Firefighters expect a lot from their equipment. Their gear must protect them from the harsh elements they face without getting in the way of the work they do. For Ray Russell, that realization sparked the genesis of Phenix Technology.
In The Field
Having worn various helmet styles early in his career, Ray saw numerous opportunities to improve fit, balance, comfort, and clearance on the American fire helmet.
“A problem I saw with fire helmets back then was that they were big and bulky, and they sat high on the head. I just felt there was a better way of making them more comfortable. They were also not ergonomically correct for the head.”
On the fireground, Ray noticed the negative effects that stemmed from a helmet being poorly balanced. As firefighters swung their axes on roofs, Ray witnessed his frustrated peers needing to constantly readjust their helmet.
“Every time they chopped, the helmet would flop forward.”
Additionally, a helmet’s size often presented a challenge while performing certain tasks. During operations in confined spaces, like vehicle rescue, Ray observed that the bulky helmets of the 1960s made it more difficult to maneuver and put the firefighter in a position where they often had to choose between being protected or completing the rescue.
“If you had to get inside of a car to do any rescue... you had to take your helmet off and put it on top of the car, or you had to pretty much put the helmet aside so you could get into a tight space.”
Those formative experiences raised an important question in Ray’s mind: Could helmets be designed with safety, comfort, and function in mind?
Looking Beyond the American Fire Helmet
Ray found that answer, in part, by handling his personal collection of fire helmets. Over the years, Ray had accumulated fire helmets from dozens of countries and realized that some approached features like fit, comfort, and balance very differently from traditional American helmets.
“I had a collection of fire helmets from around the world, and some of them were very comfortable. Some of them fit very nicely. And so I put that into a design that I could use here in the United States.”
Ray’s goal was not to bring a European helmet to the American market. It was to take ideas that worked and incorporate them into the design for a new helmet that fit the tradition and needs of the American firefighter.
Rethinking the Approach to Fit and Balance
One detail, seemingly small, became a monumental opportunity for Ray to illustrate his commitment to improving function – the chinstrap. While handling an English fire helmet in his collection, Ray appreciated the chinstrap’s placement compared to the helmets he had worn.
“Instead of being pulled down in the front, [the chinstrap] pulled down straight on the head. And so that was incorporated into our design for our Phenix fire helmet, especially the First Due. In fact, all of our helmets are designed that way.”
It was a relatively simple observation, but it addressed the root of a real problem: helmets not staying secure and balanced on the user’s head. When a helmet’s fit is improved, it often reaps additional benefits in other areas. A firefighter who does not need to constantly readjust the position of the helmet on their head enjoys greater overall safety and comfort.
Designed For the Firefighter
Ray understood that safety was the primary factor in developing a great fire helmet, but it wasn’t the only one. For the firefighter, it also matters how the helmet feels and functions while they do their life-saving work. As a firefighter himself, Ray could recognize firsthand where helmets failed to meet the needs of the everyday user.
Decades later, the hundreds of helmets on display at Ray’s fire museum in Riverside, California tell more than a history of a product or a manufacturing company. They detail the development of an idea.
1 comment
Was Ray’s first design the American Sports helmet?