When it comes to keeping yourself safe in a fire, there’s never a point when you’ve done enough. You can always do more to keep yourself in top shape and training to brave the danger that facing a fire involves. You can always use more training in the upkeep and maintenance of firefighting equipment.
Keeping Up With Fire Equipment Blogs
Take advantage of the age of the internet by keeping your eyes out for new knowledge and news regarding firefighting equipment. Search around the websites of a few trusted firefighters and fire equipment dealers to make sure you don’t miss out on anything. L.N. Curtis & Sons has a blog where you can stay up-to-date on the newest equipment and learning ways to maximize the tools and equipment you already have.
There are also a number of books and pamphlets you can find that outline good ways to keep your fire equipment in working order.
How to Maintain Personal Protective Equipment
There’s one simple rule of thumb that answers a lot of questions about equipment upkeep and maintenance. Some people try to find a good weekly or 
monthly schedule to check all their equipment, but that’s not enough. The fact is, if you go into a fire site, you have put your equipment in the hazard zone. Even if you didn’t touch anything and don’t think anything needs to be checked out, you could be wrong. That’s why the number one rule is this: if you wear it, clean it. Or, for tools: if you touch it, clean it.
This may seem too strict, but the fact is, you are risking a lot by going back into a fire with equipment that you haven’t cleaned or checked. All it takes is one time for you to go into a fire with a suit you didn’t know was damaged to wake up to the importance of always checking and double-checking your firefighting turnout gear.
Taking Care of Your Tools
Make a regiment of testing your masks, oxygen, and the batteries of all your tools. Remember, half of firefighting is being prepared for whatever is out there. You can never be too prepared for a fire. Imagine going in with a faulty flashlight or a damaged gas mask or turnout gear with a hole in it. You probably won’t notice the problem until it’s too late. Think of checking and cleaning your firefighting gear as an insurance policy.
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Carolyn Clarke is a proud mother of two from Omaha, Nebraska. When not working as a freelance writer, she enjoys creating fun DIY activities for her children and volunteering at her local pet shelter.