SA Firefighter

Our equipment officer is very stubbourn when it comes to ordering equipment. It must be on his "approved by state" list, and preferably unless there is a upcry from the group, the cheapest.

What are peoples thoughts on the various types of structural helmet out there???

Personally I think Pacific's are nasty, for reasons im not going into at the moment.... but scott aspen (getting a little cheaper and nastier) and the Cairns 660 ( a little heavy)I dont think are to bad.....

We use Bullard helmets. (I'm sorry, I don't know what model)
They are fairly heavy, but I like them, they feel like they offer better protection, and weight isn't really an issue if you take your helmet off when you're having a break (like you should)...
As for price, I don't suspect they aren't cheap...

I used to purchas the Cairns 660 but told it was too expensive for us, but now I can not get any as good only cheap and nasty.

Need the cairns 660 cheaper

:-o :-D :roll:

I will not wear anything other than a Cairns660!!!


No price is greater than the safety of ones life!

Have got a Scott Aspen Level 3 at the moment, but plan to change to Cairns 660 within the next week, am doing a trade.  The newer Scott Aspens are very uncomfortable as they have no padding across the forehead - starts to give you a headache after about 20-30 minutes.  Others have put their own padding in, but it is something we shouldn't have to do ourselves.  May need the attention of a near miss form.  Secondly, the visor is very hard to adjust and often crack because of this.
Cairns 660 for me - an oldy, but a goody.

American Site (Nice Helmets Though)
http://www.allhandsfire.com/page/AHF/CTGY/helmets

Go the cairns 660c.

cairns 660c fits well !

Give Todd a call at Mercury Fire. I believe the Cairns 660 helmets are now a lot cheaper than they previously were, should be way below $300.

Our region five air ops brigade have new helmets with ear muffs on teh side they are very good and they guys say they reduce aircraft sound while refilling the bombers..

b

Also use the Bullard "FireDome" - have been using for about 10 years now. Love it

It's not a light one but it's comfy and safe.

There's a couple of local companies who supply in such items.  You can also give Andrew a try, from Emergency and Safety Systems.


Can't say I have ever seen one of these "bullard" helmets... I assume they are for structural use ?

Oh yes  - the original structural helmet :-)

Seen them around long before the Cairns or the Pacific.

The original.... and very nice indeed.
Just been so lond since ive seen one, I kinda forgot about them.. oops :roll:

go the top guard

^ LOL - Golden Oldies  :-D

Yes, Emergency and Safety gave us a quote on Cairns 660, they were cheaper than Pacific's, not sure who their supplier is, might not hurt to give them a call. We have only ever had one Pacific on trial, its now collecting dust.

Have heard around the traps that Cairns may not be here for much longer. They apparently make to order for contracts only, and the only contract they had in Aus has been renewed with a different company....

Can anyone shed any light??

I can't see how that would be true, they would be out of business. They make tons of Helmets in the USA. But that begs the question, do they have to do anything different to meet our standards, or is on off the shelf US helmet the same as ours?

I have to say that I love the Bullard Fire Dome. It just feels like a good sturdy helmet.  most of the others, well... they just feel flimsy really.

obviously haven met the cairns 660  :-D

Has anyone heard the new CFS plan for Structure Helmets? Something about not buying them, but having a set of structural attachments for rural ones, on each truck? :? Sounds like another stupid idea to me :(

what another stupid cost cutting ploy??

prob better than some people carrying two helmets, but still stupid.

That just would not be possible, and is the dumbest idea yet. We do we get these people from, I have been wearing a structural helmet for many many years, to many many rural incidents including Sydney bushfires, KI fires etc, and never had a problem, how about they do some actual studies by people that wear them, not some pen pushers that have not fought a fire since Khaki overalls were all the rage!!

Also it would be almost impossible to easily make a rural helmet structural compliant, you need to put the impact and thermal barriers into the helmet, yeah right, try doing that in a hurry.

Take a reality pill CFS HQ, I can't beleive what is happening to this service, seems to be full of .................!!!

And they wonder why the volunteer numbers are declining.

I heard from my group equipment officer that Pacific are about to bring out a new helmet which is a rural and structural in one.  Apparently it consists of an outer shell which serves as a rural helmet, but if for strucutral purposes, an insert is added to bring it up to a structural standard? Similar to nomex, level 3 liner out -rural, level 3 liner in - structural.  Got no idea how this is going to work though.
The only positive I could see from this would be a uniform look to the CFS with everybody having the same helmet, but some with the strucutral insert, some without depending on peoples qualifications.  I doubt however if people would change at all from what they are currently using.
All in all, I will reserve my judgement until I have seen one and possibly tried one out, but at this stage I definately will not be changing over!

Well well well, didn't Fire and Rescue have a Cairns helmet a few years ago that met the requirements for both structural and rural. But funnily enough it was knocked back, I wonder why.....thats right, its not a Pacific.

Why is it that Structural helmets don't meet the rural standard?  Is it the weight? or is it the cost ;)

It's more of an airflow issue and weight issue, the structure helmet's have alot more padding which restricts airflow.

Its been a few years now since a large number of us have been wearing our structural helmets 24/7 365 days a year, I would be interested to see how many claims have been put in for heat strees due to wearing a structural helmet at a rural fire.

Quote from: David on October 13, 2005, 04:21:29 PM
Its been a few years now since a large number of us have been wearing our structural helmets 24/7 365 days a year,

no other option for my brigade... or my whole group for that fact..

My brigade have 2 helmets per person if they are BA. We only wear one at the moment. Why is there so many different type for bushfires we tried scott aspen but that was a disaster the group now have about 10 to 15 helmets not being used. Now we have to decide what other do you use a pacific BR5 or BR9, or another type to confusing. I do the purchasing for the group and its so hard to get a helmet they all like unless its a cairns 660. Any one with an idea of what to get?   :? :? :?

Get a Ben Franklin 2, its an american traditional style helmet in leather. Their only about $500.00 australian. :wink:

^Crank!

Yeah at my brigade most B.A. operators have 2 helmets. But some of the guys refuse to wear the bushfire helmet as it is just not very good! I cant think of what type it is, it is the first one that came out and the visor is so flimsy!!

just get structuire helmets (preferably the cairns 660s) for EVERYONE

they may be a little bit more expensive, but do definitely offer more protection, and i know they have less air-flow, but hey.. im in a busy urban brigade that also gets more than its fair share of grassies, and i have never had an issue IME

Been told not to purchase the 660s any more only if you will pay the difference with your own personal money.

How about the CFS spends money on important stuff, like adequate PPE? :?
Maybe if the CFS doesn't have enough money to buy helmets, they should ask for a greater share of the ESL...

Do the MFS use a different helmet for rural fire supression?

negative...

Backburn, who is telling you Cairns are more expensive, we buy ours from Mercury and the price is more than competitive to Pacific, but I guess you pay for quality. In fact at one stage Mercury were cheaper as they are an MSA agent, MSA own Cairns.

I think someone is being a stick in the mud.

I know of one brigade that has been given regional approval to do away with their rural helmet and use only their structural helmat fo ALL incidents... including rural!?!?!

Yes there is no rule that you need a structural and rural helmet, just have to take proper rest after 45 mins wear.

Quote from: Del on October 19, 2005, 08:45:38 AM
I know of one brigade that has been given regional approval to do away with their rural helmet and use only their structural helmat fo ALL incidents... including rural!?!?!

good.

Quote from: Fire_Rescue96 on October 14, 2005, 06:43:22 PM
Yeah at my brigade most B.A. operators have 2 helmets. But some of the guys refuse to wear the bushfire helmet as it is just not very good! I cant think of what type it is, it is the first one that came out and the visor is so flimsy!!

Probably the Pacific Rural helmet...


And backburn, thats aint right about the paying the difference for the Cairns...  Who ever told u that is a doofus!

Quote from: David on October 18, 2005, 09:57:14 PM
Backburn, who is telling you Cairns are more expensive, we buy ours from Mercury and the price is more than competitive to Pacific, but I guess you pay for quality. In fact at one stage Mercury were cheaper as they are an MSA agent, MSA own Cairns.

The only price list I had showed the prices where more expensive. I received a price list with some of the stuff from Mercury today so I will be phoning them up on Monday. To get some.

Can't believe it.

Went cap in hand (literally) to our new Group for a helmet and they have Scott Aspens!!!!!

Arrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love the pretty lemon yellow, though  :-o

Don't think you can get CAIRNS in Yellow any more...

Well not in the CFS approved yellow anyway, they have gone a bit more like the media liason helmets, hence the reason I am being very careful with my yellow Cairns!! Pacific are about the only helmet that comes in the proper yellow, doh!!