When people think of things that firemen carry around with them, they might picture a water hose or a hatchet for getting through debris.
However, fire helmets are easily the difference between life and death in lots of scenarios.
Traditionally, fire helmets come in a bright color such as red or yellow, but there are other colors out there that people often wonder about. What does a blue fire helmet mean? Follow our guide to find out more.
What Is A Fire Helmet Used For?
You’d be well wide of the mark if you think that this is a helmet made out of fire!
These inventions are actually an essential piece of the uniform for firefighters and they need to be worn at all times when in an area where debris and other objects are expected to be falling.
Because of the damage a fire can do to buildings, firefighters need to be very careful when entering a structure that has been damaged by fire.
Falling materials and debris can be extremely harmful to these heroes and can cause head injuries, and even death in extreme cases.
What Is The Normal Color Of A Fire Helmet?
If you’re talking about engine company helmets, then these usually come in black, however, truck company helmets also come in black, but with white and red quarters featuring on the equipment.
Chief officers usually wear a white helmet so they stand out and people can see who is in charge, although, this can vary from department to department.
Of course, many different areas of the world will have different colors of helmets, depending on their reasoning.
Some places will have yellow helmets for fighting fires, whereas, other fire fighting departments might opt for a white or red color. It’s all about their personal preferences and laws depending on what is legal.
So, What Does A Blue Fire Helmet Mean?
Many different departments around the world will have different colors for different positions. Blue can often symbolize a lieutenant or someone in a higher position of power or command.
Because of this, the blue stands out and allows people to know who to go to if they need to speak to someone in a position where they can make decisions.
Battling fires isn’t for everyone, you need to be able to work in a team and understand when to follow instructions and orders for the department to preserve human life and get the job done with limited cases of injuries.
By having blue helmets to make commanding officers stand out, you make working as part of a team a lot easier.
So, why blue? Well, many people will see blue as a neutral color, but also one that stands out from the other colors that you might see for a fire helmet.
Because of its bright and eye-catching nature, blue is a great color for a helmet and will allow the other members of the team to spot this person very easily.
As we previously mentioned, the colors of fire helmets will differ depending on where you are in the world and the fire department that you belong to.
However, many fire departments will reserve blue helmets for those in safety positions.
This means that many people in blue helmets are likely very important to their team and need to be seen very easily, with the blue helmet being easy to spot.
Safety is of paramount importance in fire departments, so Safety Officers are essential and need to be close by at all times to ensure the health of their team remains at the top of the priority list.
Why Do Fire Departments Have Different Colored Helmets?
As we briefly touched on, a lot of the reasons for having different colors for fire helmets come down to having different positions in the team and knowing who to go to.
For example, many firefighters have to wear a lot of protective gear, will often cover their faces.
Because of this, it can be hard to distinguish who is who, which is where the helmets come into play.
Rather than having to go around and ask different people who they are, a simple look at their color helmet can help to determine who is who.
Fighting fires can come down to big decisions and high pressure situations with limited time, so this helps with efficiency.
On top of this, the helmets, along with the rest of the uniform, help to keep the firefighters visible throughout their job.
So, if they have to be in a burning building with limited visibility due to smoke and fires, the helmets and the protective clothing will allow them to be more visible to their team members.
Are Different Helmets Only Distinguished By Different Colors?
All helmets tend to be the same shape because of the design used to keep people safe.
However, there are other ways to distinguish different people by their helmets, without the use of different colors. Different patterns aren’t uncommon on fire helmets and will often help to tell who is who.
Obviously, there are only a certain amount of colors in the world and only a few colors that actually suit being used in a firefighter’s environment, so different stripes and quartered colors are often featured to help keep these helmets unique for different people in a fire department.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! That’s why a fire helmet might be seen in blue.
When thinking of stereotypical firefighters in cartoons and other forms of popular culture, you might imagine them sporting a yellow or red helmet, when this isn’t always the case.
The truth is, there are lots of different colors used in the world of firefighting and they all have a different purpose.
By having different colors, such as blue, present when fighting fires, the team can get to work a lot quicker and ensure that they can get the job done without too many complications.
After all, time is a huge factor and can make a huge difference between life and death.
