A Smart Jacket Design for Firefighters

A firefighter protective clothing consists often of three-layered fabric structure; an outer shell, a moisture barrier and a thermal liner. In this study, an innovative firefighter protective jacket is proposed, designed to protect firefighters within the thermal environment. The protective performances of different three-layered fabrics were initially tested, and the most appropriate fabric combination for firefighter protective clothing was determined. After the fabric selection process, a firefighter jacket was designed and produced by using the most appropriate fabric combination. A specially designed electronic system equipped with related sensors was integrated to the jacket. Finally, the designed firefighter jacket with integrated sensors was tested in a heating oven