Firefighter boots

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Lace-up boots of the Augsburg professional fire brigade
Components of a firefighter's boot

Fire brigade boots are the special fire brigade boots . To be suitable for the fire service, they must meet the requirements of the DIN EN 15090: 2012 standard. They are available in different designs, for example as slip-on boots, lace-up boots and rubber boots.

Protective effect of fire fighting boots

In particular, they must offer protection against:

  • Injury to the foot from falling objects,
  • Puncture injuries to the sole of the foot from stepping into sharp objects
  • Injuries from twisting an ankle
  • Cold and wet
  • Burns to the foot
  • electricity
  • static charge

Fire fighting boot types

In principle, the fire fighting boot standard DIN EN 15090: 2012 knows three types of fire fighting boots for the fire service. On the one hand, these would be boots for general use, such as for technical assistance, for fire fighting and fire fighting boots for the use of hazardous substances. Which of these boot types is used in the fire service in accordance with the fire fighting boot standard depends on the purpose and the corresponding suitability.

Requirements for fire fighting boots

In order for boots to be suitable as firefighter boots, they must have special protective properties, which are regulated in the DIN EN 15090: 2012 standard. In order to determine whether this is actually the case, they must meet the requirements of certain tests, which are also contained in the standard DIN EN 15090: 2012.

First of all, the fire brigade boots are classified according to their material, as specified in DIN EN 15090: 2012. Class I consists of boots made of leather or other material, with the exception of solid rubber or all-polymer shoes, which form class II. In addition, according to DIN EN 15090: 2012, they should be standardized according to their use. While type 1 firefighting boots are only suitable for normal fire-fighting measures outdoors (e.g. forest), type 2 firefighting boots can also be used for internal attacks in buildings, vehicles, ships and similar objects. Fire brigade boots with the performance level for thermal insulation HI3 (250 ° C for 40 min) offer the highest protection. This is the most common boot.

Fire fighting boots, for example, must have basic protection against chemicals and microorganisms. However, if emergencies occur in which dangerous chemicals are released, fire-fighting boots of type 3 (fire-fighting rubber boots) are required. Type 3 fire fighting boots also include type 2 applications and are therefore also suitable for fighting fires in buildings.

Another test, according to DIN EN 15090: 2012, is the sand bath test, in which the firefighter boots are exposed to contact heat of 240 ° C for 40 minutes and must pass this test without major damage. Another test, according to DIN EN 15090: 2012, relates to the radiant heat, in which, after a heat flow density of 20 kW / m² and a glow time of at least 5 minutes, the upper leather of the firefighter's boot under test does not shrink and the material of the firefighter's boot does not may break.

The burning behavior is also subjected to a test in which the fire fighting boot is exposed to the flame of a Bunsen burner. The upper material, seams, attachments, soles and fasteners of the fire fighting boot are tested. According to DIN EN 15090: 2012, what is new is that fire brigade lace-up boots must also be checked here. The zipper must be checked for its construction (interlocking coupling elements), tear resistance and transverse strength.

Marking of fire fighting boots

Pictogram on a fire fighting boot

Fire brigade boots must meet legal requirements and for this there is a label in the form of a pictogram directly on the shoe, which provides information about the fulfilled standards and further details of the fire brigade boots.

On the boot there is usually:

  • The manufacturer name
  • The manufacturer's type designation or model number
  • The size and possibly also the width of the boot
  • A CE mark: This mark means that the manufacturer guarantees that the shoe has been manufactured according to European guidelines
  • The number of the certification body
  • The applicable standard to which the boot corresponds z. B. EN 15090: 2012
  • The protective function of the boot, HI3 CI
  • The pictogram F2A (F = basic requirements for fire brigade boots fulfilled, 2 = type 2, A = antistatic)
  • Month and year of manufacture of the shoe e.g. B. 01 11