NFPA 1971 & Bourke Shields

Changes to the 2013 Edition of NFPA 1971 have impacted the compliance of newly manufactured Cairns helmets with Bourke Shields. Any Cairns helmet manufactured after August 29, 2013 that includes a Bourke Shield will not be NFPA 1971, 2013 Edition compliant. Because NFPA 1971 compliance is based on ship date and not order or manufacture date, some leather helmet orders may be impacted.

Here’s what changed from 2007 to 2013 to bring this change. In 2007, not all components shipped attached to a fire helmet were subjected to the NFPA 1971 Heat & Thermal Shrinkage (HTS) test (500 degrees for 5 minutes in a convective oven). According to Section A7.4.4(8) of the 2013 edition of the standard, however, “any component that is attached to the helmet by the helmet manufacturer before shipment” is considered part of the helmet assembly and must therefore be subjected to the HTS test. It should not surprise the firefighting community that the current Bourke would fail such an extreme test, considering how many intentionally melt the Bourke to achieve that “seasoned” look.

For more details on how this may impact your current or future structural firefighter helmet order contact our main office or your regional sales representative.