Firefighter Body Dimensions for Updating Safety Specifications for Fire Apparatus and Firefighter Protective Equipment

Up-to-date anthropometric information (body dimensions) of the U.S. firefighter population is needed for updating ergonomic and safety specifications for fire apparatus and firefighter protective equipment. Seventy-one measurements relevant to the design of seats, seat belts, cabs, turnout gear, gloves, and head-and-face gear are presented in this webpage. Forty of the 71 measurements were collected with the participants in fitted shorts in both standing and seated postures. Twenty-one of the 71 measurements were collected while the participants were wearing their personal turnout gear, including personal selection of tools stored in their pockets, in both standing and seated postures. Ten of the 71 measurements were hand- and head/face-related dimensions extracted from hand and head/face scans. The data obtained in this study provide the first available U.S. national firefighter anthropometric information which will benefit the design of future fire apparatus and protective equipment to better protect firefi