Whether for fighting fires, investigating scenes, signalling others in emergencies, or conducting rescues, lighting appliances are an essential piece of equipment for fire and rescue teams in order to navigate hazard-filled environments. Stream light, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting devices, offer a range of high-quality products built with precision and performance works to meet the needs of the fire market.

The company has developed its insights over decades of open communications and has a user-centric approach in developing new ideas and innovation for the fire market which, combined with their knowledge, experience and technical capabilities has seen them become a market leader in the industry.

Streamlight’s product development and compliance teams have been making a continuous effort to develop and evolve its ATEX product lines – the European certification given to equipment tested and approved to be intrinsically safe for use in or around explosive atmospheres – with the assurance that its flashlights are all safe, reliable, and a good fit for the job. International Fire and Safety Journal looks at a selection of Streamlights solutions for the fire market. 

Advanced Lighting

A clip-on flashlight is depended on by firefighters and so needs to be tough, compact in size, and reliable. Streamlight has developed specialised products for the fire market, including its clip-on flashlight Survivor Right Angle ATEX Light which possesses the latest in high-lumen LED technology for extreme brightness. The Survivor has four lighting modes that include high and low intensity, emergency flash, and a moonlight mode for low-level lighting that runs for 15 days.

The Survivor’s custom optic produces a narrow beam which is designed to cut through smoke, fog, and mist whilst also providing optimum peripheral illumination to aid in navigation. To ensure reliability, it operates on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery than can be recharged up to 1,500 times and permits firefighters to insert a spare pack of four AA alkaline or four AA lithium batteries to reduce the likelihood of being caught in the dark with a dead battery.

Avoiding hazards

Another key feature of any lighting device used by firefighters is that it needs to be safe for use in hazardous location. Streamlight’s high-performance Enduro Pro HAZ-LO ATEX headlamp is IECEx-certified for use in Zone 0 locations – places in which ignitable concentrations of flammable gases or vapours are present continuously – which are regularly faced by many fire fighters in their role as first repsonders.

The headlamp features a 45 degree tilting head and has three lighting modes to cover a variety of tasks: spot for a focused beam, flood for soft area illumination that will prevent eyes becoming tired and spot/flood combo for even more light output. The light also includes an adjustable elastic head strap and comes with two additional options: a rubber head strap and 3M Dual Lock re-closable fasteners for mounting on hard hats.

Streamlight’s Dualiefamily of lights are designed to be fundamentally safe and feature multi-directional lighting. Also ATEX and IECEx-certified is the Dualie 3AA flashlight which features a bright light that shines both ahead and downwards, helping firefighters avoid slips, trips, and falls. Powered by AA batteries, the Dualie 3AA features two powerful LEDS and three output modes: spot, flood, and spot/flood simultaneously for maximum brightness.

The 3AA model also has a case constructed from a durable, non-conductive, corrosion-proof polymer resin and unbreakable polycarbonate lenses with scratch-resistant coating and includes an integrated, snag-free clip for use on shirts, pockets and mounting on to gear for hands-free use.

Power and precision

Many situations faced by firefighters will need precision, task-oriented lighting. Streamlight’s Vulcan 180 HAZ-LO ATEX is a multifunction and rechargeable high-performance lantern featuring a 24-hour run time on low, and features a 180-degree articulating head and two ultra-bright blue taillights for visibility in difficult environments – whether from smoke, inclement weather, or other hazards. Firefighters and first responders can aim the light beam precisely where it is needed for task lighting purposes.

Portability and durability in poor conditions are another important design consideration, which is why Streamlight developed The Portable Scene Light II: a 10,000-lumen rechargeable, waterproof scene light. Featuring a versatile steel frame and 360-degree rotating head for precise aiming, this scene light is particularly beneficial for marking exits, post investigation, ground clean-up and mobile triage centre lighting.

Also from Streamlight is the recently introduced BearTrap: is a multi-function, rechargeable, 2,000-lumen work light, featuring both spot and flood beams. The BearTrap can rotate 270 degrees in its frame and it clamps to most surfaces without scratching or stands alone for hands-free task illuminations. It also features a magnetic base and a hanging hook and has an IPX4 rated design for water-resistant operation and is impact resistant tested to one meter.

Informing On Innovations

As lighting technology continues to evolve, the range of options for firefighting professionals worldwide continues to grow thanks to advances in portable lighting technology from innovators like Streamlight.

Streamlight is working with fire departments and training facilities to educate them on the latest technology innovations in lighting, spreading the word about the importance of light at a fire scene, and detailing the use of actual products in the training sessions. The company also offers an extensive video showcase on its website, which provides product and training information for fire personnel.

Streamlight President and CEO, Ray Sharrah comments: “Streamlight is a pioneer in rechargeable lighting with one of the largest range of safety-rated lights. We are revolutionising LED lights, making them brighter, safer, and incredibly durable.” He adds, “After we’ve met the challenges involved in designing and engineering a light, we put it through the most demanding industry testing to ensure the highest levels of performance and dependability”.

This article was originally published in the June edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.