We are there for you

Firefighters have to work together as a team. Your way of life is determined by comradeship, reliability and a willingness to – quite literally in some cases – go through fire and water to help others. It is this team spirit that we have in common.

At S GARD, we have been developing turnout gear to protect you from harm for more than 130 years now. Our high-end firefighter clothing is always state of the art. Just meeting the standard isn’t good enough for us. The work of a fire service is constantly evolving, so we work incessantly on product innovations to meet those needs.

At the same time, we also see ourselves as an all-round partner. Among the services we provide are the care, cleaning and repair of your firefighter protective clothing. On top of that, our SAFETYTOUR offers you state-of-the art training and continuing education options through which you can acquire new skills and expertise.

In short, we are there to make sure you are perfectly prepared for and protected against the risks of your profession. We are there to serve you. We are your partner – UNITED FOR SAFETY.

For cooperation based on trust

Making sure our customers, employees and partners are satisfied is always the focus of everything we do. We assume considerable responsibility for all participants and provide you with the transparency required in situations where cooperation is based on trust.

Fair production

We believe that clothing should be fair for everyone, including the people who make our products. That is why we have been an official member of Fair Wear since 2016. We are committed to gradually improving the working conditions of the people in the production facilities we use.

By choosing our products, you too are helping to make the garment industry fairer for everyone. You can find more information on the FWF at fairwear.org.

RBC POLICY.

Environmentally friendly

We are aware of the impact our work has on the environment. That is why we set great store on ensuring that our products are not only skin-compatible but also eco-friendly, and we strive for continuous improvement in what we do in this respect. For instance, we use materials that meet the strict requirements of the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100.
This is a global standardised test system for textile products. We appear in the list of certified companies under number 06.0.46578.
More information on the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 can be found at www.oeko-tex.com

We have also established an environmental management system based on ISO 14001 in order to continuously improve our environmental performance. In our company building in Heinsberg, for example, we use less energy than we produce with the aid of the solar power system on the roof. We have other goals as well, including reducing fuel consumption by optimising our routes and engaging driver training for our employees. We have also decreased overall waste production by saving on cardboard and packaging thanks to the introduction of a paperless office.

Traceability

Do you want to know more about your product? We sew a batch number into every garment that provides information about the manufacturing process: from the supplier, materials used, and the time and location of production right down to the name of the employee who made your garment.

We can trace how and when your clothing was manufactured. Get in touch!

Product development

What makes heavy-duty seams even more resistant? How can reflective strips be made to last longer?

Our developers here at S GARD discuss these and similar questions on a daily basis. The goal is to develop new products and equipment features and to continuously improve the existing range, so that you can benefit for as long as possible from your firefighter protective clothing. This is exactly what we mean by UNITED FOR SAFETY.

When you decide to acquire a new protective jacket and/or trousers, you pay attention to both functionality and appearance. At the same time, new apparel needs to fulfil all the required standards. This is not just a challenge for you as a customer but one we also face as a manufacturer, of course.
Working with easily processible materials is an important aspect of production. Another challenge for us is designing features of firefighter clothing on which components such as pockets and reflective strips fit all the different sizes. It makes no difference whether the coat is a size S or XL, the radio always needs to fit inside the pocket and the number of reflective strips needs to meet standard requirements even on the smallest sizes.

Product developers in the sample production department take care of the details with skilled craftsmanship. For instance, they add reinforcements to sleeve and jacket seams for more effective protection against abrasion. Heavily stressed seams are specially reinforced. We also bank on top quality when it comes to the zip fasteners and yarns we use.
With all this attention to detail, sewing a protective jacket or pair of trousers can take between two and four days. It is not uncommon for them to consist of more than 100 separate parts. ULTIMATE pants, for instance, are made from 177 components. Some are directly visible; others are concealed within the overall piece.

Our partners – combined competence

We have been working with experienced market partners for many years to ensure you are protected against flames, injury, moisture and other hazards during your work.

Among them are Gore, DuPont™, PBI®, 3M and Hainsworth®. Many of your S GARD protective jackets and trousers, for instance, feature a GORE® membrane system that is specially adapted to your line of work. Our TITAN series incorporates HAINSWORTH® technology to minimise the hazards of heat stress. And the DTS/IRS rescue system was developed in cooperation with Bornack, a rope protection specialist. It helps you to better rescue injured persons or even better secure yourself. Of course, we also bank on superior brand quality when it comes to other components such as zip fasteners and yarns.

Gore-Tex®

GORE® WINDSTOPPER® instead of a sweater

The new trend in firefighter clothing: WINDSTOPPER® jackets

The market for firefighter protective clothing is on the move. Top-quality, modern station wear work jackets that protect you without being a burden are now in high demand. It is important that your station wear is light and easy to move in during your strenuous daily work. But its protective function is just as important, especially if you are often involved in outdoor operations. “We meet these needs with our windproof breathable S GARD WINDSTOPPER® OFFICER jacket. It keeps you protected from moisture and cold in poor weather conditions. Temperature and comfort are maintained even in arduous working conditions,” says S GARD Production Manager Maritta Fröhlich, explaining the benefits.

Material structure and features

S-GARD uses a special structure for our WINDSTOPPER® jacket that consists of three layers: a water-repellent outer fabric, a windproof membrane and a warm, soft layer on the inside. “We collaborate closely with the experts at Gore to continuously improve the material design,” adds Maritta Fröhlich. The S GARD OFFICER jacket has all the features that are important to fire service work. It has numerous pockets on the upper sleeve and front as well as preformed sleeves, a longer back and a stand-up collar to ensure comfort and a modern look. “Thanks to the positive material properties and practical features, the WINDSTOPPER® products have by now squeezed traditional sweaters out of the clothing market,” says the S GARD expert. And this trend will continue.

PBI® flame-resistant high-performance fibres

PBI® high-performance products

Makes you strong in the face of danger

We work with PBI® to reliably protect you and your team members against heat, flames and hazardous chemicals. This high-performance fibre was originally developed for NASA and the U.S. Air Force. Its efficacy as a material for firefighter protective clothing was soon discovered. PBI® has proven its worth thousands of times in test institutes, firefighting colleges and under real conditions. S GARD offers two product series that feature PBI® as turnout gear outer fabric: ULTIMATE and DYNAMATE.

Indestructible and comfortable

PBI® is extremely resistant to flames and heat. The fibre does not start to disintegrate until temperatures exceed 700°C and it does not conduct heat well at all. That makes it ideal for use in firefighter protective clothing. Even extended contact with fire and many years of intensive use do not make the material brittle, break or tear. Protective clothing made of PBI® is also suitable for operations where chemicals are involved. The high-performance material provides reliable protection against acids, alkalis, solvents and other hazardous chemicals. In addition, PBI® fibres are extremely strong, dimensionally stable and hard-wearing. Fabric made from PBI® is nonetheless light, pleasantly flexible and therefore very comfortable to wear. This can be decisive in situations where every movement counts. We can guarantee that you and your team will benefit for years to come from the outstanding durability of PBI® fibres.

DuPont™ Nomex® flame-proof fibres

DuPont™ Nomex®

The fire-resistant fibre

We make most of our firefighter turnout jackets and trousers from high-performance fibres made by DuPont™ – for example DuPont™ Nomex® – to provide reliable protection against heat and flames. This high-performance synthetic fibre does not melt and is resistant to heat and flames. These properties are attributable to the molecular structure of the fibre. The heat and flame-resistant properties are retained even after frequent washing and intensive use – over many years.

A barrier against heat

DuPont™ Nomex® protects your team reliably from heat stress during operations – a risk factor that demonstrably leads to the majority of injuries during firefighting. The fibre expands under severe heat so that the fabric forms an even better protective barrier. The excellent breathability of DuPont™ Nomex® fabric helps keep the body’s core temperature at a constant level in very hot conditions.

The best comfort for your safety

Firefighter protective clothing made of DuPont™ Nomex® is particularly comfortable. And that is vital: your team members need to be able to move freely without restriction to do a proper job whilst simultaneously minimising their own exposure to risk. DuPont™ Nomex® is so durable and long-lasting that it will protect your team for many years to come. Deciding to use DuPont™ therefore pays off double: it keeps your team safe and saves you money. That is why firefighters around the world rely on protective clothing made from DuPont™ Nomex®. Learn more here about the benefits of Nomex®

HAINSWORTH® protection against heat stress

Titan by HAINSWORTH® protective fabrics

Air pockets protect against heat stress

We at S GARD have developed the ULTIMATE and DYNAMATE series specially for you as a firefighter. The use of patented Hainsworth® Titan upper fabric technology minimises the hazards of heat stress. One special feature of the durable HAINSWORTH® design is that it forms protective air pockets between the DuPont™ Nomex® outer material and the Kevlar® layer when exposed to heat build-up. At the same time, body heat moves quickly to the outside through a highly breathable GORE-TEX® membrane. This reduces the danger of heat stress and scalding. Its re-drying properties are also of advantage because the insulation absorbs only very little sweat.

The benefits of HAINSWORTH® protective fabrics at a glance:

Improved breathability and reduced risk when exposed to heat
Sweat is moved away and body temperature is stabilised
Higher heat insulation under heat impact, fewer symptoms of heat-related fatigue and heat stroke

3M™ SCOTCHLITE™

We use the special reflective materials from our partner 3M for your firefighter protective clothing to keep you highly visible and safe while in operations.