CFA members have been awarded for their innovative design to help keep firefighters’ body temperature cool and relieve heat stress during fire-related incidents.
Members from CFA’s Occupational Health and Safety team Peter Langridge and Teagan Knight, together with volunteer firefighter and Harcor Product and Market Development Manager Peter Schaede, won the Product Design category of the 2014 Fire Awareness Awards. This recognises an innovative product or service that contributes to any of the many features of fire safety and firefighting operations.
The Harcor Arm Core Cooler has a water tight ’glove’ for each arm and is designed to reduce core body temperature by submerging firefighters’ hands and forearms in water, both relieving heat stress and speeding up recovery. The team says the harness has been extremely well received by firefighters in the field.
Peter Langridge said the harness was small and portable, folding up easily to fit five kits into each fire truck.
“We are wrapped. It’s a pat on the back to the team for the hard work they have done and what comes out of it,” he said.
Peter Schaede, who has volunteered at the Skye Fire Brigade for 17 years, said that other states including NSW, SA and WA were now trialling the arm cooler harness.
“Winning this award is acknowledgement that what we are doing has merit and that the product is right,” said Peter.
CFA Health and Safety Advisor Teagan Knight said the award highlighted that firefighter health continues to be an important issue.
A kit containing five harnesses will now be standard equipment on all new CFA medium pumpers.
Brigades can buy the product by visiting Harcor’s website. A single harness costs $64.90, a double pack is $126.50 and a five pack is $269.50.
Author: CFA News