Several events over the past decade have led to an increased
awareness of the importance of effective crisis response. As General
Pershing said in 1919, shortly after the First World War, “.but the
effect is so deadly to the unprepared that we can never afford to
neglect the question.” Between then and now countless crisis
situations requiring complex responses have arisen, ranging from
natural disasters like hurricane Katrina to deadly man-made ones
such as anthrax terrorist attacks. First response teams, chemical
workers, fire fighters, and hazardous materials (HAZMAT)
personnel are often called on to lead responses in such situations.
When threats involving unknown or potentially dangerous
substances arise, response teams must wear substantially insusceptible
personal protective equipment (PPE).
Protective clothing can negatively impact the users’ performance
in several ways including increasing heat stress on the body,