Skip to content
Tailboard
SOP-200Personnel & TrainingSOP

Personal Protective Equipment

Selection, use, care, and retirement of structural firefighting PPE.

Read before using

This is a template. It is not your department's policy.

Tailboard templates are drafted as generic starting points aligned to national standards. They are nota substitute for your department's own review or for adoption through your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). For topics carrying significant exposure (use of force, medical scope, civil rights), route through qualified counsel before adoption.

Every placeholder marked [BRACKETED] must be completed before adoption. Every section must be reviewed against your department's staffing, apparatus, water supply, EMS scope, geography, and the specific laws of your state. What applies to a career department in a city may not apply to a volunteer department in a rural jurisdiction, and vice versa.

Standards, regulations, and best practices are updated regularly. Verify the current edition of every standard cited before adopting this document. Once adopted, this document becomes your department's responsibility — not Tailboard's.

Want this tailored to your department?

Open it in the Policy Builder. Answer a few questions about your staffing, apparatus, and conditions — we'll adapt every section to match.

Number

SOP-200

Version

1.0

Last reviewed

2026-01-01

Next review

2027-01-01

Summary

This Standard Operating Procedure governs the selection, issuance, use, inspection, cleaning, storage, and retirement of personal protective equipment (PPE) for [DEPARTMENT NAME]. It exists to protect members from thermal injury, impact, and carcinogenic exposure — and to align department practice with NFPA 1971 (selection) and NFPA 1851 (care and maintenance).

Definitions

Structural PPE / Turnout Gear
The ensemble of coat, pants, helmet, hood, gloves, and boots designed to protect firefighters during structural firefighting operations, meeting NFPA 1971.
Advanced Inspection
A thorough, documented examination of each element of PPE performed at least annually by a trained member, per NFPA 1851.
Advanced Cleaning
A specialized cleaning process — performed in-house with proper equipment or by an Independent Service Provider — at least once per year and after any exposure event.
Routine Cleaning
On-scene and post-incident cleaning performed by the member to remove soot and contaminants after each use.

Purpose

To establish the minimum standards for PPE issued, used, and maintained by [DEPARTMENT NAME] members, and to ensure compliance with federal OSHA respiratory protection rules, NFPA standards, and manufacturer recommendations.

Scope

Applies to all members of [DEPARTMENT NAME] issued structural firefighting PPE, including career, volunteer, probationary, and any member authorized to operate in a structural firefighting capacity.

Issuance

  • Every member assigned to structural firefighting duty is issued a complete structural PPE ensemble meeting NFPA 1971 (current edition).
  • A second hood is issued to every member to enable rotation for cleaning.
  • PPE is fitted to the individual member — not shared gear for operational use.
  • Issuance is documented, including size, manufacturer, model, serial number, and date of manufacture.

Required Use

Full structural PPE is required for every member operating in or near the hazard area at a structural fire. "Full" means coat, pants, hood, helmet, gloves, boots, and SCBA in IDLH atmospheres.

Structural fires — interior or hot zone

  • Full ensemble plus SCBA on air.
  • Hood fully deployed covering neck and ear protection.
  • Collar up.
  • Gloves on. No skin exposed.

Structural fires — exterior / cold zone

  • Coat, pants, boots, helmet, gloves at minimum.
  • SCBA readily available; donned if conditions warrant.

Overhaul

  • Full ensemble plus SCBA on air until air monitoring confirms atmosphere is safe.
  • Do not remove SCBA based on visible smoke clearing alone.

Other incidents

  • EMS: body substance isolation PPE per Bloodborne Pathogens SOP.
  • Vehicle extrication: turnout coat, pants, gloves, eye/face protection, helmet.
  • Wildland / brush: wildland-specific PPE; structural gear is not approved for sustained wildland use.
  • Hazmat: PPE level determined by the Hazmat SOG and incident conditions.

Inspection

Routine (Member)

  • Performed after every use and at the start of every shift.
  • Visual check for damage, contamination, missing components.
  • Gear is removed from service immediately if damage is found.

Advanced (Trained Inspector)

  • At least once per year, per NFPA 1851.
  • Conducted by a member trained in advanced inspection.
  • Each element is examined per NFPA 1851 checklist.
  • Findings are documented; gear is removed from service, repaired, or retired as indicated.

Cleaning

  • Gross decon is performed on scene after every structural fire per the Decon SOP.
  • Routine cleaning is performed by the member on returning to quarters after any exposure.
  • Advanced cleaning is performed at least once per year and after any exposure event involving significant contamination, bodily fluids, or suspected carcinogenic exposure.
  • PPE is not laundered in domestic washing machines.
  • Never take contaminated gear into personally owned vehicles, homes, or living areas.

Repair

  • Repairs are performed only by the original manufacturer, a certified Independent Service Provider, or by a member trained by the manufacturer for the specific repair.
  • Field repairs (patches, tape, sewing) are not authorized for outer-shell damage.
  • Repaired gear is re-inspected before return to service.

Retirement

  • Structural PPE is mandatorily retired no later than 10 years from the date of manufacture (per NFPA 1851).
  • Gear is retired earlier if damage cannot be repaired, if it fails advanced inspection, or if it no longer provides the level of protection required.
  • Retired gear is destroyed or permanently marked "Not for Emergency Use" — it is not repurposed for training without specific marking and controls.

Storage

  • Gear is stored in a ventilated, dry, dark area separated from living and sleeping quarters.
  • Contaminated gear is bagged at the scene and transported directly to the decon area.
  • Gear is not stored in direct sunlight or where UV exposure is sustained.

Responsibilities

Members

  • Wear issued PPE as required.
  • Perform routine inspection and cleaning.
  • Report damage, contamination, or fit issues immediately.
  • Do not wear damaged or contaminated gear into service.

Company Officers

  • Enforce proper PPE use on scene.
  • Verify routine inspection is occurring.
  • Remove non-compliant PPE from service.

Health & Safety Officer / PPE Program Manager

  • Manage the advanced inspection program.
  • Maintain inspection, cleaning, and repair records.
  • Coordinate advanced cleaning and repairs with approved providers.
  • Track the manufacture date of each ensemble and schedule retirement.

Training Requirements

  • All members trained on proper donning, doffing, use, and routine inspection at onboarding and annually.
  • PPE Program Manager / advanced inspectors complete manufacturer-approved or NFPA-aligned training before performing advanced inspections.
  • Training is documented in individual member records.

References

  • NFPA 1971Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
  • NFPA 1851Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
  • NFPA 1500Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program
  • Lavender Ribbon ReportNVFC — 11 Best Practices for Preventing Firefighter Cancer

Adapt this template

Before this template becomes your department's policy, review the following items and adjust accordingly. Anything else that does not match your operation should be updated as well.

  • Replace the NFPA edition year with the edition in effect at time of adoption.
  • If your department uses a contracted Independent Service Provider for advanced inspection or cleaning, name the provider and include the contract contact in a department attachment.
  • Update the "Other incidents" section if your department has specific PPE requirements for wildland, technical rescue, or hazmat operations.
  • Align with your department's Decon SOP and Cancer Prevention program.

Adoption signature

Adopted by (Name, Rank)
Signature
Effective date
Next scheduled review

Before adoption checklist

  • ☐Replace [DEPARTMENT NAME] throughout the document.
  • ☐Complete every [BRACKETED] placeholder.
  • ☐Confirm the current edition of every cited standard.
  • ☐Check against your state statutes and state fire marshal rules.
  • ☐Route for chief review. Topics with significant exposure (use of force, medical scope) also go through qualified counsel.
  • ☐Confirm alignment with any mutual-aid agreements.
  • ☐Schedule a training plan for the new policy before effective date.
  • ☐Announce adoption in writing to all members. Archive the prior version.
  • ☐Set the next review date — annually at minimum.