When faced with high-risk situations where life and death are on the line, the last thing a firefighter needs to worry about is poor-fitting PPE. Each piece of equipment a firefighter wears must be efficient or effective... or it could cost them and the people they are trying to protect.
A fire and rescue team in South Charleston, led by Deputy Chief Richard Gobble III, was determined to find gloves to meet their grueling work demands. Read on to see how the FireArmor® SR-X® 8180 exceeded expectations.
The issue: Searching for a glove that could keep up
For years, Deputy Chief Gobble’s team struggled to find gloves that could withstand the rigorous demands of their job. Firefighters need gloves that not only protect, but also enhance performance—providing durability, flexibility, and comfort during high-pressure operations. Most gloves fell short, wearing out quickly or hindering crucial dexterity.
After years of trialing different gloves with limited success, the team was ready for a reliable solution.
The solution: A trial run that changed the game
The FireArmor® SR-X® 8180 gloves stood out for their toughness, exceptional cut-resistant liner, quick-drying performance, and leather that stayed soft – even after repeated saturation. The gloves delivered the durability and functionality firefighters demand, while their ergonomic design improved dexterity and long-term comfort.
The result: Performance that spoke for itself
After wearing the gloves for a nine-month trial period for both emergency situations and volunteer work, the team found zero flaws with the SR-X® 8180 gloves – the first time in 17 years that no flaws were found during a trial run.
“The only difference from the first job I wore them to verses now is they fit better to my hands. Almost as if they became form-fitting,” explained Deputy Chief Gobble.
The entire team was impressed. During drills and emergency calls, the gloves received zero complaints - a rare achievement in firefighting PPE trials. In fact, members of the squad started requesting pairs for non-operational use, wanting to showcase the quality of the gloves outside of work.
Deputy Chief Gobble summarized the experience, “My only complaint for this product is that I don’t have two separate sets of these gloves.”
The FireArmor® SR-X® 8180 gloves have become the department’s go-to hand protection, setting a new standard for performance and reliability in firefighting PPE.
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