Most firefighters, at one time or another, have succumbed to a form of heat stroke on the fireground, especially in the warmer months. Wearing 40 lbs. of turnout gear, a Nomex hood, helmet, gloves and bunker pants takes a toll on all of us.
A product that has been around for a few years needs to be looked at again if you are planning your budgets for next year’s purchases — especially if you are interested in fireground rehab for your members.
The product is known as the Kore Kooler Rehab Chair and is manufactured by Honeywell. After operating on the fireground, you merely sit in the chair and put your arms in the two water cooled reservoirs.
The Kore Kooler Rehab Chair essentially entails a modified folding chair with arm reservoirs that contain plastic bags filled with ambient temperature water.
The user sits in the chair after removing their turnouts and places their forearms into the water reservoir.
This action can help reduce the body’s core temperature. After each individual rehab, the bags are removed with the water they contain and a new bag is inserted to be filled with clean water.
There is no need to cool the water in the reservoirs; ambient temperature water from a house spigot, engine pump or hydrant works perfectly.
The standard chairs come in blue, but can be ordered in other colors as well. I really don’t think the color is the main issue here. Cooling off your firefighters or other emergency service workers is the most important concern.
While budgeting for these types of products may be a luxury for some departments, it could help prevent heatstroke on the fireground for one of your members.
This should be explained to the powers above you when deciding on your budget.
Honeywell First Responder Products manufactures solutions to the challenges facing firefighters and other first responders. For more details, visit their website.