Firefighters, from those fighting structural fires to those on wildland fire lines, frequently need lighting to illuminate hazards in the environments they are working in. Light manufacturers have responded to these needs with an array of products that help firefighters do their jobs more safely and efficiently.
Mario Cugini, founder and chief executive officer of FoxFury Lighting Solutions, says FoxFury makes the Command+ LoPro White/Green Helmet Light, designed specifically for structure fire smoke. “The wide, panoramic LED beam provides a comfortable task light wherever you look without turning your head,” Cugini points out. “The panoramic beam has a 38-degree spread that reaches over 85 feet for greater visibility and situational awareness during search.”
He notes that the Command+ LoPro fits under visors and face shields, has a 45-degree tilting light head to direct the light where it is needed, has a blinking red LED safety light so search teams can keep tabs on each other’s location and progress, is extremely durable, has an IPX7 waterproof rating to withstand severe weather and conditions, and runs on four AA batters for up to 14 hours of run time.
Cugini says that FoxFury also makes a Command+ Tilt White/Amber LED Headlamp/Helmet Light that is IPX7 waterproof, runs on AA batteries, and provides more contrast in vegetation smoke because of the white and amber LEDs, making it popular with wildland firefighters. In addition, FoxFury makes the Scout Clip Light in orange with white and red LEDs, where the red LEDs provide a night vision adaptation and the alternate white and red LED mode acts as a beacon. The Secure J-Clip on the unit enables multiwear options, Cugini notes, such as on a belt, pocket, backpack, or Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.
1 FoxFury Lighting Solutions makes the Command+ LoPro White/Green Helmet Light designed specifically for structure fire smoke. (Photos 1-2 courtesy of FoxFury Lighting Solutions.)
2 The FoxFury Breakthrough BT2 handheld right-angle LED light has a focused beam that reaches out to 400 feet.
3 The Nightstick Forge LED helmet light made by Bayco Products Inc. has a 360-lumen spotlight, rotates 360 degrees, and pivots 180 degrees. (Photos 3-4 courtesy of Bayco Products Inc.)
4 Bayco also makes the Intrant LED right-angle light in either alkaline battery or lithium-ion rechargeable models.
5 The H15R Work LED headlamp made by Ledlenser USA combines extreme luminosity with seamless focusing. (Photos 5-6 courtesy of Ledlenser USA.)
6 Ledlenser’s line of handheld LED flashlights includes the P18R Work light, which is rugged, waterproof, super bright, and rechargeable.
FoxFury also makes the Discover LED head lamp that illuminates to 60 feet; the Breakthrough BT2 handheld right-angle LED light that has a focused beam reaching out to 400 feet; the Breakthrough BTS LED right-angle handheld light that illuminates out to 60 feet; and the small, lightweight Scout right-angle LED light that shines out to 10 feet. Cugini adds all FoxFury lights are usable underwater, and all are available with alkaline, nickel hydride rechargeable, or lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.
Brian Whalen, marketing manager for Bayco Products Inc., says his company produces the Nightstick® line of LED lighting products. “Our Nightstick Fortem® dual helmet light has a 205-lumen forward spotlight and a 120-lumen downward flood light that can run simultaneously,” Whalen points out. “Fortem has a 360-degree pivoting mount, a rubber foot, and can tighten on any helmet rim. It can pivot 180 degrees above and below the rim and rotates 360 degrees side to side.”
Bayco also makes the Nightstick Forge™ LED helmet light in a smaller configuration than Fortem, Whalen notes. “It’s a 360-lumen spotlight, with a single button on the back that glows green, and it also rotates 360 degrees and pivots 180 degrees,” he says.
“The bestseller of all our fire products is our Nightstick Intrant® LED right-angle light,” Whalen says. “We offer Intrant in lithium-ion rechargeable and in AA alkaline battery models. The head pivots 90 degrees, and Intrant has a 205-lumens spotlight and a 110-lumens flood light. It can be worn on a turnout coat and, if the firefighter is pulling ceilings, can tilt up to illuminate and allow the firefighter to be hands-free. Its retention lanyard swivels and can snap onto a coat carabiner.”
Bayco offers two models of LED hand lanterns. The Nightstick Integritas™ is hand-carried and has four LEDs with a dedicated reflector that makes the light beams converge about 15 feet away, Whalen says. It has a 180-degree pivoting head, 1,750 combined lumens, and a carry strap with a safety release and is powered by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Bayco’s Nightstick Vulcan LED hand lantern is a three-head model that’s lighter and smaller than the Integritas model.
Greg Windom, president of Ledlenser USA, says Ledlenser makes the H7R Work and H15R Work rechargeable LED headlamps. “What differentiates us, especially in wildland firefighting, is our super bright headlamps with long last batteries that give the firefighter either a flicker-free broad flood light or a pinpoint beam to go through smoke,” Windom says. The H7R is rubber-armored, drop tested to 9.8 feet, and has a high-power output of 600 lumens that can be boosted to 1,000 lumens at the touch of a button, he adds. “The headlamp also has a dimmer to customize brightness settings, and maximum run time is 45 hours on the 15 lumens setting,” he says.
Ledlenser’s H15R LED headlamp combines extreme luminosity with seamless focusing, Windom says, offering constant, flicker-free light and clickless dimming with a wheel switch. The H15R has a rubber cover and protective lens screen for more resistance to various levels of impacts and is IP67 flex sealed for protection against dust and water. Ledlenser also makes a parallel line of P Work LED flashlights, Windom adds, “that are super durable, rugged, waterproof, super bright, drop resistant, and rechargeable.”
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.
