Notes

In the 1950s, Dr. Carl Marvel developed a temperature-resistant artificial fabric for the USA Air Force called polybenzimidazole . PBI is an artificial fabric capable of remaining fixed even in extreme heat and cold. In 1963, NASA recognized the usefulness of this material for its astronauts and joined forces with the U.S. Air Force.
In recognition of how this contunueing research could help firefighters, the International Association of Fire Fighters in 1971 collaborated with NASA in Project F.I.R.E.S (Firefighter Integrated Response Equipment System), a coordinated effort to streghthen PBI and other technology developed for astronauts. This partnership led to better protective suit fabrics and international standards that help firefighters stay as safe as possible while in harm's way..
NASA's contribution to safety didn't stop with the fabric, though. The same PBI technology also goes into making better insulation and more heat-resistant construction materials and techniques. This means burning buildings protected with that material don't collapse as quickly onto firefighters working to put out the fire [source: NASA Spinoff].
But heat-resistant fabric and construction barely scratches the surface. On the next page, we'll look at how NASA worked with firefighters to rethink the entire firefighter suit and come up with a revolutionary new design.