Those flip-down goggles on a firefighter's helmet...

If you ever look at the underside of the brim on a firefighter’s helmet, you’ll notice what look to be goggles or some kind of protective eye piece that folds up and down.

Now, whenever I see firefighters, whether they are in movies, on a TV show, or on a news cast, these “goggles” are never flipped down. In fact, most of the time, they are tarnished with black soot and debris, ostensibly making them useless.

That leads me to wonder, are they really for your eyes? Or am I not even in the ball park, and they actually serve another function?

Vandal, when you see firefighters on TV, they’re not in a burning building–they’re outside, being filmed. So they flip the goggles up so folks can see their smiling faces. “Hi, Mom!” Like that.

When they’re inside a burning building, trust me, they’re using their goggles just the way you’d think goggles were designed to be used.

They’re dirty because they’ve been used, and all that soot is on the goggles, not in the firefighter’s eyes.

Useless? You think you can see inside a burning house?

In the world where Positive Pressure Breathing Apparatus reign goggles have kinda fallen out of use, the masks are made with heavy polycarbonate lenses to provide face/eye protection as well as breathable air. I personally prefferred the full flip down visors on my helmet because it protects my whole face. Some guys preferred goggles for heavy non fire work because they feel a little claustrophobic with face shields.

Its also amazing just how much heat a clear face sheild deflects when you are near a major fire. The radiant heat from a house fire will burn you from 20-30 feet away without protective gear. You can’t look at it with unprotected eyes.

The goggles are used only when cutting chopping or using power tools like the jaws. You kinda look around the dirty goggles as you work. They often get destroyed in fires and seldom get replaced. The dirtier and more destroyed a fire fighter’s helmet is the happier he is. It is like a badge of courage. In a fire the shields stay up we wear Self contained breathing apparatus that has a full mask.
PS I am a Fire Captain / Paramedic with 24 years experience mostly here in S Florida

Well, we have the same helmets with the polycarbonate face shields. I’m an EMT in NYS, and we simply order them in our colors, from the same maker that supplies firefighters. I use the helmet when at an MVA ( motor vehicle accident), and flip the visor down when, as was the case a few weeks ago, I am INSIDE the vehicle holding cervical stabilization WHILE the Jaws of Life and other pneumatic tools are used to rip the roof, door and side bar ( I think the smokeaters called it the “B” bar?? ) off while I was less than two feet away. It kept the glass and bits of metal from flying into my eyes.

They’re not there to look cool. For all the little black pouches and holders I have on my “Bat Belt”, not one of them is there just to look cool. It doesnt’ work that way. And, if you’re such a buff that you carry tools and accessories around that are useless, then I don’t want to be working anywhere near you.

iwishihada, ^5.

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