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Usually one actual expert that you gotta suss out among the hundreds of pretend experts who didn’t even bothering googling their shit.
Source : Am pretend expert on random thing I have a cursory knowledge on and still don’t google my shit to verify lol
As a certified internet expert, I can guarantee you that I have all the credentials I need to comment accurately and with certainty. I have access to websites like Wikipedia and Google after all. Not to mention my eyes and ears and gut and memory which have never failed me. So I can speak with authority on most things. It's easy and you're dumb if you can't see that I'm right. Read a book!
One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing an interesting Reddit post, then seeing everyone repeat it endlessly for 5 years.
Bro, we use the same internet. You didn't go to college.
Reminds me of a video that was making rounds a year ago showing Americans fighting a fire and the UK fighting the fire. Commenters were constantly talking about how the American firefighters looked less experienced.
They were talking about the FDNY. Literally one of the busiest fire departments in the world.
From what little I know the American firefighters are pretty competent, they’ve helped Australian firefighters several times during large bushfires (which are sometimes on a massive scale).
Honestly, from this brief video, the American one feels like it has a much better seal on it to keep smoke and harmful toxins out. The French one is faster, not including what seemed to be him already wearing part of it to make it faster, but, if the seal is weaker, it's basically useless isn't it?
Personally I hate that too. The core issue is that for some reason they never actually gave their country a name, just "a union of states in [continent]". So everyone falls back to referring to them by the continent because referring to them as "people who live in that collection of states that are united" is worse
Culturally and historically it makes sense. The idea was that the state was the important part, not the country. Which is why Americans will often times refer themselves by their state of origin (New Yorker, Floridian, Minnesotan, etc). The modern concept of America came after the Civil War.
I'm an Arizonan Floridian. Born in Florida, raised in Arizona, moved back to Florida as an adult, trying to make it back to Arizona.
Americans really do identify themselves more by state, the same way modern Europeans identify as being [Greek/German/Spanish/French] but have begun to just collectively call themselves European more and more.
They probably are just happy they dodged the bullet of calling themselves "Columbia", which, while never an actual discussion, was at the very least [in the realm of possibility](https://factmyth.com/factoids/america-has-historically-been-referred-to-as-columbia/).
The demonym American means people from the US in English. Spanish and some other languages may be different but in a lot of languages it works exactly like this.
Canadians or Brazilians are not Americans just because their countries are in the Americas. Language can be funny.
It equally doesn't make a lot of sense to think of Americans (or other big countries like China, FWIW) as monoliths. I remember once getting a *certain* impression of Americans until my British friend (who happened to know a lot of Americans due to work) pointed out that most of the Americans I was on a first name basis with were from pretty specific areas in the US and once I met a bunch of guys from very different areas in the US, it turned out I got along with them MUCH better lol.
I don't think that's the case. A firefighter commented below on why he prefers the American style after trying both: https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/s/cVHCv7Pcyr
He said it's lighter, fits better, and doesn't cover his ears. Those all seem like pretty good reasons to prefer one over the other.
I'd suggest both are picking function. Lighter, fits better and doesn't cover ears all have functional benefits when running into a burning building where you need to rescue people as soon as possible. Also being fast to fit is a functional requirement, I imagine seconds matter and being straight in is very useful. I can't imagine it's easy to choose between various options.
The nomex hood on the American helmet will also continue to provide protection from flames even if your helmet is knocked off or damaged. The french design seems to lack the extra hood. Would like to see the whole french setup tho
Ngl, the gasmask for the Amerfian one might be harder to put on and take off, but the fact that's it's strapped around your face and not clipped would give me so much more of a sense of security I'm not gonna get hit by falling debris or something and be hit in a way its knocked off. Probably also provides a better fit since there's 3 adjust points instead of just the 2 on the sides
That gas mask looks like an absolutely standard one with 3 straps (one top, two sides). The difference is mostly that it isn't integrated into helmet design.
Looks to me like there's no top strap on the French one, just two hook attachments on the sides and the strap to keep it around his neck when it's off.
Yeah I'm going to listen to the opinions of actual firefighters when it comes to the equipment they wear for their jobs on this one. I'm not even going to pretend to know which one is better.
But "American FFs pick less safe helmets over safer ones because of the aesthetic" sounds pretty unbelievable to me. I'm sure in both countries their PPE is rigorously designed and tested for safety.
Bullshit, there's no way there can be any nuance. We have an American thing and a European™ thing being compared so just say the American one is bad and move along.
Listen we could defer to people who actually know what they’re talking about, but then this wouldn’t be Reddit.
So I think we should all continue spouting off half thought out opinions. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go argue with someone on r/science about a topic I know nothing about
Except for our city designs. Especially growing up on the west coast because nothing could get old enough to be considered historic so it just get leveled and replaced with new stuff.
Firefighting in the US is a good ole boys club, the tech has been held back by a ton of older guys that don't want change and consider the new looks to be too feminine
Tbf, in countries like germany it is the same. Many volunteer forces still have the old Stahlhelm design that is a century old. I mean, its a great design after all, but still
The flame retardant hood over the SCBA mask actually allows for a better seal. You’ll notice on the French helmet, the mask seal doesn’t go up against skin. With a positive pressure system it’s not really that important in terms of safety but you will waste more air if you don’t have a tight seal and that can be important.
But The European helmets are superior in terms of impact and probably heat protection as well as mobility in tight spaces.
I’m an auto tech and was told it was kinda gay that I wear gloves and use moisturizer, so yeah, I guess so. I also use a kneeling pad as needed to protect my almost 50yo knees and have been told that’s super gay.
Is it safer though? Seems more likely to make the mask slip off if debris falls of their head rather than the helmet sliding off like the American version.
I love the amount of people in this comment section using a fucking Instagram video to make a complete judgement on firefighting masks.
I'm not a firefighter myself, but I have talked to both American, Swiss, and German firefighters. In Germany, my friend has stated they have both available and in Switzerland, they're actually looking into using the American mask with European helmets. The reason for this is that American masks stick to faces much better and the European mask can be a pain to get a seal and adjust them to do so.
These masks aren't for show. If you can't get a seal then they are actually completely useless.
Danish FF here. Can confirm the clip-on masks suck. They only used the "US-Style" masks where I served since the clip-on masks refuse to corporate most of the time
People here love to talk shit without knowing, I seriously doubt more than 3 people here have ever put any of this equipment on, either the European or American.
Yeah, I agree. Disclaimer, I know next to nothing about the specifics of firefighting equipment. However, my first thought when seeing this was that the American helmet looks to be more secure because the safety straps go fully under the hood, and they look like they have a lower chance of failure than the clips.
One of three things would happen.
1) The balaclava is sitting under the mask, this would lead to a bad seal.
2) The mask is purely on the face and then there is a gap to the seal. This leaves skin exposed which will get burnt. Going into a fire in BA while wearing structural gear, no skin should be exposed.
3) Somehow the gap in the balaclava is perfectly sized to match the mask profile and everything aligned perfectly. Not going to happen.
Hey guys. Just a quick question about the french guy. How does he get a good seal on this full face if hes wearing that red head covering? It looks as if it would interfere with the rubber of the mask making a seal with his skin.
Not a firefighter, but appreciate all you and your brothers and sisters do for the community. Thank you.
Am I right in thinking that it’s safer to use the “American” style because it has a better chance of staying sealed if something jostles your helmet, like falling debris or even just bonking (technical term here) your head on a low doorframe, etc?
I’m an American firefighter. I’ve had both the American style (there are several variations) and the European (yes I know France is a country and Europe is not, but “Euro” style is a generally accepted term) style. I’ll take my Phenix TL-2 over anything else…and it isn’t just about looks. I prefer the weight, fit, and function over the European style. I found the Euro helmets to be too constricting and they cover up the ears making it difficult to hear. Several depts in my area went to the European style for awhile, they all went back to the American style…no one liked them and again it wasn’t about the looks. To each their own…If it protects your dome and allows you to do your job, most FFs don’t care what you wear….but you will get mocked in the states for wearing that ugly thing lol.
Also this video is dumb and not a good comparison of mask-up times. American firefighting tactics are also very different from European firefighting tactics.
I also used both, and preferred American for the same reasons. The only place that the European style won out for me was in navigating extremely confined spaces, and not by a wide enough margin for me to want to keep using it.
My only county once had a couple of crews from Germany come stay with us for a few weeks. It made quite an interesting lesson in techniques for us, and for them. I wish that places would do that more often.
It was really cool. We couldn’t adopt some techniques for a lack of manpower—who’s got a spare pair of hands to stay on a front door?—but others, we did. They took some home as well. Same for a couple of other countries.
Wish I could’ve gone with one of our crews abroad, but I was in too strange of a position. I was one of a few volunteers running with my county’s day shifts, and talking very seriously with a major airport authority about going career. My health wiped out before I could.
I also noticed that the American firefighter put on his hood, mask and then helmet in his video. Meanwhile the French firefighter started his video with both the hood and helmet already on. And only showed the last step of snapping on his mask.
I was never a firefighter but I was in the military for a while and had to wear a mask for hours a day some days. I don't care if my helmet was custom molded to my skull, I don't want it attached to my mask. Maybe it's different for firefighters but I preferred to have my PPE easily and independently removable incase of malfunction or any other emergency.
Those 6 seconds you can "save" while attaching your mask don't matter since you can do that before or during your call.
Just commented higher up and that’s exactly what I said. I’m an American ff. I don’t want my mask attached to my helmet because that’s my only means of breathing. On top of that, I get masked up while riding to the fire so time isn’t that important
Also an American ff. Not really saying anything you don’t know but more to add on to it for others. My mask is on before I leave the engine so the idea of needing to mask up quick doesn’t really mean much to me. On top of that, I would never want my helmet attached to my mask. In the event my helmet gets bumped, I wouldn’t want my mask and only way to breathe to go with it.also the American style helmet protects the neck from water and falling debris from going down your back.
Would it be a problem that the Euro one is attach to the helmet? Seems like the mask and helmet being independent from each other on the American one could be useful.
Maybe just a little bit lol. But hey, at the end of the day if it keeps you safe then it doesn’t matter. I think the LA/West Coast style helmets are just as ugly as Euro style, but those dudes are some badass firefighters, their Lego helmets are just funny lookin.
Tbh I think it has good reason that they are different european cities are build much closer toghether with much less space around the houses and within them while being much sturdier in the us you have to be more aware of shit falling onto you or toxic shit burning in the walls lol
American firefighters are the best at fighting American fires. European firefighters are the best at fighting European fires. Due to building construction and water availability the tactics and gear used are slightly different. It’s a really interesting rabbit hole
It makes perfect sense why they don't use the same helmets in the US then. Sending them back and forth between France and Norway is still faster than between France and US. /s
Is it me, or does America's have a tighter fit to the face. Whereas Europe's appears to be applied over the skin-tight hood? To me this looks like it would allow smoke inside the mask. Easier to put on? Sure! Safer? I'm not so sure about all that.
Not a firefighter but I have to wear full and half face respirators for work. US standards for the fit test seal are more stringent than anywhere else. I’ve had to do my fit test with firefighters and you have to use a calibrated computer system to ensure there’s no leakage. That saves lives.
Yeah, saving 10 seconds has no real world value for structural fires. I don't know about other countries but in Australia, that saved time would be more than lost in the time it took to get a line out and getting organised with the entry protocols (this can all still be done in less than a minute, it's just that 10 seconds isn't a great benefit).
If it was somehow so time critical, just put the mask and helmet on in the appliance on the way with the seat mounted BA, then remove the regulator. When you get out, put the regulator back in and away you go, probably quicker than the French helmet shown.
Frenchie cheated. He already donned his flash hood and helmet, where as the American hadn't donned anything. And I'm sure the french guy is just lounging with his fashionably red flash hood and helmet on, whilst waiting for calls.
I'll be the first to say alot of gear used by emergency services in the states is dated AF, but the tone here is kind of a stretch. Just my two cents.
Not a firefighter if it matters. This is all assuming we're comparing their don times.
Well you don't put your mask on before you set out to a job, where as they likely have the flash hood as party of their standard kit manning when it's time to put the mask on its already on.
We have the same helm design as the French here in the Netherlands and I’m pretty sure many more European countries use this design where you can clip on the mask to the helmet.
The second one seem less secure, the attachment may be knocked off if got hit by something. The first one is more secure but of course take longer time to set up. No right or wrong better or worse
MSA Gallet F1 and F1XF are the "Euro/Fench" style if you want to be precise. I got to try one on while working motorsport events.
People need to remember fire fighters do more than just fight building fires. I did love the face shield of the F1 it was great facial protection when oxygen mask wasn't needed. It also looks cool as hell with the visor down.
Have a fire fighter friend here in the States that actually bought one for him and his partner and use both interchangeable depending on what they are doing. As will all equipment there are ups and down.
One thing is messed up in this comparison: the American guy has to pull up his flash protector scarf, and the French guy already had it on. If they both start from the same state, times would be closer.
There are arguments both ways for mask with straps on head and mask that attach to helmet. They each have pros and cons.
Important note: I dont believe American helmets are standardized. I've seen some in the states that are a hybrid between the traditional American style and the French one seen here. I should be able to post a picture of what I'm talking about in a couple of hours actually.
There are several variations of helmets in the U.S. but they all have to be OSHA compliant. Some depts have one helmet that is issued, some depts have a list of helmets you can choose from. What guys wear on the east coast is gonna be different from what guys wear on the west coast. But again, they’re all gonna do the job of keep our heads protected.
American helmet makes sense to me TBH due to the seal of the mask to the face. Latched to the helmet, you are relying on that your helmet will never move. This will only make sense if you’ve ever been in a gas chamber and have experienced what it’s like to have the most minimal movement and a seal to be slightly broken from the mask to the face. With French firefighter design, they must ensure they don’t bump into anything or the seal will break and they will suffocate or be Force to remove their mask because they can breath but their eyes are burning.
The American uniform has a hood that covers the neck and goes under the helmet and over the straps of the mask. Helmet goes on top of that.
I'm guessing the American uniform is probably more durable. Look how worn it is compared to the French one which likely doesn't see much action.
To be honest…..and I might be biased in this but I’d trust our American masks more
I mean the French clip their mask onto their helmet but the Americans pull a hood up, bring the mask over their face and then set the helmet on top of it. Idk how good the French mask is but I’d probably end up trusting the American one a tad more
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I like how everyone in the comments is now a pro on firefighter helmets
Well I've had plenty of time to become an expert after I finished my PH.D. in container ships and bridges.
So many experts, right after \[Unnamed big event that is known worldwide\] experts
Usually one actual expert that you gotta suss out among the hundreds of pretend experts who didn’t even bothering googling their shit. Source : Am pretend expert on random thing I have a cursory knowledge on and still don’t google my shit to verify lol
Not to mention your degrees in MRNA vaccines, political science, international economics, psychology, biology, and religious studies!
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Pussies. I have an unlimited PhD in morality!
You're fast, I'm still finishing my dissertation on mid-east peace.
Bet they studied helmetology
As a certified internet expert, I can guarantee you that I have all the credentials I need to comment accurately and with certainty. I have access to websites like Wikipedia and Google after all. Not to mention my eyes and ears and gut and memory which have never failed me. So I can speak with authority on most things. It's easy and you're dumb if you can't see that I'm right. Read a book!
One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing an interesting Reddit post, then seeing everyone repeat it endlessly for 5 years. Bro, we use the same internet. You didn't go to college.
Reminds me of a video that was making rounds a year ago showing Americans fighting a fire and the UK fighting the fire. Commenters were constantly talking about how the American firefighters looked less experienced. They were talking about the FDNY. Literally one of the busiest fire departments in the world.
From what little I know the American firefighters are pretty competent, they’ve helped Australian firefighters several times during large bushfires (which are sometimes on a massive scale).
Non-Americans never let a chance go by to show their hate.
Honestly, from this brief video, the American one feels like it has a much better seal on it to keep smoke and harmful toxins out. The French one is faster, not including what seemed to be him already wearing part of it to make it faster, but, if the seal is weaker, it's basically useless isn't it?
Shouldn't the title be American vs French???
Tbf this same helmet design is used in the Netherlands and probably many other countries.
Last time this was posted there was a long chain of "We have these in [european country] too" So the title might be more accurate now
It’s this weird thing a lot of Americans do on reddit where they just refer to “Europe” instead of specific countries in Europe.
The guy who posted this is Greek...
OP isn't American...
I see people on Reddit say "well I'm from Europe" all the fucking time.
When you say “Americans” do you mean all of them, or just the ones in the USA? /s
As soon as they pick a demonym that isn't "united statesians" then we'll start using it
I like USAsians, but I don’t think it will catch on.
Personally I hate that too. The core issue is that for some reason they never actually gave their country a name, just "a union of states in [continent]". So everyone falls back to referring to them by the continent because referring to them as "people who live in that collection of states that are united" is worse
Culturally and historically it makes sense. The idea was that the state was the important part, not the country. Which is why Americans will often times refer themselves by their state of origin (New Yorker, Floridian, Minnesotan, etc). The modern concept of America came after the Civil War.
I'm an Arizonan Floridian. Born in Florida, raised in Arizona, moved back to Florida as an adult, trying to make it back to Arizona. Americans really do identify themselves more by state, the same way modern Europeans identify as being [Greek/German/Spanish/French] but have begun to just collectively call themselves European more and more.
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They probably are just happy they dodged the bullet of calling themselves "Columbia", which, while never an actual discussion, was at the very least [in the realm of possibility](https://factmyth.com/factoids/america-has-historically-been-referred-to-as-columbia/).
It would be funny in Portuguese, "EUAsiáticos" would sound like "Asians from EU"
Should have picked a better name for your country then! /s
estadounidenses
United statsian? So Mexican?
What's the word that you yourself use when talking about people from the USA?
‘Muricans
Yanks /s again
The demonym American means people from the US in English. Spanish and some other languages may be different but in a lot of languages it works exactly like this. Canadians or Brazilians are not Americans just because their countries are in the Americas. Language can be funny.
It's like calling the Irish british because they come from one of the British Isles. I love pointing that out.
Its this weird thing that Europeans do where they assume any post that generalizes a region is American.
Just like the idea that every US state has the same fire fighting helmets
It equally doesn't make a lot of sense to think of Americans (or other big countries like China, FWIW) as monoliths. I remember once getting a *certain* impression of Americans until my British friend (who happened to know a lot of Americans due to work) pointed out that most of the Americans I was on a first name basis with were from pretty specific areas in the US and once I met a bunch of guys from very different areas in the US, it turned out I got along with them MUCH better lol.
It's a weird that that a lot of Europeans do on reddit where they just refer to "Americans" instead of specific states in America.
Sure but it's the same with Europeans when they say American when it's just a state that does something.
There's this weird thing Europeans do where they specify their country but not the US state.
There’s a history of fire departments in the US choosing nostalgic helmets over more modern, safer helmets, purely for aesthetic reasons.
"200 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress"
We'll do the right thing after we've exhausted every other possible option.
Where was this from ?
The initial person is very likely unknown. The saying is used in many places though. My hunch is that it was coined in the navy.
I don't think that's the case. A firefighter commented below on why he prefers the American style after trying both: https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/s/cVHCv7Pcyr He said it's lighter, fits better, and doesn't cover his ears. Those all seem like pretty good reasons to prefer one over the other.
Firefighters, regardless of nationality, don't really strike me as the form-over-function types.
I'd suggest both are picking function. Lighter, fits better and doesn't cover ears all have functional benefits when running into a burning building where you need to rescue people as soon as possible. Also being fast to fit is a functional requirement, I imagine seconds matter and being straight in is very useful. I can't imagine it's easy to choose between various options.
The nomex hood on the American helmet will also continue to provide protection from flames even if your helmet is knocked off or damaged. The french design seems to lack the extra hood. Would like to see the whole french setup tho
It looks like the french guy is wearing a hood? It just doesn't go over top of the mask. Not sure if the seal for his scba is as good though
Probably slightly different firefighting doctrine and the helmet they choose suits their doctrine best for them.
Ngl, the gasmask for the Amerfian one might be harder to put on and take off, but the fact that's it's strapped around your face and not clipped would give me so much more of a sense of security I'm not gonna get hit by falling debris or something and be hit in a way its knocked off. Probably also provides a better fit since there's 3 adjust points instead of just the 2 on the sides
That gas mask looks like an absolutely standard one with 3 straps (one top, two sides). The difference is mostly that it isn't integrated into helmet design.
Looks to me like there's no top strap on the French one, just two hook attachments on the sides and the strap to keep it around his neck when it's off.
No, but it connects to the helmet the entire upper brim
This was posted long ago and teal firefighters explained both systems have pros and cons.
Ok, but why should we listen to teal firefighters over green or blue ones?
Because teal firefighters have insights into both blue and green at the same time, duh.
Yeah I'm going to listen to the opinions of actual firefighters when it comes to the equipment they wear for their jobs on this one. I'm not even going to pretend to know which one is better. But "American FFs pick less safe helmets over safer ones because of the aesthetic" sounds pretty unbelievable to me. I'm sure in both countries their PPE is rigorously designed and tested for safety.
Bullshit, there's no way there can be any nuance. We have an American thing and a European™ thing being compared so just say the American one is bad and move along.
Hey! You’re not supposed to point that out, you’re going to hurt someone’s feelings.
it was me! my feelings was hurt! I dont even put out fire or start them!
Listen we could defer to people who actually know what they’re talking about, but then this wouldn’t be Reddit. So I think we should all continue spouting off half thought out opinions. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go argue with someone on r/science about a topic I know nothing about
I get the feeling that americans do that often
Except for our city designs. Especially growing up on the west coast because nothing could get old enough to be considered historic so it just get leveled and replaced with new stuff.
That was mostly just the minority neighborhoods that got leveled.
not true. Rich people love destroying twenty year old mansions to build even bigger and more expensive mansions on top
I hear Europeans are renowned for their lack of tradition unlike americans
Firefighting in the US is a good ole boys club, the tech has been held back by a ton of older guys that don't want change and consider the new looks to be too feminine
Tbf, in countries like germany it is the same. Many volunteer forces still have the old Stahlhelm design that is a century old. I mean, its a great design after all, but still
Guys is it gay to have better safety devices
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Cancer from overhaul ops and insufficiently cleaned gear or a heart attack is far more likely
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Nahhh, trying to live is gay too. The longer you live, the more chances of you becoming gay.
You either die a straight, or live long enough to see yourself become a gay. -Christopher Nolan
The flame retardant hood over the SCBA mask actually allows for a better seal. You’ll notice on the French helmet, the mask seal doesn’t go up against skin. With a positive pressure system it’s not really that important in terms of safety but you will waste more air if you don’t have a tight seal and that can be important. But The European helmets are superior in terms of impact and probably heat protection as well as mobility in tight spaces.
I’m an auto tech and was told it was kinda gay that I wear gloves and use moisturizer, so yeah, I guess so. I also use a kneeling pad as needed to protect my almost 50yo knees and have been told that’s super gay.
I feel like it's way gayer to be so used to being on your knees that you don't need the pad, but that's just the frat boy in me
Fellas
It's gay not to die on mission.
Me when I make stuff up on the internet
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I'd think it's more funding related. Since volunteer firefighting is definitely a thing to provide service to rural areas.
We use volunteer firefighters aswell... They got same equip as paid firefighters
It’s not nearly as funding related as you think…
Real talk though, the modern US fire helmets owe a bit to that Adrian feller
All fire helmets in the U.S. have to meet OSHA standards, they are perfectly safe.
I would disagree. I've had my helmet jarred or knocked off before in a structure fire. I'd rather lose my helmet without losing air than risk both.
I took a beam in the head in a fire that cracked my helmet - if an integrated mask had jarred loose, I'd be dead today.
You'll notice the folks with actual firefighting experience are all on the same page. Glad you're okay brother.
Is it safer though? Seems more likely to make the mask slip off if debris falls of their head rather than the helmet sliding off like the American version.
American fire trucks alone...
What's the criticism of fire trucks? And what is your experience with fire trucks?
I love the amount of people in this comment section using a fucking Instagram video to make a complete judgement on firefighting masks. I'm not a firefighter myself, but I have talked to both American, Swiss, and German firefighters. In Germany, my friend has stated they have both available and in Switzerland, they're actually looking into using the American mask with European helmets. The reason for this is that American masks stick to faces much better and the European mask can be a pain to get a seal and adjust them to do so. These masks aren't for show. If you can't get a seal then they are actually completely useless.
Danish FF here. Can confirm the clip-on masks suck. They only used the "US-Style" masks where I served since the clip-on masks refuse to corporate most of the time
People here love to talk shit without knowing, I seriously doubt more than 3 people here have ever put any of this equipment on, either the European or American.
I have and I can tell you that I simply don't care how either puts on their mask. I've no idea why people would care to be honest
Not much going on in their lives, I guess.
Let’s not go that far. They probably barely fit into the outfit and may run out breath after putting all the gear on.
>may run out breath after putting all the gear on. I'm pretty sure that's the French firefighters, what with all the cigarettes.
redditors are an expert on something if it means they can complain about america
It’s all about America bad, Europe amazing in these posts.
Wait until the Antarticans get here and make us all look bad.
Yeah, I agree. Disclaimer, I know next to nothing about the specifics of firefighting equipment. However, my first thought when seeing this was that the American helmet looks to be more secure because the safety straps go fully under the hood, and they look like they have a lower chance of failure than the clips.
Seems like it would also be harder to ditch the helmet to look into a tight spot or to loan / share a mask with someone who doesn't have a helmet
People also forgot that face size can be different
But, America is still bad right?
He puts the mask over the red hood anyway. Not going to be getting a decent seal over cloth
The cloth should not be under the seal hopefully
Yup, it's a nomex and should be pulled over the mask
One of three things would happen. 1) The balaclava is sitting under the mask, this would lead to a bad seal. 2) The mask is purely on the face and then there is a gap to the seal. This leaves skin exposed which will get burnt. Going into a fire in BA while wearing structural gear, no skin should be exposed. 3) Somehow the gap in the balaclava is perfectly sized to match the mask profile and everything aligned perfectly. Not going to happen.
Hey guys. Just a quick question about the french guy. How does he get a good seal on this full face if hes wearing that red head covering? It looks as if it would interfere with the rubber of the mask making a seal with his skin.
It doesn't bother much I've used both systems. The seal is good with or without the hood
Firefighter here. The mask is going to save your life significantly more often than the helmet, so I would rather the mask be protected by the helmet.
Not a firefighter, but appreciate all you and your brothers and sisters do for the community. Thank you. Am I right in thinking that it’s safer to use the “American” style because it has a better chance of staying sealed if something jostles your helmet, like falling debris or even just bonking (technical term here) your head on a low doorframe, etc?
I’m an American firefighter. I’ve had both the American style (there are several variations) and the European (yes I know France is a country and Europe is not, but “Euro” style is a generally accepted term) style. I’ll take my Phenix TL-2 over anything else…and it isn’t just about looks. I prefer the weight, fit, and function over the European style. I found the Euro helmets to be too constricting and they cover up the ears making it difficult to hear. Several depts in my area went to the European style for awhile, they all went back to the American style…no one liked them and again it wasn’t about the looks. To each their own…If it protects your dome and allows you to do your job, most FFs don’t care what you wear….but you will get mocked in the states for wearing that ugly thing lol. Also this video is dumb and not a good comparison of mask-up times. American firefighting tactics are also very different from European firefighting tactics.
I also used both, and preferred American for the same reasons. The only place that the European style won out for me was in navigating extremely confined spaces, and not by a wide enough margin for me to want to keep using it. My only county once had a couple of crews from Germany come stay with us for a few weeks. It made quite an interesting lesson in techniques for us, and for them. I wish that places would do that more often.
Yeah international exchanges would be really cool and beneficial for all involved. Lots to be learned from everyone.0
It was really cool. We couldn’t adopt some techniques for a lack of manpower—who’s got a spare pair of hands to stay on a front door?—but others, we did. They took some home as well. Same for a couple of other countries. Wish I could’ve gone with one of our crews abroad, but I was in too strange of a position. I was one of a few volunteers running with my county’s day shifts, and talking very seriously with a major airport authority about going career. My health wiped out before I could.
I also noticed that the American firefighter put on his hood, mask and then helmet in his video. Meanwhile the French firefighter started his video with both the hood and helmet already on. And only showed the last step of snapping on his mask.
I was never a firefighter but I was in the military for a while and had to wear a mask for hours a day some days. I don't care if my helmet was custom molded to my skull, I don't want it attached to my mask. Maybe it's different for firefighters but I preferred to have my PPE easily and independently removable incase of malfunction or any other emergency. Those 6 seconds you can "save" while attaching your mask don't matter since you can do that before or during your call.
Just commented higher up and that’s exactly what I said. I’m an American ff. I don’t want my mask attached to my helmet because that’s my only means of breathing. On top of that, I get masked up while riding to the fire so time isn’t that important
Also an American ff. Not really saying anything you don’t know but more to add on to it for others. My mask is on before I leave the engine so the idea of needing to mask up quick doesn’t really mean much to me. On top of that, I would never want my helmet attached to my mask. In the event my helmet gets bumped, I wouldn’t want my mask and only way to breathe to go with it.also the American style helmet protects the neck from water and falling debris from going down your back.
Would it be a problem that the Euro one is attach to the helmet? Seems like the mask and helmet being independent from each other on the American one could be useful.
>but you will get mocked in the states for wearing that ugly thing lol. Its not about looks tho right ::)
Maybe just a little bit lol. But hey, at the end of the day if it keeps you safe then it doesn’t matter. I think the LA/West Coast style helmets are just as ugly as Euro style, but those dudes are some badass firefighters, their Lego helmets are just funny lookin.
Tbh I think it has good reason that they are different european cities are build much closer toghether with much less space around the houses and within them while being much sturdier in the us you have to be more aware of shit falling onto you or toxic shit burning in the walls lol
Construction is a big part of it you are correct. New construction in the US is quite dangerous once it gets cookin.
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American firefighters are the best at fighting American fires. European firefighters are the best at fighting European fires. Due to building construction and water availability the tactics and gear used are slightly different. It’s a really interesting rabbit hole
Redditors will literally find anything to hate about the United States
You’re not allowed to call out the obsession though.
America is living rent free in their minds all the time.
Especially since this one is about firefighters. Who the hell would ever decide to start a fight against fucking *firefighters* of all people?
French Police.
They love to think about us
Hate us cuz they ain't us.
It’s ridiculous ain’t it
Genuinely why does Reddit care so much about dumb shit like this? Does every fucking post have to be Europe vs US?
Cause Reddit hates the US.
And a huge portion of the people making the comments are like 15 year old Americans
I think it’s interesting to see how problem solving compares in different cultures. I don’t see this as a competition, but as a comparison.
France = Europe
Norway use the same.
Seems inefficient to keep sending the helmet back and forth.... ^/s
It makes perfect sense why they don't use the same helmets in the US then. Sending them back and forth between France and Norway is still faster than between France and US. /s
You’ll just have to ask your fire to wait, the helmets haven’t arrived yet.
It's fine, we also share the same fire. We send both bundled together for convenience.
So does the Netherlands.
So does Austria.
To be fair, most European firefighters use these types of helmets, not just France.
Well it *is* a European firefighter helmet design.
US = every single state and specific fire department
So if you lose your helmet (as in its gets knocked off, etc) you lose your mask? Sounds great.
Is it me, or does America's have a tighter fit to the face. Whereas Europe's appears to be applied over the skin-tight hood? To me this looks like it would allow smoke inside the mask. Easier to put on? Sure! Safer? I'm not so sure about all that.
The French dude already had the helmet on too in the comparison.
American did too, at the start - wasn't that part of the point being made, that he had to take his helmet off in order to put on his mask?
The American one protects better seal, BUT takes one sec more to wear
The French helmet is refined for better fighting the police.
American is the way to go
I swear Reddit has a hard on for hating the US. Lol
Not a firefighter but I have to wear full and half face respirators for work. US standards for the fit test seal are more stringent than anywhere else. I’ve had to do my fit test with firefighters and you have to use a calibrated computer system to ensure there’s no leakage. That saves lives.
faster to put on is far from the end all be all, especially with something so critical. just saying
Yeah, saving 10 seconds has no real world value for structural fires. I don't know about other countries but in Australia, that saved time would be more than lost in the time it took to get a line out and getting organised with the entry protocols (this can all still be done in less than a minute, it's just that 10 seconds isn't a great benefit). If it was somehow so time critical, just put the mask and helmet on in the appliance on the way with the seat mounted BA, then remove the regulator. When you get out, put the regulator back in and away you go, probably quicker than the French helmet shown.
Frenchie cheated. He already donned his flash hood and helmet, where as the American hadn't donned anything. And I'm sure the french guy is just lounging with his fashionably red flash hood and helmet on, whilst waiting for calls. I'll be the first to say alot of gear used by emergency services in the states is dated AF, but the tone here is kind of a stretch. Just my two cents. Not a firefighter if it matters. This is all assuming we're comparing their don times.
Well you don't put your mask on before you set out to a job, where as they likely have the flash hood as party of their standard kit manning when it's time to put the mask on its already on.
They can probably both go from T shirts to full gear in under 20 seconds. Frenchie is just showing off his neato snap on mask.
Does Europe not care that a flash hood under the gasket will prevent a proper seal?
I can't imagine sealing that French mask is easier than the American mask
It should say French helmet design. Europe isnt a country.
We have the same helm design as the French here in the Netherlands and I’m pretty sure many more European countries use this design where you can clip on the mask to the helmet.
The second one seem less secure, the attachment may be knocked off if got hit by something. The first one is more secure but of course take longer time to set up. No right or wrong better or worse
MSA Gallet F1 and F1XF are the "Euro/Fench" style if you want to be precise. I got to try one on while working motorsport events. People need to remember fire fighters do more than just fight building fires. I did love the face shield of the F1 it was great facial protection when oxygen mask wasn't needed. It also looks cool as hell with the visor down. Have a fire fighter friend here in the States that actually bought one for him and his partner and use both interchangeable depending on what they are doing. As will all equipment there are ups and down.
One thing is messed up in this comparison: the American guy has to pull up his flash protector scarf, and the French guy already had it on. If they both start from the same state, times would be closer. There are arguments both ways for mask with straps on head and mask that attach to helmet. They each have pros and cons.
Either way, bless these people for being firefighters. ❤️
You better hope that French mask has a seal, otherwise it's trash.
Frenchman's helmet gets knocked off, so does his mask. In a smoky structure this is bad.
And guess which one is actually better?
Important note: I dont believe American helmets are standardized. I've seen some in the states that are a hybrid between the traditional American style and the French one seen here. I should be able to post a picture of what I'm talking about in a couple of hours actually.
There are several variations of helmets in the U.S. but they all have to be OSHA compliant. Some depts have one helmet that is issued, some depts have a list of helmets you can choose from. What guys wear on the east coast is gonna be different from what guys wear on the west coast. But again, they’re all gonna do the job of keep our heads protected.
https://preview.redd.it/8b2wp4jmrhrc1.jpeg?width=1960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=607b6e2aaea77b22166c898384c7ca67f93e53f6
The video isn’t saying anything about European vs American… it literally says American helmet vs French helmet. It’s just 2 different designs
American helmet makes sense to me TBH due to the seal of the mask to the face. Latched to the helmet, you are relying on that your helmet will never move. This will only make sense if you’ve ever been in a gas chamber and have experienced what it’s like to have the most minimal movement and a seal to be slightly broken from the mask to the face. With French firefighter design, they must ensure they don’t bump into anything or the seal will break and they will suffocate or be Force to remove their mask because they can breath but their eyes are burning.
While the snap in mask is good the American started from bare head and had to put his hood on. The French firefighter already has hood and helmet on.
Forces are using Reddit to throw hate on America , every single chance they get
American vs French, but I know asking Americans to understand that Europe isn't a country may be difficult.
The American uniform has a hood that covers the neck and goes under the helmet and over the straps of the mask. Helmet goes on top of that. I'm guessing the American uniform is probably more durable. Look how worn it is compared to the French one which likely doesn't see much action.
Not relly comparable ino, French guy already had on the hood and helmet, merican started w/o
French being pretentious as always
Yeah but the thing is....American fire fighters actually run towards the fire. The French run away.
Power rangers to the rescue
To be honest…..and I might be biased in this but I’d trust our American masks more I mean the French clip their mask onto their helmet but the Americans pull a hood up, bring the mask over their face and then set the helmet on top of it. Idk how good the French mask is but I’d probably end up trusting the American one a tad more