How does the ventilation system work?
The Project HEROES system employs an Insulated Cooling System where exhalation air from the SCBA is captured by a special connection and diverted into the coat. Features in the coat permit the air to circulate in the upper torso. This feature provides improved integrity that prevents the inward leakage of outside contaminants through the many interfaces found in the upper body (hood to coat, hood to face piece, front closure, sleeve to glove, coat to pants). It also potentially provides a source of cooling by providing convection and the ability to absorb some of the moisture created by sweating inside the coat. Lastly, the additional air may offer enhanced insulation to the upper body during structural fire fighting where many burns occur. Continual refinements are being made on this feature; however, the Project HEROES team is working to evaluate how well this feature works at selected field sites and in detailed laboratory testing. 5. How will this new system be specified? The techn