Leather Fire Boot Problems !
M. Bowman
How in the world did leather fire boots ever get NFPA approval?
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Sitting before me is a several hundred dollar pair of Servus leather
structural fire boots with a quarter size hole in the toe of one boot and
the leather so thin on the other I bet I could push my finger through it...
Now one might expect this of boots which have seen a lot of service -- but
three times, come on now!
And consider the uses: One was a TA -- I did traffic control. The second
was training -- I made two crawling/walking entries into a concrete tower
covering maybe 100' total. Up to that point I noticed no wear on the toes.
The problem came on the third use. The hole was discovered after crawling
10' in and out of a burning structure. Heat/fire was not the problem -- the
surface was dirt and concrete covered with about 1/2" of water. (Note,
there were no chemicals involved. The leather knees on my trousers and my
leather fire gloves covered the same ground -- no wear problems. On each
use I was accompanied by other personnel in 'rubber' boots -- they had no
wear problems.)
When confronted, the factory acknowledged 'wear problems'. They are having
me return the boots for evaluation and installation of a toe
re-inforcement. However, I understand they use a third party to do this.
(What will this do to the their water resistance, dielectric qualities, and
weight? How about NFPA approval?)
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But wait -- I am not alone, nor is the issue with a single manufacture...
Another local firefighter wore a hole in his brand new pair of Ranger
leather boots the very 'first' time out of the box! The vendor acknowledged
wear problems, but refused to warranty the boots as 'it was a training
fire'. He later offered to install a toe re-inforcement, but for a fee...
(The same vendor recently packed up and left a trade show when this
firefighter confronted him in front of our peers.)
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I would appreciate hearing about similar problems anyone may have
experienced. If you have had a good experience with leather fire boots --
what make/model and might you shed some insight as to why yours have lasted
where ours have not...
The rest of you might wish to take a second look before taking the leather
plunge -- it appears water, fire ground conditions, and leather fire boots
may not mix. (I'll let you know how the repairs turn out...)