Innovations

NC State University – Protecting Firefighters

Every day, firefighters risk their lives as they run into burning buildings and face the deadly power of wildfires — and also as they deal with the long-term effects of smoke, soot and toxic chemical exposure. Cancer now ranks as their leading cause of death, according to the International Association of Firefighters.

NC State experts in the College of Textiles’ Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC) are developing and testing equipment to protect the firefighters who protect us. Researchers are improving personal protective equipment: gear that keeps out smoke and soot, hoods that protect faces and necks, and fire shelters that offer the last line of defence against an approaching wildfire.

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