Abstract: A protective garment for a firefighter or for an emergency worker comprises a pocket, which is adapted to hold a telecommunications device, and a pouch, which contains the pocket and is adapted to hold a face mask, outside the pocket. The pouch has a first mouth, which when opened provides access to the pocket, and a second mouth, which when opened provides access to the pouch, outside the pocket. When the protective garment is being worn by a person standing erectly, the first mouth becomes an upper mouth and the second mouth becomes a lower mouth. Each mouth of the pouch has manually operable closures or a manually operable closure, such as a flap, which is securable to a wall of the pouch via a hook-and-loop closure and via a metal clasp, at the first mouth and such as a zippered closure at the second mouth.

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 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 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 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 protective garment, a composite structure comprising an outer shell, a moisture barrier within the outer shell, a thermally insulative liner within the moisture barrier, and a moisture absorber within the thermally insulative liner, a hydrophobic liner or a thermally insulative liner having a hydrophobic cover facing the moisture absorber is interposed between the moisture barrier and the moisture absorber. Preferably, if a hydrophobic liner is used, a thermally insulative liner is interposed between the moisture barrier and the hydrophobic liner.

Abstract: A protective helmet, which is intended to be only worn by a wearer who is authorized to pass through a security perimeter, comprises an outer shell, a pocket, which is mounted to the outer shell and 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 unreadable because of foreign matter, such as soot, or because of surface abrasion.

Abstract: A protective boot made from a foldable material such as Nomex™ material or Kevlar™ material or, for some applications, such as neoprene has an ankle-covering portion and a foot-covering portion, which has a heel end and a toe end. Near the toe end, the foot-covering portion is foldable onto itself and is fastenable to itself when and where folded onto itself, whereby the foot-covering portion can be adjustably sized. Hook-and-loop fasteners, which are preferred, or other fasteners are used for fastening the foot-covering portion releasably to itself when and where folded onto itself, at any one of plural positions. Hook-and-loop fasteners, if used therefor, enable the foot-covering portion to be releasably fastened to itself when and where folded onto itself, at any position within a range of possible positions. The protective boot has two hook-and-loop straps, each drawn around the protective boot and fastened to itself and to said fastening means.

Abstract: For a protective garment, such as a protective coat for a firefighter, a composite structure comprises an outer shell, a moisture barrier within the outer shell, a moisture absorber, which absorber may incorporate a superabsorbent polymer, within the moisture barrier, and an innermost layer within the moisture barrier, wherein the innermost layer is hydrophobic but is moisture-pervious. In one contemplated embodiment, the innermost layer is made from synthetic, hydrophobic fibers, which fibers are woven so as to be moisture-pervious and which fibers are surfactant-treated so as to promote their being moisture-pervious. In another contemplated embodiment, the innermost layer is made from a sheet of a synthetic, hydrophobic material, which sheet is apertured so as to be moisture-pervious. In another contemplated embodiment, the innermost layer is made from natural fibers, which fibers have a hydrophobic finish and which fibers are woven so as to be moisture-pervious.

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: 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 method for protecting 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.

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: 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.