There are countless ways to wear your gear. This is evident in the various brim styles offered on the Phenix TL-2. Based on SCBA placement, attachment considerations, and simple personal preferences, firefighters differ in the way they choose to wear their personal protective equipment.
Small variations like this may not seem drastic at first, but when tallied all together these decisions can and do affect protection, visibility, and long-term strain on the neck and shoulders. These factors and more should be considered when deciding how to wear your helmet. The first, and most obvious of them, is helmet positioning.
Why Helmet Positioning Actually Matters
Impact Protection
Phenix Fire Helmets are engineered to distribute impact evenly throughout the structure of the helmet. Many readers may already be familiar with the story of Lt. Jerald Talbert, who suffered a fall from a nine-foot ceiling directly onto his head. Lieutenant Talbert credited his Phenix TL-2 with saving his life, but the wise decision by Lt. Talbert to wear his helmet properly also contributed greatly to this fortunate outcome.
Situational Awareness
One of, if not the most important thing to maintain on the fire scene is situational awareness. It is imperative to your immediate safety that you have an accurate understanding of your surroundings. A helmet tilted too far forward can obstruct your vision above you. Overhead is a peripheral vision consideration that may not be top-of-mind, but one that is ignored at your peril. When encountering hazards falling from ceilings or rooftops, fractions of a second can make all the difference.
Balance & Fatigue
Fatigue sets in much faster when your muscles are strained. If your helmet is not properly balanced, you may be straining your neck or shoulders without even realizing it. This is not a problem unique to firefighters either, many people carry tension in their shoulders and neck constantly throughout the day. With a poorly balanced helmet, your head will compensate for this uneven weight distribution using your neck and shoulder muscles. The difference may be too subtle to even notice, or goes unnoticed at all in firefighters who have worn the same helmet their entire careers. These small misalignments compound over time, causing discomfort and even injury over the years.
Signs Your Helmet Is Too Far Forward
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The brim of your helmet touches your SCBA facepiece.
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Increased pressure on brow and forehead.
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Helmet tends to slide downwards when sweating or exerting heavily.
Signs Your Helmet Is Too Far Back
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Helmet feels unstable during aggressive movements.
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Rear brim digs into the turnout collar.
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SCBA tanks interfere with your ability to look upwards.
What A Proper Fit Looks Like
The key is an even distribution of weight from the front to the back of the helmet. Your brim should sit just above your eyebrows, and should remain stable when shaking your head or donning your SCBA. If not, there are adjustments outlined in the Care & Maintenance section of our website that will help you with suspension adjustments, chinstrap tension, and any other fit concern you may have with your Phenix First Due, TC-1, or TL-2.
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