Early Days
Based on American history we see that fire was present in our country's first colonies. In the 1600s, firefighters had to deal with the fire, heat, and smoke without modern technology. Structures often burned to the ground because firefighters fought the fires from the outside. Interior operations were not possible because the everyday clothing firefighters wore offered insufficient protection from heat and flames.
Bunker gear or turnout gear are terms used by many firefighters to refer to their Personal Protective Equipment or PPE. "Bunker gear" and "turnout gear" can refer, depending on the context, to just the trousers, boots and jacket, or to the entire combination of personal protective equipment and personal protective clothing. The terms are derived from the fact that the trousers and boots are traditionally kept by the firefighter's bunk at the fire stationto be readily available for use. This clothing is usually referred to as "fire kit" in the UK and Ireland. In Hong Kong, it is referred to as incident gear.
Today
The firefighting personal protective equipment in use today consists of a combination of previous years' testing and technology. Based on the gear hanging hooks at the fire stations. Both the coat and pants have three layers similar to those the first NFPA standard required. The materials and temperature rating have improved along with new additions of webbing integrated into the coat for rescue, multiple pockets for miscellaneous tools, and removable knee pads. The fire helmet still resembles Henry Gratacap's design but has better interior suspension, a chin strap, and a fire-resistive flap that covers the ears and neck. Leather boots, gloves, and a hood complete the turnout gear ensemble.