Advanced Inspection

Apex Fire Services is able to provide our customers with advanced inspections on ensemble and ensemble elements. Advanced inspections of all protective ensemble elements shall be conducted at a minimum of every 12 months, or whenever routine inspections indicate that a problem could exist.

Additionally, a complete liner inspection of all garment elements shall be conducted at a minimum after 3 years in service and annually thereafter or whenever advanced inspections indicate that a problem might exist. The liner system shall be opened to expose all layers for inspecting and testing.

All findings in the advanced inspection process are documented. A thorough inspection of each ensemble is performed, checking for the obvious and not-so obvious, including:

Physical and thermal damage
Missing hardware
Moisture barrier integrity – discoloration or abrasion
Seam integrity – broken or missing stitches
Material integrity – UV or chemical degradation, shifting material
Label integrity
Reflectivity
Closure system
Accessories

Ensemble elements, including hoods, helmets, gloves and footwear are given a thorough inspection, for:

	Physical and thermal damage Shrinkage Cracks, dents and abrasions Broken or missing components Functionality of components Reflectivity Water resistance Tread wear

Apex Fire Services maintains detailed records as to all work performed on all ensembles and ensemble elements. The NFPA 1851 Standard provides for a “cradle to grave” documentation for all ensembles and ensemble elements, including:

Date of advanced cleaning or decontamination
Reason(s) for advanced cleaning or decontamination
Date of repairs, who performed the repairs and a description of the repair
Date and findings of advanced inspections

Barcoding of ensembles and ensemble elements may be required by Apex Fire Services if there is any question as to the original manufacturer serial number or manufacturer label.