ELKTON, Md. (September 16, 2019) – W. L. Gore & Associates announced its next generation in hood technology with the highly breathable GORE® Particulate Hood GEN2. This enhanced design delivers improved comfort, certified protection, and long-lasting durability at an affordable price.
COMFORT
The level of comfort you get from the GORE® Particulate Hood GEN2 has been improved for a more natural feel without compromising protection. Its highly breathable construction helps reduce heat stress, enabling you to wear the hood longer at the fireground.
PROTECTION
The GORE® Particulate Hood GEN2 exceeds requirements of the NFPA 1971, 2018 Edition for both particulate-blocking and thermal protection. Its innovative design integrates a barrier that blocks more than 99.99 percent of particles between 0.1 and 1.0 microns in size. It delivers reliable protection throughout the entire hood — blocking smoke at critical seams more effectively than other particulate hoods currently available. At the same time, its construction is optimized to reduce interference with sounds and signals on the fireground.
RELIABILITY
The exceptionally durable GEN2 hood retains its level of more than 99.99 percent particulate-blocking performance even after laundering. The hood’s unique inspection opening enables you to inspect the entire hood — inside and out.
According to Holly Blake, North American product manager in Gore's Fabrics Division, the fire industry continues to recognize the need for protection against exposure to fireground contaminants. "In 2017, Gore addressed the vulnerability of firefighters' head and neck areas by delivering the first hood certified to the NFPA 1971, 2018 Edition's option for particulate protection." She continued, "Based on feedback from firefighters, we have improved the comfort of the GORE® Particulate Hood GEN2 with a new design and increased breathability. At the same time we maintained the high level of particulate protection and reliability of our original hood. To deliver quality consistent with the original hood, we have continued to work with Majestic Fire Apparel to manufacture the GEN2 hood."
Available in two knit options — Ultra C6 (black) and Nomex® blend (white) — the GORE® Particulate Hood GEN2 is being sold through Majestic Fire Apparel’s dealers. Visit majhoods.com/Gore or GoreParticulateHoods.com for more information about this new product.
ABOUT MAJESTIC FIRE APPAREL
Majestic Fire Apparel, Inc. (MFA) is a premier manufacturer of fire-retardant hoods, accessories, and ARC-rated apparel. With facilities located in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, MFA is an ISO 9001 registered company that maintains a compliant Quality Management System. MFA is committed to the pursuit of better products that achieve optimal benefits for the fire service. The company’s focus on quality and new product development has attributed to its success in serving customers in the fire and safety industry for more than 20 years. majhoods.com.
ABOUT GORE
W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Since 1958, Gore has solved complex technical challenges in demanding environments — from outer space to the world’s highest peaks to the inner workings of the human body. With more than 10,500 Associates and a strong, team-oriented culture, Gore generates annual revenues of $3.7 billion. gore.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Lon Edelman
W. L. Gore & Associates
105 Vieve's Way Elkton, MD 21921
Telephone: +1 410 392 3600
ledelman@wlgore.com
GORE, Together, improving life and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.
GORE® PARTICULATE HOOD FIRST TO BE CERTIFIED
- The GORE® Particulate Hood is the first hood to be certified to the new NFPA 1971, 2018 Edition option for particulate protection.
- This hood is the best choice for durable protection, blocking 99.9% of harmful particulates after 100 wash cycles.
Elkton, Maryland (October 9, 2017) — W. L. Gore & Associates announced that its GORE® Particulate Hood is the first particulate hood to be certified to the new 2018 Edition of the NFPA 1971 Standard, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.
Manufactured and distributed by Majestic Fire Apparel, this hood is currently the only certified choice that
- blocks more potentially harmful particulates than any other hood1 — 99.9% of particles between 0.1 and 1.0 microns in size,
- maintains this 99.9% level of protection even after 100 wash cycles, and
- delivers proven reliability and durability backed by system-level testing.
The GORE® Particulate Hood provides certified particulate-blocking throughout the entire hood — not just in selected areas. Proven with both the testing specified in the Standard and system-level testing done by an independent laboratory, this exceptionally durable hood maintains its 99.9% level of particulate-blocking performance for at least 100 wash cycles. The hood also has an inspection port that enables firefighters to visually inspect the protective barrier.
According to Holly Blake, North American product manager, the Gore team worked to ensure that the hood maintains its 99.9% protective performance beyond the 20 wash cycles required by the Standard. “The fire industry has learned that it is extremely important to wash hoods after every call, so we knew that we needed to provide a durable product that could withstand frequent washing,” she said. “Having a hood that maintains its protection for only a few weeks is really not an option, so we verified that the GORE® Particulate Hood would meet or exceed both the Standard’s Particulate-Blocking test and system-level testing after 100 washes. In fact, the level of protection maintained by Gore’s hood is higher after 100 washes than the protection level of other particulate hoods when they are new.”
Available in two knit options — Ultra C6.2 (black) and Nomex® blend (white), the GORE® Particulate Hood is being sold through Majestic Fire Apparel’s dealers. Contact your dealer to order your GORE® Particulate Hood today. For more information, visit majhoods.com/Gore or GoreHoods.com.
ABOUT MAJESTIC FIRE APPAREL
Majestic Fire Apparel, Inc. is a premier manufacturer of fire retardant hoods, accessories, and ARC-rated apparel. With facilities located in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Majestic is an ISO 9001 registered company that maintains a compliant Quality Management System. MFA is committed to the pursuit of better products that achieve optimal benefits for the fire service. The company’s focus on quality and new product development has attributed to its success in serving customers in the fire and safety industry for almost 20 years. www.majhoods.com.
ABOUT GORE
W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Founded in 1958, Gore has built a reputation for solving complex technical challenges in the most demanding environments — from revolutionizing the outerwear industry with GORE-TEX® fabric to creating medical devices that improve and save lives to enabling new levels of performance in the aerospace, pharmaceutical and mobile electronics markets, among other industries. The company is also known for its strong, team-oriented culture and continued recognition from the Great Place to Work® Institute. Headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Gore employs approximately 10,000 associates. www.gore.com.
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Media Contact
Marie Y. Smith
302.994.0117
mysmith115@comcast.net
1Excludes hoods using moisture barriers
NEW GORE® PARTICULATE HOOD DELIVERS COMFORT, DURABILITY, AND PROTECTION
- The GORE® Particulate Hood delivers a more comfortable, natural feel similar to a traditional hood.
- This hood provides excellent particulate-blocking throughout the entire hood, not just in selected areas.
Indianapolis, Indiana (April 26, 2017) — At the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) 2017, W. L. Gore & Associates announced the latest development in hood technology with the GORE® Particulate Hood. Manufactured and distributed by Majestic Fire Apparel, the unique design of this hood combines comfort, durability, and certified protection at an affordable price.
Protection: The GORE® Particulate Hood provides excellent particulate-blocking throughout the entire hood — not just in selected areas. Its innovative design integrates a barrier that blocks more than 99.9 percent of particles between 0.1 and 1.0 microns in size. In addition, this hood exceeds current NFPA 1971 requirements for thermal protection.
Comfort: The patent-pending design of the GORE® Particulate Hood delivers a more comfortable, natural feel like you are accustomed to when wearing a traditional hood.
Durability: This exceptionally durable hood retains its level of particulate-blocking performance1 for at least 100 wash cycles and exceeds the strength requirements set forth in NFPA 1971: Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. The hood also enables visual inspection of the protective barrier.
According to Holly Blake, North American product manager in Gore’s Fabrics Division, the industry continues to learn more about exposure to fire ground contaminants, and the significance of head-to-toe protection increases. “Hoods can be a point of vulnerability when it comes to particulate protection,” she said. “We drew on our extensive experience in barrier technology to develop a durable particulate hood. Our feedback from firefighters indicated that it was very important to maintain the natural feel of a traditional hood. We knew that Majestic Fire Apparel was one of the industry’s leading hood manufacturers, so we approached them with our design and worked with them to develop the final product.”
Janeane Matula, Vice President of Majestic Fire Apparel, further stated, “When Gore showed us their new hood technology and design, we knew it would make a big difference for firefighters. We were happy to provide our expertise in product development, manufacturing, and distribution to deliver a solution that would meet all of the needs of today’s firefighter — reliability, protection, comfort, and affordability.”
Available in two knit options — Ultra C6 (black) and Nomex® blend (white), the GORE® Particulate Hood is being sold through Majestic Fire Apparel’s dealers. Visit majhoods.com/Gore or GoreParticulateHoods.com for more information about this exciting new product.
ABOUT MAJESTIC FIRE APPAREL
Majestic Fire Apparel, Inc. is a premier manufacturer of fire retardant hoods, accessories, and ARC-rated apparel. With facilities located in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Majestic is an ISO 9001 registered company that maintains a compliant Quality Management System. MFA is committed to the pursuit of better products that achieve optimal benefits for the fire service. The company’s focus on quality and new product development has attributed to its success in serving customers in the fire and safety industry for almost 20 years. www.majhoods.com.
ABOUT GORE
W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Founded in 1958, Gore has built a reputation for solving complex technical challenges in the most demanding environments — from revolutionizing the outerwear industry with GORE-TEX® fabric to creating medical devices that improve and save lives to enabling new levels of performance in the aerospace, pharmaceutical and mobile electronics markets, among other industries. The company is also known for its strong, team-oriented culture and continued recognition from the Great Place to Work® Institute. Headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Gore employs approximately 10,000 associates. www.gore.com.
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Media Contact
Marie Y. Smith
302.994.0117
mysmith115@comcast.net
1 Per the Particulate Blocking Test included in the proposed 2018 edition of NFPA 1971
Gore does not make any claims that GORE® Particulate Hoods would cure, prevent, or reduce any disease or condition, including cancer. While a number of industry studies show disproportionately high rates of cancer in firefighters, the links between very specific sources, the routes of exposure, and the impact are still an area of appropriately intense study. Organizations such as the NFPA are supportive of enabling firefighters to choose hoods that block potentially harmful fireground particles, and Gore has created a particulate-blocking hood that is certified to the NFPA 1971 Standard requirements, 2018 Edition, for the particulate-blocking hood option.
While the industry might hope that Gore's hoods can help address the issue of firefighter cancer, Gore thinks that making such a definitive statement does not reflect either the science to date or the approach Gore takes in making claims about its products. Gore does say that it will make the best-in-class hoods, exceeding the NFPA 1971 standard, providing exceptional particulate-blocking capabilities in a highly durable and comfortable product. And Gore believes that using particulate-blocking hoods is a prudent choice to reduce a firefighter's exposure to potentially harmful fireground particulates, consistent with recommendations from a range of trusted organizations aligned with firefighter health and well-being.
At Gore, we believe we are making a great product for firefighters, as we always strive to do; however, it is very important that we are clear about what we say our products will do, and we will not extend those claims beyond what the best science can confidently support to date. We hope that you can understand and appreciate this position, particularly in light of such a serious concern for firefighters.