The standard-issued "yellows" and cargo-style pants for wildland firefighters don't have much sympathy for the human body, particularly if the firefighter's body type isn't the norm.
How comfortable the traditional yellow shirts and green pants are is not typically a forefront concern for firefighters, said Sonya S. Meyer, University of Idaho School of Family and Consumer Sciences director. But, she noted, ill-fitting clothing can pose concerns for safety and efficiency on the fire line.
"For their body, this is the protective gear," Meyer said of the clothing.
That's why researchers at several universities throughout the country have spent the past three years researching how the clothing fits firefighters, specifically the seasonal crew members, what issues are present and how they can be improved in a way that will make the gear more comfortable and help firefighters be more efficient.
The research is part of a five-year clothing redesign project initiated by Meyer in 2012 while she was a professor at the University of Wyoming. Meyer, along with a colleague at Colorado State University, spearheaded the project that now includes researchers at Iowa State University, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University, Oregon State University and Catherine Black at Washington State University.
Meyer's interest in wildland firefighting gear stems from a couple of places, but her idea for the research initiative came from a woman who approached her at the University of Wyoming. The woman was a wildland firefighter who had experienced some real issues with the standard trousers.