NFPA 1951 - Technical Rescue Gear Performance Requirements

NFPA 1951 - Technical Rescue Gear

This standard was initially formed for USAR (Urban Search & Rescue) gear, and was based on the 1993 U.S. Fire Administration Study “Protective Clothing and Equipment Needs of Emergency Responders for Urban Search and Rescue Missions” published by FEMA.

In the 2nd Edition, this standard was renamed and broken down in to 3 different types of "Technical Rescue" gear. The 1st level being a "utility ensemble" that's incredibly breathable as to avoid heat stress and exhaustion, yet still provides an outer layer of protection and flame resistance. The 2nd level is a "rescue and recovery ensemble", providing the same protection as the first but including a blood-borne-pathogen barrier. Fire-Dex manufactures gear certified to the 1st and 2nd level. The third level in the standard is a CBRN ensemble.

NFPA 1951: Tests & Performance Requirements

Test	What is Tested	NFPA 1951, 2013 (Utility)	NFPA 1951, 2013 (Rescue & Recovery)
TPP (Thermal Protective Performance)	Garment Composite	Minimum 10	Minimum 10
THL (Total Heat Loss)	Garment Composite	Minimum 650 W/m2	Minimum 450 W/m2
Tear Resistance Test	Textile Fabrics and Linings	Minimum 30 N (6.75 lbf)	Minimum 30 N (6.75 lbf)
Breaking Strength Test	Outer Shell Fabric	Minimum 400 N (90 lbf)	Minimum 400 N (90 lbf)
Abrasion Resistance Test 1	Outer Shell Fabric	Minimum 230 N (50 lbf)	Minimum 230 N (50 lbf)
Cleaning Shrinkage Resistance	Textile Fabrics and Linings	Maximum 5% shrinkage in any direction	Maximum 5% shrinkage in any direction
Seam Breaking Strength	Seams	Minimum 315 N (70 lbf) on Major A seams, and 180 N (40 lbf) on Major B seams	Minimum 315 N (70 lbf) on Major A seams, and 180 N (40 lbf) on Major B seams
Flame Resistance Test 1	Garment fabrics and all other materials used in its construction	Maximum 2 second after flame; Maximum char length of 100 mm (4"); shall not melt or drip	Maximum 2 second after flame; Maximum char length of 100 mm (4"); shall not melt or drip
Heat & Thermal Shrinkage Resistance Test	Textile Fabrics and Linings	Maximum 10% shrinkage in any direction (260 C (500 F) for 5 minutes - Section 8.5)	Maximum 10% shrinkage in any direction (260 C (500 F) for 5 minutes - Section 8.5)
Heat & Thermal Shrinkage Resistance Test	Garment fabrics and all other materials used in its construction	Shall not melt, drip, separate, or ignite; outer shells shall not char; hardware and closures shall remain functional (260 C (500 F) for 5 minutes - Section 8.5)	Shall not melt, drip, separate, or ignite; outer shells shall not char; hardware and closures shall remain functional (260 C (500 F) for 5 minutes - Section 8.5)
Thread Heat Resistance Test	Sewing Thread	Shall not melt	Shall not melt, char or ignite at 260 C (500 F) - Section 8.14
Corrosion Resistance Test	All metal hardware	Shall show no more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation and must remain functional	Shall show no more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation and must remain functional
Water Absorption Resistance Test	Outer Shell Fabric	15% or less	15% or less
Label Durability & Legibility	Garment Labels	Label remain in place and be legible after 10 washes	Label remain in place and be legible after 10 washes
Fasterner Tape Breaking Strength	Fastener tape (hook & loop closure)	Shall have a minimum breaking strength of 230 lbs in accordance with Table I of A-A-55126B for Class 2, 2 inch hook and loop.	Shall have a minimum breaking strength of 230 lbs in accordance with Table I of A-A-55126B for Class 2, 2 inch hook and loop.
Fasterner Tape Shear Strength	Fastener tape (hook & loop closure)	Shall have a minimum shear strength of 10, in accordance with Table I of A-A-55126B for Class 2, 2 inch hook and loop.	Shall have a minimum shear strength of 10, in accordance with Table I of A-A-55126B for Class 2, 2 inch hook and loop.
Fasterner Tape Peel Strength	Fastener tape (hook & loop closure)	Shall have a minimum peel strength of .5, in accordance with Table I of A-A-55126B for Class 2, 2 inch hook and loop.	Shall have a minimum peel strength of .5, in accordance with Table I of A-A-55126B for Class 2, 2 inch hook and loop.
Heat & Thermal Shrinkage Resistance Test	Liquid barrier seams	N/A	Shall not drip or ignite (260 C (500 F) for 5 minutes - Section 8.5)
Liquid Penetration Resistance Test	Garment composite and seams	N/A	Shall show no liquid penetration (after 20 minute spray exposure, section 8.3.5-6)
Viral Penetration Resistance	Garment composite and seams	N/A	Shall show no viral penetration after testing in accordance with ASTM F 1671, Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Blood-Borne Pathogens Using Phi-X174 Bacteriophage as a Test System
Overall Liquid Integrity Test 1 (OLI)	Whole Garment	N/A	Shall not allow penetration of any of the following liquids: Aqueous film-forming foam, Battery acid (37% w/w sulfuric acid), Fire-resistant hydraulic fluid - phosphate ester base, Surrogate gasoline fuel C - a 50/50 volume of toluene & iso-octane, and swimming pool chlorinating chemical containing at least 65% free chlorine - Section 8.16

Our 1951-Certified Products

The following products are certified to NFPA 1951, 2013 Edition

TECGEN51 FATIGUES	Reduce heat stress by selecting TECGEN51 Fatigues as a lightweight alternative to structural turnouts on non-fire calls. Dual-certified to NFPA 1951 & 1977.
Fire-Dex USAR (Level 2, Rescue & Recovery)	Fire-Dex USAR Gear is perfect for search & rescue calls, with a sewn-in Crosstech® S/R Fabric liner to block liquid and chemical hazards. It is flame and abrasion-resistant. Dual certified to NFPA 1951 & 1999.

NFPA 1951 Performance Requirements

NFPA 1951 - Technical Rescue Gear

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