In the 25 years that Gore has worked with the fire industry, personal protective equipment (PPE) has undergone many changes, and Gore has continued to be a pioneer in applying membrane technology to high-performance moisture barriers for fire and emergency response apparel. PPE manufacturers use CROSSTECH® Fabric in a variety of products — garments, boots, and gloves for structural firefighting, EMS, search and rescue, and public safety. At FDIC 2008 in Indianapolis, W. L. Gore & Associates is introducing a new brand image for its family of CROSSTECH® Products. The new branding can be seen throughout the company's booth, on its product literature and marketing materials, and on its revamped website.

According to Tom Bugg of Gore's North American Technical Fabrics business, “CROSSTECH® Products have evolved significantly since they were first introduced over ten years ago. We needed to update our branding to reflect this evolution and to make CROSSTECH® Products more recognizable in the marketplace. We have also redesigned our website to provide customers with easier access to the full line of our protective fabrics and capabilities to support the needs of firefighters and other professionals.”

CROSSTECH® Moisture Barriers provide outstanding durability, heat stress reduction, and proven protection against blood, body fluids, and common fire ground chemicals. For more information about CROSSTECH® Moisture Barriers, visit the new website at crosstech.com or call 800.431.GORE or 410.392.3600.

With more than $2 billion in sales and 8,000 employees worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates specializes in fluoropolymer innovations that improve the quality of life. Gore has applied its world-renowned expertise to thousands of high-performance solutions in pharmaceutical, consumer, industrial, electronic, medical, and surgical markets. Specifically in the protective fabrics arena, Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance barrier products for use in firefighting, EMS, technical rescue, law enforcement, military, and domestic preparedness applications. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA.

(Elkton, Maryland - January 15, 2008) W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., announces a new line of CROSSTECH® Footwear Fabric that provides law enforcement professionals with the same high level of protection and comfort currently available in boots for fire and emergency medical professionals. Working closely with major footwear manufacturers, Gore has designed a series of CROSSTECH® Footwear Fabrics that protect law enforcement professionals against blood, body fluids, and common chemicals. At the same time, these fabrics allow moisture vapor (sweat) to escape from the boot, helping to increase the wearer's comfort.

These CROSSTECH® Footwear Fabrics have been designed specifically to meet the specifications for each manufacturer's performance requirements. According to Bill Candy, product specialist at W. L. Gore & Associates, “Gore is committed to providing the right product for each application. We worked closely with Bates, Danner, HAIX®, Matterhorn, and Timberland to identify both the breathability and protection requirements for their specific products. By offering a variety of CROSSTECH® Fabrics that protect against blood, body fluid, and common chemicals, Gore gave the manufacturers the flexibility to use fabric, leather, or a combination for their boot uppers.”

According to Andrew Fowler, Bates national sales manager, Bates combined their patented DuraShocks® comfort technology with CROSSTECH® Footwear Fabric in a six-inch and an eight-inch side-zipped boot with leather and nylon uppers. Bates believes this combination provides the consumer with the best protection in a breathable, comfortable shoe. Along with its parent company, Wolverine World Wide, Inc., Bates continues to maintain one of its longest standing partnerships with Gore. Fowler sums up this relationship by saying, “Bates has always partnered with the best component suppliers in every market, and Gore is hands-down the top in the protective membrane category, whether we're talking about consumer, military, fire, chem-bio, or law enforcement.”

Because of the proprietary expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane incorporated in the CROSSTECH® Fabric, the material passes both ASTM F1671 (Blood-Borne Pathogen Resistance) and ASTM F903C (Chemical Resistance) standards. This special membrane is thermally stable to more than 500°F and inherently chemically inert, which allows them to be worn in even the harshest environments. The flexibility, waterproofness, and chemical resistance of these CROSSTECH® Footwear Fabrics have been tested to ensure superior durability.

Tyler Morley, Danner's uniform product line manager, describes Danner's Striker™ II Assault boot as newly designed to provide special protective benefits for tactical officers working in the toughest conditions. Built with the Danner TERRA FORCE™ X LITE performance platform, which provides a slip-resistant outsole for extra stability, and the puncture-resistant Flex-Shield II midsole, the Striker™ II Assault boot features full-grain leather and breathable quarter panels for durability and comfort. When asked about their choice of CROSSTECH® Fabric, Morley says, “We chose CROSSTECH® Fabric because we were building the ultimate boot for law enforcement special operations professionals, and we felt they deserved the best protection - not just waterproof protection, but protection from blood-borne pathogens as well.”

By developing boots with CROSSTECH® Footwear Fabric, manufacturers are providing law enforcement professionals with protection options from contaminants they are encountering more frequently. HAIX®, a manufacturer of high-quality, hand-crafted footwear for the fire and EMS industries, chooses to use CROSSTECH® Fabric from W. L. Gore & Associates to produce the Airpower® X1 EMS/station boot. Sandy Longarzo, customer service and marketing manager for HAIX® North America, says, “Using CROSSTECH® Fabric in conjunction with the HAIX® patented Micro Soft Light (MSL) System, the Airpower® X1 offers climatic comfort with superior penetration resistance to water and blood-borne pathogens while still remaining breathable. With the MSL System, the CROSSTECH® Fabric abrasion-resistant inner lining remains securely in place and does not crumple up or pull out. The HAIX® built-in arch support system and adjustable lacing zipper system provides optimal fit and comfort. On the cutting edge of technology, the Airpower® X1 is NFPA 1999-2003 certified for emergency medical operations.”

With approximately $2 billion in sales and 8,000 employees worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., specializes in fluoropolymer innovations that improve the quality of life. Gore has applied its world-renowned expertise in fluoropolymer fabrication to thousands of technology-driven applications in consumer, electronic, pharmaceutical, and medical product manufacturing. Specifically in the fabrics arena, Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance barrier products for use in law enforcement, firefighting, EMS, technical rescue, military, and domestic preparedness applications. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA. For more information about CROSSTECH® Products, visit www.crosstech.com, call 800.431.GORE or 410.392.3600, or email CROSSTECH@wlgore.com.

(Elkton, Maryland - April 10, 2008) In an effort to assist the fire industry in implementing NFPA 1851, 2008 Edition, W. L. Gore & Associates has developed a CD-based instructional guide that addresses compliance with this updated Standard as it relates to liner systems and, specifically, to Gore's family of moisture barriers. Drawing on Gore's 25 years of expertise in leading-edge barrier technology, this guide discusses cleaning, inspecting, testing, and repairing CROSSTECH® 2-Layer Moisture Barrier, CROSSTECH® 3-Layer Moisture Barrier, and GORE™ RT7100 Moisture Barrier.

The new edition of NFPA Standard 1851 identifies the necessary considerations for selecting gear and procedures for reducing risks that result from poorly maintained or contaminated gear. As a result, the Standard now places a new emphasis on the ongoing compliance and durability of structural and proximity firefighting ensembles, which translates to a more rigorous inspection of the entire garment and all of its components. Gore's new instructional guide responds to this emphasis by providing information regarding inspecting, testing, and repairing its moisture barriers. For example, the guide includes step-by-step demonstrations of both the leakage evaluation test and the water penetration test to identify potential repairs needed to ensure barrier effectiveness. It also provides some basic information regarding the thermal liner light evaluation test.

According to Holly Blake, Gore's product specialist for structural firefighting garments, compliance with NFPA 1851, 2008 Edition means that departments have many issues to address - decisions like how to assign the various compliance responsibilities, how much of the compliance work to do within the department, whether to contract an independent service provider (ISP) for all or part of the services needed, and how to train all personnel on their individual responsibilities. Blake says, “For over 25 years, Gore has worked closely with the fire service industry to develop the most effective products to meet the industry's performance expectations of moisture barriers. As the industry addresses inspecting, testing, and repairing turnout gear, we felt it may be beneficial to share our expertise on these issues. By creating this instructional guide, we continue to support manufacturers, ISPs, and fire departments as they develop their specific procedures for ensuring compliance with NFPA 1851.” .

With more than $2 billion in sales and 8,000 employees worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates specializes in fluoropolymer innovations that improve the quality of life. Gore has applied its world-renowned expertise to thousands of high-performance solutions in pharmaceutical, consumer, industrial, electronic, medical, and surgical markets. Specifically in the protective fabrics arena, Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance barrier products for use in firefighting, EMS, technical rescue, law enforcement, military, and domestic preparedness applications. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA. For more information about CROSSTECH® Moisture Barriers, call 800.431.GORE or 410.392.3600, or visit crosstech.com.

ABOUT W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.

Gore is a technology-driven company focused on discovery and product innovation. Well-known for waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric, the company’s portfolio includes everything from high-performance fabrics and implantable medical devices to industrial manufacturing components and aerospace electronics. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Gore employs more than 10,000 associates in 30 countries worldwide. Gore is one of a select few companies to appear on all of the U.S. “100 Best Companies to Work For” lists since the rankings debuted in 1984. The company also appears regularly on similar lists around the world. Learn more at www.gore.com.

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Media Contact:
Marie Y. Smith
302.994.0117

Elkton, Maryland, April 25, 2013 – W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., has announced the next-generation GORE® CROSSTECH® glove insert with film technology engineered for structural firefighting gloves. Gloves made with this insert combine improved dexterity and feel with the protection, durability, and thermal stability that firefighters have come to expect from all GORE® CROSSTECH® products.

A breakthrough in the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) film technology used in Gore’s glove inserts led to this flexible, next generation GORE® CROSSTECH® insert with film technology. With the moisture barrier fully bonded to a form-fitting thermal liner, this 3-D combination results in better flexibility, less bulk in the palm, and improved dexterity.

Gloves made with the next-generation GORE® CROSSTECH® glove insert with film technology help firefighters tackle difficult tasks without removing their gloves. According to Mark Williams, Gore’s product manager for GORE® CROSSTECH® glove products, “In conversations with firefighters, we kept hearing that their bulky gloves get in the way of being able to do such things as operating equipment and adjusting controls. They resorted either to using non-certified gloves or even to taking off their gloves. We worked with glove manufacturers to develop NFPA-certified gloves with this new film technology so that the firefighters can focus on their jobs without compromising their safety.” For more information, visit CROSSTECH.com.

About W. L. Gore & Associates

Gore is a technology-driven company focused on discovery and product innovation. Well-known for waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric, the company’s portfolio includes everything from high-performance fabrics and implantable medical devices to industrial manufacturing components and aerospace electronics. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Gore employs approximately 10,000 associates in 30 countries worldwide. Gore is one of a select few companies to appear on all of the U.S. “100 Best Companies to Work For” lists since the rankings debuted in 1984. The company also appears regularly on similar lists around the world.

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Media Contact:
Marie Smith
302.994.0117
mysmith115@comcast.net

CROSSTECH, GORE-TEX, GORE, and design are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.

(Elkton, Maryland - April 6, 2007) W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., has announced an addition to its line of moisture barriers — CROSSTECH® 3-Layer moisture barrier. This addition provides an extensive level of durability with high total heat lost (THL) and an increased thermal protective performance (TPP). As the latest option for fire professionals working in the most rigorous environments, Gore's new CROSSTECH® 3-Layer moisture barrier offers the best possible combination of durability, THL, and TPP available in today's market.

In response to the needs of the firefighting industry, W. L. Gore & Associates designed a moisture barrier that consists of a proprietary expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) bicomponent membrane laminated on each side to a woven aramid textile, one of which is a patent-pending fabric designed by Gore. CROSSTECH® 3-Layer moisture barrier provides the breathability and comfort that firefighters have come to expect from Gore, but it also adds an increased level of durability against abrasion and flexing.

Holly Blake, Gore's product specialist for structural firefighting garments, says, “Every fire company's needs are different, and at Gore, we want to continue our 25-year tradition as industry leader by providing the broadest range of moisture barriers options. By adding our new CROSSTECH® 3-Layer moisture barrier, our product line now spans the full range of durability, breathability, and performance.” .

With approximately $2 billion in sales and 7,300 employees worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., specializes in fluoropolymer innovations that improve the quality of life. Gore has applied its world-renowned expertise in fluoropolymer fabrication to thousands of technology-driven applications in consumer, electronic, pharmaceutical, and medical product manufacturing. Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance barrier products for use in firefighting, EMS, technical rescue, law enforcement, military, and domestic preparedness applications. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA. For more information about GORE™ CROSSTECH® moisture barriers, call 800.431.GORE or 410.392.3600, or email CROSSTECH@wlgore.com .

Elkton, Maryland (January 29, 2018) — In response to the increasing concern about occupational cancer among firefighters, W. L. Gore & Associates’ Protective Fabrics Division is proud to join the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and other fire industry leaders to sponsor the IAFF Cancer Summit on February 1, 2018.

Gore is supportive of the efforts by the IAFF and its partners to identify and protect firefighters from the potential hazards that can cause cancer. The summit will address critical topics such as firefighter health and fitness, fire-ground decontamination, best practices for cleaning gear, and innovations in PPE.

Gore has a long history of collaborating with firefighters to identify and address their concerns, beginning with the issue of heat stress caused by heavy, non-breathable barriers. Gore has continued to address this problem by delivering the most breathability in the broadest range of conditions with GORE® CROSSTECH® moisture barriers and the GORE® PARALLON™ liner system.

Allen Maples, Gore’s global leader of the Fire and Public Safety business explains, “As the fire industry continues to learn more about the impact of fireground contaminants on the health and safety of firefighters, Gore is working closely with IAFF members and other industry leaders to support research and development efforts in the PPE arena. We leverage this expertise in materials and comfort science to create solutions that can help firefighters wear their gear longer at the fire scene and reduce their exposure to fireground particulates.” .

More recently, an IAFF study found that the neck and face areas of firefighters were not adequately protected against fireground particulates. Seeing this as an important issue, Gore developed a particulate-blocking hood that exceeds the NFPA Standard in providing protection at the fireground. 

The IAFF Cancer Summit will follow the Vincent J. Bollon Affiliate Leadership Training Summit & Ernest A. “Buddy” Mass Human Relations Conference and will be held at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Separate registration is required for the IAFF Cancer Summit. Learn more by visiting IAFF Cancer Summit.
 

About GORE® Protective Fabrics

For more than 35 years, GORE® Protective Fabrics has been trusted by major fire and emergency response agencies throughout North America to protect their first responders. Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance protective barriers for use in fire, EMS, military, law enforcement, and CBRN applications. Gore specialists work closely with gear manufacturers during initial gear design, laboratory and field testing, and final product performance — all to ensure that the protective barrier in your gear does what Gore says it will do. Learn more at GoreProtectiveFabrics.com.

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Media Contact
Marie Y. Smith
302.994.0117
mysmith115@comcast.net

Elkton, Maryland, April 21, 2010 – At the 2010 FDIC show, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., introduced a new member of its family of CROSSTECH® moisture barriers. Combining its extensive expertise in moisture barrier technology with its latest developments of durable, breathable fabrics for use in military protective clothing, Gore has engineered a new two-layer CROSSTECH® black moisture barrier that maintains the same high level of breathability as the original CROSSTECH® moisture barrier, with the specific benefit of more durable NFPA 1851 performance as demonstrated in recent field trials. This new barrier includes a warranty covering labor and materials for repairs of normal wear and tear through three years or the first complete liner inspection done in accord with the NFPA 1851 standard (up to 3.5 years from the date of manufacture).

CROSSTECH® black moisture barrier provides consistent, sustained breathability over a wide range of environmental conditions. According to Holly Blake, Gore’s North American product specialist for structural moisture barriers, the development team engineered this new moisture barrier by combining the proven performance of CROSSTECH® products with the latest technology used in the US Army’s third generation of ECWCS outerwear. Blake explains, “At Gore, we have more than 30 years of experience in engineering membranes and laminates for the industry’s leading moisture barriers. Although ECWCS does not have to meet the flame-resistance and blood-borne pathogen standards required for turnout gear, we were able to engineer our next generation of moisture barriers by combining the barrier technology used in ECWCS with our intimate knowledge of ePTFE membranes and laminates. This new product — which brings our most recent membrane developments into today’s turnout gear — is a highly durable, two-layer moisture barrier that withstands extended heat exposure without compromising the great breathability that has made CROSSTECH® products the choice of departments throughout North America.”

Component-recognized to the NFPA 1971 Standard, 2007 edition, CROSSTECH® black moisture barrier demonstrates high total heat loss (THL), which means the firefighter experiences less heat stress. Unlike some other barriers, this moisture barrier withstands high heat exposure and still delivers excellent breathability and long-lasting protection. Based on several thorough field trials of turnout gear built to the departments’ specifications, CROSSTECH® black moisture barrier was extremely durable and reduced repair costs by as much as 50 percent when the component was cleaned and inspected using a protocol well beyond that required of the NFPA 1851 standard. This improved durability, combined with the barrier’s warranty, makes it easier for departments to comply with the maintenance requirements in the 2008 edition of the NFPA 1851 standard.

CROSSTECH® black moisture barrier is ideal for departments that need increased NFPA-1851 durability combined with excellent THL in a two-layer barrier. However, some departments operate in rugged environments that demand the highest level of durability possible. Another Gore moisture barrier — CROSSTECH® 3-layer moisture barrier — is the toughest barrier available in the market today, engineered specifically for firefighters that are rough on their gear. Blake concludes, “Fire departments have different needs, and at Gore, we want to ensure that we have a full line of products that span the range of durability, breathability, performance, and value.” To learn more about the full line of CROSSTECH® fabrics for turnout gear, footwear, and gloves, visit www.CROSSTECH.com.

CROSSTECH® black moisture barrier and CROSSTECH® 3-Layer moisture barrier are the latest additions to Gore’s family of products for first responders, which includes GORE® CHEMPAK®, GORE-TEX, CROSSTECH® WINDSTOPPER®, and other Gore fabrics. With approximately 8,000 employees worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., specializes in fluoropolymer innovations that improve the quality of life. Gore has applied its world-renowned expertise in fluoropolymer fabrication to thousands of applications in consumer, electronic, pharmaceutical, and medical product manufacturing. Specifically in the fabrics arena, Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance barrier products for use in law enforcement, firefighting, EMS, technical rescue, military, and domestic preparedness applications. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA.

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Media Contact:
Marie Y. Smith
302.994.0117
mysmith115@comcast.net

CROSSTECH, CHEMPAK, GORE-TEX, WINDSTOPPER, GORE, and design are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.