Today, Cairns helmets are designed and manufactured to optimize
balance between protection and comfort.
Impact
and Thermal Performance of Foam:
Cairns thermal impact caps meet all NFPA requirements for all condition
tests. These tests include hot, cold, wet, and radiant test parameters.
Cairns impact caps use water-based foam technology that performs well in
heat and flame environments. A water-based foam impact cap will not ignite
when exposed to heat.
Impact
Retaining Tabs:
In conjunction with out patented shell release system, two retaining tabs
provide retention for the thermal impact cap. These tabs are calibrated
to release at the proper tension (more than 80 lbs. pressure, as per NFPA
1971-2000). The shell release system is used to reduce the probability of
injury to the user when the helmet shell is restrained. The tabs are made
from high-strength heat-resistant plastic, improved for better release performance.
Helmet
Shell Volume:
The perception that using a thermal impact cap will increase the size of
the helmet shell is false. Let's use the Cairns 1010 as an example again.
The volume of the Cairns 1010 shell is 4565 mL, while a competitive non-impact
cap helmet shell has a volume of 5030 mL. This simple comparison proves
that the use of a thermal impact cap does not increase helmet size. In addition,
the weight of a Cairns 1010 shell with an impact cap is similar to a competitive
helmet shell without an impact cap.
Innovation
in Helmet Design:
No other fire helmet manufacturer has made more advances in helmet design
than Cairns. Some examples:
Cairns was first
to develop the composite shells in the early 1990s
Cairns led the
way in certifying composite fire helmets
Cairns leads the
way in producing optimal helmet assemblies which incorporate thermal
impact caps
Years ago, Cairns
made helmets without a thermal impact cap, too, but we steadfastly recognize
and seize opportunities to make our products better. A century ago, we
also made aluminum-stamped helmets. Advances in materials and design,
has kept Cairns in the forefront of innovation and technology and the
creation of market leading fire helmets.
Reflective
Trim Performance:
All fire helmet manufacturers use the same type of reflective trim on their
helmets. Therefore, with all test conditions being equal, the reflective
trim will perform the same for all manufacturers. Manufacturers' claims
that their fire helmet was exposed to the same environment as a competitor
should be questioned if the reflective trim on their tested helmet appears
to be in better condition than their competitor's. The trim on both helmets
should look the same if both helmets were indeed exposed to the same environment.
Effect
of Heat on Fire Helmet Components:
Although all helmet shells may be manufactured in a similar fashion, differences
exist with the components a manufacturer uses. All Cairns components such
as edge trim, hardware, front holder brackets, etc., are made from high-temperature
materials. But all helmets subjected to high heat do not handle the head
equally.
When exposed to excessive heat, the gray liner covering the Cairns impact
cap may react slightly, but this type of reaction denotes the need for the
user to inspect all aspects of his/her helmet. It is not an indication of
a helmet failure, the damaged components discovered through the inspection
process may be replaced and the helmet placed back in service. Through testing
we have discovered that the components of some competitive fire helmets,
particularly those made without a thermal impact cap, do not have as high
a high-heat resistance as does the Cairns components. These competitive
components include the plastic front holder bracket and plastic suspension
that will severely deform when exposed to elevated temperatures.
Brass
Front Holders:
The Cairns traditional brass front holders are designed to be "hollow" for
two important reasons. The first advantage is that a hollow holder is significantly
lighter, while a brass front holder that is solid metal adds weight to the
overall helmet. Keeping the weight of a helmet as low as possible is critical
to the firefighter. The hollow stamped brass helps achieve this.
The second
advantage is that the stamped brass front holder incorporates a "crush-zone,"
which is designed to absorb impact to the front holder on the helmet. A
number of documented cases have proven that impacts to the front holder
have been absorbed and minimized by the hollow brass front holder. A solid
metal front holder simply transfers this impact energy to the user, even
increasing the likelihood that the helmet might be knocked off the user.
Suspension
Straps:
Cairns uses a six-point suspension strap system in most of our helmet models.
These straps use a heat-resistant material that has proven to be extremely
reliable with the millions of Cairns helmets manufactured with this design.
The six straps perform independently, so that in the unlikely even that
one strap might be cut, five other straps can continue to support the helmet.
Thermal
heat testing of fire helmets:
Like protective clothing for firefighters, fire helmets are designed to
be worn in high heat and flame environments. That being said, proper laboratory
testing should simulate a fully involved, elevated-temperature environment
so that the performance of the fire helmet system can be evaluated properly.
It follows that a logical test would be to simulate the effect of heat on
a helmet in an oven, with test sensors on the head form to measure the temperature
level on the head form.
However, a test that tries to apply the same test protocol of turnout gear
to a fire helmet does not truly represent a real-world environment, and
claims resulting from such tests are grossly misleading. This is not a representative
test because the helmet is simply placed on a radiant heat panel. It is
not placed in an oven.
A manufacturer of non-impact cap helmets has applied such a test and then
claimed that even without an impact cap, their non-impact cap helmet still
provides three times the insulation of most turnout gear.
This is akin to saying that a winter coat will protection you to a certain
temperature, when in fact only a swatch of fabric was tested against an
ice cube. Wouldn't it be prudent to test the winter coat in a cooling chamber
to see what the insulation performance was?
The Cairns "Hot Head" bulletin outlines a representative performance test
which properly compares the performance of different fire helmets. A radiant
heat test designed for testing protective clothing simply proves nothing
with regard to fire helmet thermal insulation.
Conclusion
You can trust Cairns when it comes to fire helmet design and construction.
In the late 1970s, we began to put thermal impact caps in our fire helmets.
Used with a lightweight yet strong helmet shell, this feature clearly offers
wearer balance for effective thermal and impact protection.
You can trust quality that is unmatched. Cairns helmets are designed, and
continuously updated, to protect you, the user. Your protection is why our
helmets offer more innovative features than any other helmet manufacturer
can boast.
You can trust a company with over 168 years of successfully designed head
protection for the fire service. Cairns innovation has led to the widest
range of fire helmets with superior comfort, quality, and protection that
you can find. Your safety is our tradition.
TheFireStore
& Cairns/MSA have teamed up to bring you the best helmets at the most
affordable prices. TheFireStore stocks over 3000 helmets at any given
time. We are America's #1 Helmet Warehouse! What are you waiting for?
Get into that new helmet today!
Note: This
Bulletin contains only a general description of the products shown. While
uses and performance capabilities are described, under no circumstances
shall the products be used by untrained or unqualified individuals and not
until the product instructions including any warnings or cautions provided
have been thoroughly read and understood. Only they contain the complete
and detailed information concerning proper use and care of these products.
