The gear that saves lives every day can also put some firefighters at risk.
For decades, firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) has been built around a single body type, the “average male.”
That standard became the template for everything from pattern blocks to sizing charts to test mannequins.
But as more women step into the fire service, the paradox grows impossible to ignore: the very gear meant to protect them can restrict, fatigue or even endanger them.
In The Safety Rack’s Equity in Safety Report, 1 in 5 women surveyed said they had been injured by their PPE, often because it didn’t fit correctly, interfered with movement or forced them to modify how they performed essential tasks.
If we apply that same reality to the fire service, where women are still fighting for gear designed to fit them, that number could be far higher.
Studies show that women firefighters are significantly more likely to wear ill-fitting or modified PPE due to limited sizing, shared gear systems or delayed procurement.
Amy Roosa
The gap isn’t about comfort; it’s about exposure and safety.
The problem didn’t start with bad intentions; it started with data that never included women.
Amy Roosa
Early NFPA and military research that shaped turnout gear and protective standards was conducted almost exclusively on male subjects.
Those measurements became the blueprint for modern design and the default pattern has barely changed in decades.
As a result, women entering the fire service were asked to adapt; rolling sleeves, cinching belts, folding gloves or wearing oversized turnout pants just to meet compliance.
The system wasn’t built to exclude them, but it wasn’t built for them either.
That distinction has real consequences: poor fit increases heat stress, limits mobility and erodes confidence in moments when every second counts.
You can’t design for what you don’t measure.
In just the United Staes, women make up roughly 5–8% of the US fire service, depending on region and department size, yet the anthropometric data used to inform PPE standards still overwhelmingly reflects the male body.
Standards like NFPA 1971 (Structural Firefighting PPE), 1977 (Wildland) and 1851 (Selection, Care and Maintenance) include detailed performance specifications, but none were originally derived from a gender-diverse dataset.
That means every layer of gear, from turnout coats to gloves, is engineered for a physiology that doesn’t represent today’s workforce.
A smaller size in a male cut doesn’t equal a women’s fit; it simply scales down a pattern assuming broader shoulders, longer limbs and narrower hips.
The result: women firefighters forced to alter gear, double up on base layers or accept constant discomfort as part of the job.
Each workaround carries risks, a sleeve rolled one too many times, a waistband that slips under harness tension a glove too long to grip a tool handle securely.
When fit is wrong, protection isn’t equal.
Oversized or ill-fitting turnout gear increases heat stress, limits dexterity, and can trap moisture or air pockets that alter the garment’s thermal performance.
Amy Roosa
At best, it slows a firefighter down. At worst, it contributes to injury or delayed reaction time under extreme heat or fatigue.
Research from the US Fire Administration and IAFF confirms that women in fire are more likely to face fit-related challenges, from turnout pants that restrict mobility to helmets that shift during operations.
Some even avoid wearing full gear during specific tasks because it’s too cumbersome or unsafe in its current fit.
That’s not a training issue. That’s a system failure.
Every recruitment campaign that brings women into the fire service while issuing gear that doesn’t fit them is a safety gap waiting to happen.
Amy Roosa
And every retention initiative that overlooks PPE fit is missing the most basic foundation of belonging: equal protection.
Solving the PPE paradox means addressing it at the source, in standards, procurement and culture.
Ultimately, this is a leadership issue, not a women’s issue.
Fire chiefs, training officers and safety leaders have the power to set the expectation that equity is not optional but essential to readiness.
The best departments aren’t waiting for mandates or lawsuits; they’re partnering directly with their women firefighters to build solutions that work in the field.
Leaders who treat fit equity as part of operational excellence send a clear message: we value your safety as much as your service.
That commitment builds trust, confidence and performance, the true markers of strong leadership.
Fire doesn’t discriminate, but our systems still do. Every leader in the fire service has both the opportunity and the responsibility to change that. Start by asking:
If we can engineer turnout gear to withstand flashover conditions, we can engineer it to fit every firefighter who risks their life inside it.
Amy Roosa
The next evolution in firefighting safety isn’t about technology, it’s about equity by design. And the fire service has everything it needs to lead that change.
