Abstract: In a protective garment, such as a coat, trousers, overalls, or coveralls, for a military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker, several strips of reflective trim of high visibility are attached detachably to an outer shell of low visibility, as by hook-and-loop fasteners or snap fasteners, so that the trim can be readily detached from the outer shell without causing damage to the outer shell or to the trim. At least some of the trim is distinctive of a given rank, function, or responsibility of an intended wearer of the protective garment. Preferably, the distinctive trim is coded, e.g., color-coded, to distinguish the given rank, function, or responsibility.

Abstract: A protective garment, such as a coat, trousers, overalls, or coveralls, for a firefighter or an emergency worker, has a front portion and a back portion. The back portion is breathable to allow air to pass through the back portion, whereas substantially the entire front portion includes a continuous, fluid-impervious, heat-reflective layer, such as an aluminized, polyester film.

Abstract: In a protective helmet comprising a rigid shell having a lower periphery and a suspension system, which may have two crossed straps mounted within the rigid shell, at spaced intervals around a lower periphery of the rigid shell, an array of inflatable pads is carried by the suspension system, within the rigid shell, above the lower periphery. The inflatable pads are joined by and between two fabric sheets. If the suspension system has two crossed straps, as preferred, some of the inflatable pads are disposed directly below the crossed straps, between a central region of the rigid shell and the lower periphery, while another of the inflatable pads is disposed in the central region. The crossed straps may extend through slits in the fabric sheets. The respective pads are inflated with a suitable gas, such as air, with a suitable liquid, such as water, with a suitable foam, or with a suitable gel.

Abstract: In a protective glove, as for a firefighter, a wristlet knitted from an aramid, a polybenzamidazole, or an aramid-polybenzamidazole blend is attached to an outer shell made from a fabric woven therefrom or from a suitable leather and is treated with a water-repellant finish, such as a perfluorohydrocarbon finish.

Abstract: A protective garment, which is intended to be only worn by a wearer who is authorized to pass through a security perimeter, comprises a pocket, which defines a window, a flap, which is movable between a position wherein the flap covers the window and positions wherein the flap does not cover the window, and a card, which is disposed in the pocket. The card displays or records data, which are readable through the window by a human, by an electronic reader, or by both, and which are unique to the authorized wearer of the protective garment. The data may comprise symbolic data, such as bar code data, and may comprise a photograph of the authorized wearer of the protective garment. When the flap covers the window, the flap protects the data against becoming illegible because of foreign matter, such as soot, or because of surface abrasion.

Abstract: In a protective garment, such as a firefighter's garment, of a type comprising an outer shell and a reflective strip, which is sewn to the outer shell, the reflective strip is spaced from the outer shell, except where the reflective strip is sewn to the outer shell, whereby to reduce risks of thread abrasion and to provide thermal insulation. The reflective strip may be thus spaced by a single strip interposed between two opposite margins of the reflective strip, along which margins the reflective strip is sewn to the outer shell, or by two spaced strips interposed therebetween. If two spaced strips are used, the reflective strip may be also sewn to the outer shell where the spaced strips are spaced from each other or, alternatively, the reflective strip is detached from the outer shell where the spaced strips are spaced from each other so as to define an air space between the reflective strip and the outer shell where the spaced strips are spaced from each other.

Abstract: A composite structure for a protective garment, such as a protective garment for a firefighter, has a moisture absorber, a moisture barrier and an outer shell. The moisture barrier is disposed outwardly in relation to the moisture absorber, while the outer shell is disposed outwardly in relation to the moisture barrier. The moisture absorber has a fibrous matrix incorporating a superabsorbent polymer, as particles or as fibers, and is disposed between an inner cover pervious to moisture and an outer cover. The inner and outer covers may be quilted so as to segregate discrete regions of the fibrous matrix.

Abstract: A fluid-impervious sheet has two expansive surfaces, to one of which an elastomeric grommet adheres. The elastomeric grommet, which is annular when unstressed, outlines a region on the fluid-impervious sheet. The elastic grommet is adapted to provide a fluid-impervious seal around an object penetrating the region outlined by the elastomeric grommet and fitting tightly through the elastomeric grommet. A protective garment for a hazardous environment is made from the fluid-impervious sheet and has a breathing apparatus, which comprises elements inside the protective garment, elements outside the protective garment, and a tube connecting the inside and outside elements. The tube penetrates the region outlined by the elastomeric grommet and fits tightly through the elastomeric grommet, which provides a fluid-impervious seal around the tube.

Abstract: A protective garment for a military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker has an outer shell, which has two expansive surfaces comprised of a surface of high visibility and a surface of low visibility. The outer shell is reversible so that, when the protective garment is worn, one such surface becomes an outer surface of the outer shell and the other surface becomes an inner surface of the outer shell. The outer shell having portions that are reflective, fluorescent, or both on the surface of high visibility but not on the surface of low visibility. The protective garment has an inner liner, which is attachable detachably to the outer shell so as to be wearable within whichever of the expansive surfaces becomes the inner surface of the outer shell.

Abstract: In a protective hood having an upper head-covering section, an anterior head-covering section, a posterior head-covering section, and a lower neck-covering and shoulder-covering section, the lower neck-covering and shoulder-covering section differs from each of the other sections in abrasion resistance properties, thermal insulation properties, and moisture barrier properties, or one or two of those properties. Preferably, the lower neck-covering and shoulder-covering section has plural layers, which include an outer abrasion-resistant layer, an intermediate thermally insulative layer, and an inner moisture barrier layer.

Abstract: In a protective combination wearable by a firefighter or by an emergency worker, a face mask has a face-conformable gasket defining an outwardly opening trough. Further, a protective garment has a hood, which has a peripheral edge and which defines a tubular hem along the peripheral edge. Moreover, an inflatable tube, which extends through the tubular hem, is adapted to form a seal between the face-conformable gasket and the peripheral edge of the hood, when inflated so as to press the tubular hem along the peripheral edge of the hood into the outwardly opening trough, whereby to provide a seal between the face mask and the hood.

Abstract: A protective item for a firefighter or for an emergency rescue worker has an outer shell and an inner liner, wherein at least one of the outer shell and the inner liner is opaque to hazardous radiation. The inner liner may have plural layers, one being opaque to hazardous radiation, another providing a moisture and chemical barrier, and another providing thermal insulation.

Abstract: A protective hood, such as a firefighter's hood, has an upper head-covering section, an anterior head-covering section having a window, through which portions of a wearer's face are exposed, a posterior-head covering section, and a lower shoulder-covering section. The anterior head-covering section is made from comparatively heavier, thermally insulative material, whereas the upper head-covering section and the other sections, or a selected one of the other sections, are made from similar, comparatively lighter material, such as mesh or netting, whereby to allow heat to pass readily through those sections made from comparatively lighter material.

Abstract: Being reversible, a protective garment for a military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker has a shell of high visibility and a shell of low visibility. The shell of high visibility has portions that are reflective, fluorescent, or both, which the shell of low visibility does not have. When facing outwardly, the shell of low visibility appears black, or at least dark, in ambient light or displays camouflage. Except that the shell of low visibility does not have any reflective or fluorescent portions, the shells conform to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for outer shells of protective garments for firefighters. The shells are equal, or at least similar, in basis weights.

Abstract: For a firefighter, rescue worker, or chemical worker or another wearer needing head protection, a protective hood, a fitment, a face mask, and a head harness are combined. The protective hood is adapted to cover the wearer's head, except for a frontal region of the wearer's head. The fitment is attached to the protective hood so as to situate the fitment below the frontal region of the wearer's head. The head harness is attached to the face mask so as to secure the face mask to the wearer's head, over the frontal region of the wearer's head. The fitment is attached detachably to the protective hood and to the face mask. In a preferred embodiment, the fitment is a regulator of a self-contained breathing apparatus. In an alternative embodiment, the fitment is a respirator, to which an air filter is attached.

Abstract: A protective hood, such as a firefighter's hood, has an upper head-covering section, an anterior head-covering section having a window, through which portions of a wearer's face are exposed, a posterior-head covering section, and a lower shoulder-covering section. The anterior head-covering section is made from comparatively heavier, thermally insulative, heat-reflective material, whereas the upper head-covering section and the other sections, or a selected one of the other sections, are made from similar, comparatively lighter material, such as mesh or netting, whereby to allow heat to pass readily through those sections made from comparatively lighter material.

Abstract: In a protective glove, such as a firefighter's or welder's glove, which has a main portion, a thumb-covering portion, and four finger-covering portions and in which each portion has a front face and a back face and each face having a periphery, an edge strip joining the peripheries of the front and back faces of the of the main, thumb, and finger portions has two elongate edges, which are equidistant when the edge strip is taut, except in specific regions, where the protective glove when worn covers the wearer's knuckles and where the protective glove when worn covers the heel of the wearer's hand, at which regions the edge strip is widened to facilitate flexing without binding. Preferably, those regions where the edge strip is widened are located along a single one of the elongate edges, namely, the elongate edge joined to the peripheries of the back faces of the main, thumb, and finger portions.

Abstract: A protective garment for a military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker has an outer shell, which has two expansive surfaces comprised of a surface of high visibility and a surface of low visibility. The outer shell is reversible so that, when the protective garment is worn, one such surface becomes an outer surface of the outer shell and the other surface becomes an inner surface of the outer shell. The outer shell having portions that are reflective, fluorescent, or both on the surface of high visibility but not on the surface of low visibility. The protective garment has an inner liner, which is attachable detachably to the outer shell so as to be wearable within whichever of the expansive surfaces becomes the inner surface of the outer shell.

Abstract: For a firefighter, rescue worker, or chemical worker or another wearer needing head protection, a protective hood, a fitment, a face mask, and a head harness are combined. The head harness is attached to the face mask, at an upper portion of the face mask, so as to secure the face mask to the wearer's head, when the face mask and the head harness are worn. The protective hood is attached detachably to the face mask, at a lower portion of the face mask, but is not attached elsewhere. The protective hood is adapted to cover the wearer's head and to cover the head harness, except for a frontal region of the wearer's head, when the protective hood, the face mask, and the head harness are worn. The fitment is attachable to the face mask.

Abstract: For a firefighter, rescue worker, or chemical worker or another wearer needing head protection, a protective hood, a fitment, a face mask, and a head harness are combined. The protective hood is adapted to cover the wearer's head, except for a frontal region of the wearer's head. The fitment is attached to the protective hood so as to situate the fitment below the frontal region of the wearer's head. The head harness is attached to the face mask so as to secure the face mask to the wearer's head, over the frontal region of the wearer's head. The fitment is attached detachably to the protective hood and to the face mask. In a preferred embodiment, the fitment is a regulator of a self-contained breathing apparatus. In an alternative embodiment, the fitment is a respirator, to which an air filter is attached.