The History of the Fire Helmet By Danielle Taylor The leather helmet is an international sign of a firefighter, a symbol that is significant in not only tradition from the early years of firefighting, but one of bravery, integrity, honor and pride. It doesn’t matter when the picture was taken, whether it’s from a week, a month or 100 years ago, the firefighter always looks basically the same. The “backwards” helmet with the brim in back, the long sleeves and pants protecting every inch of skin to allow firefighters to do their jobs, and the face never looking toward safety but instead toward danger and those who need saving. It’s amazing how in an industry that has experienced so much transformation over the centuries, the basic framework and look of the firefighter has remained essentially unchanged, down to the boots, tools and, of course, the helmet. Legend says that in 1740, Jacobus Turk (or Turck), a firefighter from New York City, invented the first leather fire cap to protect his crews from the radiant heat that characterizes structural fires. His prototype lid was essentially a stovepipe hat like the one Abraham Lincoln wore, rounded with a narrow brim, and it certainly helped against much of the elements firefighters were coming across. This original design, though, still had its problems. It didn’t offer “hard hat” protection, it warped with heat and moisture and it didn’t shield very well against hot embers and other burning debris. However, it was the best option they had, and many firefighters welcomed the respite this helmet gave them from the heat. By 1762, all New York firefighters were required to wear the leather hats while on duty, but something new still needed to be done. In 1824, firefighter/saddle maker Mathew DuBois added metal wire to strengthen the brim. This addition gave the helmet improved shape and strength and helped against the previous problems of heat, moisture and warping. Firefighters, though, still needed something more dependable to protect their heads while on the job. Unlike today, leather was employed for hundreds of everyday purposes in the 1800s, and one of its uses was as a water- and weather-resistant covering for ocean-going luggage. Henry T. Gratacap, a volunteer New York City firefighter, built luggage made of specially treated leather that resisted warping and remained durable against the elements that plagued ocean travels. In 1836, he used this leather to invent the forerunner to today’s leather headgear, an “eight comb” (eight seam) helmet. Most leather helmets today are made in the same form, with eight triangular sections coming up from the brim with raised stitched seams, joining at an apex above the firefighter’s head. The new style changed the brim to a longer, downturned lip in the back and upturned edges on the sides to keep water and coals from raining down into a firefighter’s collar. The helmets also featured a brass eagle on the top to hold its shield. As Gratacap was developing his leather helmet, some neighboring businessmen got in on the design. The Cairns brothers of New York City ran a metal button and insignia business and had the idea to attach an identification badge to the front of a helmet to distinguish firefighters on the job. These shields, or front pieces, became part of the package of a traditional helmet, and are still used, in one form or another, to identify individual firefighters quickly on a fire ground. The eagle used has no particular symbolic history to the fire service—it doesn’t stand for bravery or honor or anything like that. In 1825, a sculptor was commissioned to carve a headstone for a volunteer firefighter. His rendition of the firefighter was a man running out of the flames with a sleeping child he had just rescued, a trumpet used to sound the alarm and an eagle on his helmet, something not previously associated with the fire service. Other firefighters learned of this and the tradition began of the standard brass eagle on a helmet. The brass eagle is still popular today, but most firefighters’ helmets that have them bear a battle-scarred bird, dented or scratched from the demands of the job. They get caught on windowsills and tangled in wires. They get bent in from falling objects and dropped helmets. Some firefighters have used the rounded beak to break through windows, but the original intent was simply for decoration, and it remains a fire service tradition to this day. As the leather helmet evolved, it went through several stages of development before settling into the standard style worn today. Theoretically, the more combs a helmet had, the stronger it was, and for a time, 12- and 16-comb helmets were available for use. FDNY adopted these helmets in the late 1800s, and their popularity spread across the rest of the United States by the turn of the century. Around that same time, aluminum helmets were introduced as an alternative to the heaviness and bulkiness of the traditional leather varieties. They were lighter, true, and they were cheaper than their look-alike leather counterparts, but they had problems beyond those of the leather helmets. Metal, however disguised to look like leather, still conducts both heat and electricity, making it quickly apparent for firefighters that these alternatives wouldn’t work with the complexities of firefighting. As a result, firefighters turned back to the old standby, their tough leather lids that had stood the test of time. In 1979, the National Fire Protection Association created its standard on structural firefighter helmets, causing a shift in the requirements needing to be met for an approved helmet. Helmets were tested for resistance to electrical current, penetration, impact and heat and flame resistance among other factors, forcing helmet manufacturers to rethink their designs. Even through this, leather helmets endured as the most durable ones of the bunch. However, the new standard made for original thinking on how to best design the helmet. More modern materials, such as fiberglass, found use in many of the newer designs, again creating a lighter helmet than the heftier leather ones. The fiberglass and composite plastic helmets, unlike the aluminum, stayed strong and durable and kept a firefighter safe, regardless of the job performed. They weren’t as rugged-looking as their leather counterparts, but they protected well and served as useful alternatives to the standard leather variety. Today, helmets can be altered with Bourkes shields or goggles or personalized front pieces, and many firefighters customize their lids with stickers on the outside or family pictures or personal items on the interior. A helmet is just as individual as the firefighter who wears it, and it tells the story of his or her years of service better than anything else. In our modern fire service, different departments have different rules, and so firefighters across the country might look a little different from place to place. Some departments require leather because they’ve stood the test of time and have proven to withstand the worst of conditions. Others have restrictions against them, putting faith in the newer materials that don’t put as much strain on the neck. The inseparable relationship between firefighters and their helmets has really characterized the profession, and several groups have sprung up relating to this traditional icon. The Fraternal Order of Leatherheads, a group promoting the brotherhood of firefighters, says, “The leather helmet is an international sign of a firefighter, a symbol that is significant in not only tradition from the early years of firefighting, but one of bravery, integrity, honor and pride.” When the call comes out, it’s the first thing you grab, and once safely home, it’s the last thing you put away. Whether you wear fiberglass, plastic, leather or something else, the fire helmet serves as a practical reminder of the hazards of the job and reminds us to be careful on scene.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:27:50 +0000
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