Marc Mathews

Purpose & Aims: To contribute to firefighter safety by filling gaps in the available information needed by firefighters for the selection and use of PPE for ballistic protection. To generate scientific data on the effect of wearing ballistic vests on firefighter heat stress and mobility. Relevance: Tragic deaths from firearms and sharp weaponry injuries leaves little doubt that firefighters need ballistic protection in some emergency response scenarios. Wearing ballistic PPE creates tradeoffs for firefighter, including increased heat strain and decreased mobility. With the increase in hostile incidents often requiring body armor, firefighters also face risk of burn injury caused by flaming liquids (Molotov cocktails). Methods: To employ a nation-wide firefighter survey and multiple focus groups to identify gaps in existing guidelines for wearing body armor with firefighter gear. To develop protocols to evaluate the interoperability of ballistic vests with other firefighter gear for male and female firefighters. To apply instrumented manikins, physiological models and controlled wear trials to assess body armor effect on heat strain. To use firefighter involved field tests to evaluate the efficacy of developed guidelines that weight the tradeoffs of ballistic gear. Anticipated Outcomes: Provide unavailable scientifically generated data on the impact on heat stress, and other unintended consequences produced when firefighters and EMTs wear ballistic gear with a turnout suit or with other clothing. Inform ASTM and NFPA Guides and standards for firefighter selection and use of ballistic gear, including the ASTM E54 Guide to Body Armor for Non-Law Enforcement First Responder Applications and NFPA 3000. Contribute to support firefighter decision making related to the selection, use, integration and implementation of ballistic PPE in fire and EMT emergency service operations.

The goal of these projects are to provide a report including recommendations with sound justification from research data to identify ways to enhance existing wildland personal protective equipment provided to wildland firefighters to better protect against the various elements they are exposed to in the course of their firefighting operations in the WUI.

Since it was originally issued over a decade ago, no respiratory protection devices have been manufactured or submitted for certification under the NFPA 1984 Standard on Respirators for Wildland Fire-Fighting and Wildland Urban Interface Operations. In 2016, NIOSH presented to the NFPA Technical and Correlating Committee the barriers to acceptance, adoption, and implementation. While agencies agreed that the performance standards were appropriate for wildland exposures and that technology existed to produce a certifiable product, the main reason manufacturers had not submitted a product for certification was that there was no perceived market for the device since no firefighting management agencies required firefighters to utilize respiratory protection. Indeed, federal wildland agencies cannot require PPE until NFPA 1984 compliant devices are available. The newly released 2022 standard provides greater clarity on the goals and criteria, with increased recognition of risk in the WUI, however many of the same barriers to understanding, acceptance, and adoption continue to be relevant today. This project will help overcome this significant disconnect through an interdisciplinary and collaborative program that provides a national-scale education, training, and implementation campaign that brings together fire agencies, manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and subject matter experts to facilitate understanding, acceptance, and adoption of wildland/WUI respiratory protection.

As a Research Associate at the TPACC, my research interests focus on the development of textiles and materials for military protective clothing with a focus on military and first responder protective glove R&D. Luna??????????????????s Phase II proposal aligns with the goals of my research. The following list provides a general description of the services TPACC will provide to Luna during the Phase II program: ??????????????? Participate in a Kick-off Meeting between Luna and CBD technical point of contacts (POCs) at the start of the program to confer about performance, prototyping, and quality requirements ??????????????? Serve as an expert resource on the progress of the CBRN protective gloves and the development of prototypes ??????????????? Develop the prototyping system and process for pilot scale prototyping ??????????????? Test and report on prototyped gloves for key comfort measures. ??????????????? Deliver up to 30 pairs of prototypes for human use testing and feedback. ??????????????? Coordinate and work with Showa for scale up considerations during prototyping and phase 3 planning.

The development of a comfortable, durable multi-hazard duty uniform for general responder wear presents an obvious and significant technical challenge. Successful development will require nothing less than a team having an uncommon combination of capabilities, including scientific expertise and laboratory capabilities, knowledge of advanced textile clothing materials and finishes, and the creative skill and expertise required to integrate and fabricate materials into prototype garments having optimum protective, comfort, functional and ergonomic performance. It will require access to extensive laboratory research and testing capabilities to facilitate, not only for testing of the protective and functional performance of prototype clothing and materials, but to guide the process of selection, design, and integration of the elements of the duty uniform from the fabric to the integrated ensemble.

JPEO/JPL CBRN SOF has been maturating and developing the AP???????????????PPE Modernization program since 2019 and the TATPE since 2016, from proof???????????????of???????????????concept of system designs, engineering to supporting Limited User Evaluations, and system level testing. The results have been the evolution of the TATPE and AP???????????????PPE Modernization iterative design, development, fabrication, and assessments of the systems. To evaluate the thermal burden provided by these systems a series of tests have been requested using thermal sweating manikins and modeling tasks in support of the TATPE and AP??????????????? PPE Modernization product development efforts. The following requirements are required to assist in this assessment: ??????????????? Use of a thermal sweating manikin to measure both the thermal insulation, and the resistance of ensembles. Each property will be measured using three different wind speeds ??????????????? Use a validated human physiological model to estimate the thermal burden associated with each ensemble across a range of environmental conditions and work rates. NCSU Wilson College of Textiles, Textile Protection and Comfort Center (T-PACC) shall perform a series of tests for the thermal sweating manikin and the TiaTherm human comfort model.

Current CBRN gloves are bulky. This effort will produce a protective, durable, and conformal glove that can be integrated into novel CBRN protective ensembles while allowing higher tactility and touch-screen capabilities. Phase 2 and 3 will include testing, design and prototyping.

Kawabata Evaluation System: Method: Appropriate measurement procedures for determining the mechanical properties, associated with hand manipulation, of the test fabrics. The properties to be tested include bending, compression, surface friction and contour, shearing, and tensile. Instrument: The series of instruments in the Kawabata Evaluation System: KES-FB1 Tensile-Shear Tester, KES-FB2 Pure Bending Tester, KES-FB3 Compression Tester, KES-FB4 Surface Tester.

HDM Inc. and the Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC) at NC State University propose to develop a prototype rescue hoist operator glove to improve durability, dexterity and functionality while maximizing comfort. The final glove system will meet the relevant requirements set forth within the 2016 Interagency Helicopter Guide (IHOG) and the 2008 Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) Handbook. HDM Inc. and TPACC have partnered to assemble a multidiscipline team of experts throughout the personal protective equipment and clothing technology area. The team will place a high importance on continuous user feedback, and will use systematic and proven engineering processes and data based decision theory to successfully create an enhanced performance and durability rescue hoist operator glove system. The glove system will be engineered at both the material and system level, ensuring that all aspects of the final product are optimized based on DHS S&T??????????????????s statement of objectives, and end user needs. The final glove system will be commercialized for use in the First Responder community and related commercial markets.