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| The original grey and red design has been supplemented with a navy and red style |
The ICP station wear range has been expanded to include optional colour combinations. The original grey and red design has been supplemented with a navy and red style to accommodate a growing interest in station wear from existing ICP PPE users who were looking to adopt a darker colour option.
The availability of the Navy Range has prompted several existing PPE users to include station wear in their contracts. The largest of these is the Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation (DFRMO), which deployed its structural PPE back in 2009, and has just taken delivery of 1770 sets of the navy and red station wear. Norfolk FRS will be taking delivery in early 2013 whilst Gloucestershire FRS will begin their roll-out from April 2012.
The switch to ICP PPE will see Avon FRS deploy its new kit from autumn 2012. Staffordshire FRS, another early station wear adopter, is planning to begin the switchover to its new ICP fire kit during the 2012-2013 financial year. Staffordshire have also upgraded their contract to include managed services.
A number of ICP users have now adopted Bristol’s Wardrobe Management System (WMS) which provides them with secure online access to faster and easier means of managing their clothing and related accessories requirements at any time, night or day. It allows new orders to be placed and the delivery status of current orders checked. Management reports can also be accessed online. Depending on the preferred level of authority within any organisation, access can be cascaded down to a local or individual wearer level. Delegation of stock requisitioning can help reduce the need for purchasing departments to carry out low level procurement activities.
ICP users already taking advantage of the WMS include Lincoln FRS and Hereford & Worcester FRS, with both Gloucestershire and Norfolk planning to adopt it in the near future.
Commenting on DFRMO’s recent deployment of new ICP station wear, DCFO Phil Salt, HQ DFRMO Strategic Director Operations said, “Following many months of project work by the HQ DFRMO Operations team, which included sizing of more than 1,770 firefighters at both its UK and overseas fire stations, our new firefighter work wear, procured under the ICP Direct Supply contract, was introduced in January. The process was complicated by the fact that DFRMO is made up of a number of different Fire & Rescue Services including the military all of whom have different work-wear requirements”.
He explained, “The complete work-wear ensemble has been adopted for the Defence Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) firefighters and this includes short sleeve blue shirts, red wicking t-shirts, trousers, belts, safety shoes, fleece, waterproof jacket and sports wear. The DFRS crest is displayed on the sleeves of the shirts, fleeces and waterproof jackets.
The Royal Air Force Fire & Rescue Service have their own military work-wear but to ensure they have appropriate undergarments for their ICP PPE they selected to wear the red wicking t-shirts and the trousers. The Royal Navy (Aircraft Handler) Fire & Rescue Service similarly have their own military work-wear but have adopted the red wicking t-shirts, fleece and waterproof jackets with their own Royal Navy crest displayed.
The new contract provides excellent quality work-wear for our firefighters and having introduced robust clothing scales, plus a localised ordering process, means HQ DFRMO Operations team can now take a hands-off approach to its work-wear and focus on other operational imperatives.
Feedback from the DFRMO firefighters has been very positive and the contract is settling down now that the initial issues and exchanges have been completed. The new work-wear enables DFRMO firefighters to be comfortably attired when operating on their military bases whilst maintaining their Fire & Rescue Service identity and provided with a commensurate level of protection in the knowledge that they are wearing approved garments beneath their ICP PPE”.
