Fiscal Note
Funding for protective gear is included in the Fire Department's 2008 Operating Budget.
Title
Approving the selection and purchase of Morning Pride firefighter safety gear from Jefferson Fire & Safety.
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The Fire Department recommends Morning Pride as the brand of personal protective equipment for firefighters. Personal protective equipment is the protective gear worn into a fire. The selected safety gear was fit and wear tested by Madison firefighters during 2007.
Gear from four different manufacturers was selected by a committee of Local 311 and Management members for testing. The brands selected by Local 311 and Management were Morning Pride, Globe, Cairns and Janesville. No other manufacturers used the specified material or had an equivalent for the outer shell. All manufacturers of the four brands have
sole source regional representatives for the sale of their products.
The Sacramento Metro Fire Department also evaluated personal protective equipment for their department. Morning Pride gear was the highest rated in their evaluation. This evaluation covered three categories. The first was the fit, flexibility, heat retention, weight and overall feeling of the gear when working. The second was protection from heat. The third was performance at working fires, durability and wearing the gear for long periods of time.
The Madison Fire Department did a fit and wear test on the gear. The committee also reviewed the construction, design and features available on the gear. Morning Pride provided the best construction , design and features for gear. The improved knee pads, location of pockets, thermal protection , etc are available in this product.
The Department has purchased Morning Pride gear for several years. Morning Pride meets Section 4.25 of the City of Madison Ordinances (MGO) and Jefferson Fire and Safety is a local business in Middleton. This gear wears well and has a life cycle of at least ten years.
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