FoxFury’s powerful Discover Series Fire Helmet Light boasts accuracy & centered weight
By Raul A. Angulo
Published Saturday, October 1, 2011
| From the October 2011 Issue of FireRescue
Firefighters and kids have one major thing in common: We love toys!
One “toy” we both enjoy are flashlights. The latest flashlight on the
market for fire and rescue personnel is FoxFury’s Discover Series Helmet
Light, and it’s very cool!
The FoxFury Discover Series Fire
Helmet Light (model 480-006), which is specifically designed for
firefighters, is a sleek, streamlined, low-profile, horizontal light
strip that mounts to the brim of your fire helmet and is housed in
tough, aircraft-grade aluminum. The three white LED lights contained on
the strip provide 100 lumens/1,256 candle power of panoramic
illumination. The resulting beam of light fans out, giving you a
180-degree peripheral view of your surroundings—and that’s the first and
most impressive feature you’ll notice about this light. There are
numerous lights on the market with a bright, focused beam that can cut
through smoke and zero in on a target, but they lack the ability to
sufficiently illuminate your periphery. The FoxFury Discover light has
combined both beam reach (up to 150 feet) and peripheral illumination
(up to 60 feet) capabilities, making it one of the most powerful
headlamps on the market for interior firefighting, rapid intervention
and close-quarter rescue operations.
Why is the combination of
distance and periphery illumination an important feature for
firefighters? Because fire loads have changed. With more plastics and
synthetics found in household items, the smoke they produce is thicker,
blacker and more toxic. Thus, surrounding objects (including occupants)
can be obscured by much darker—and more dangerous—smoke. Illuminated
peripheral vision helps you perform a search faster and more
efficiently, while also helping you maintain your sense of direction and
your sense of the immediate surroundings.
Distance illumination
capability that cuts through smoke speaks for itself. Any tool that
helps you accomplish search and rescue and gets you in and out of an
immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) environment faster is
something worth considering.
Traditionally, flashlights have been
mounted on the side of fire helmets because the helmet shield, a source
of company identification and unit pride, is mounted on the front. For
years, the old, reliable Garrity flashlight was all that was available.
Smaller, side-mounted flashlights came along with improved illumination
technology, but their beam is usually off center, and the extra weight
they place on one side of the helmet causes the helmet to tilt toward
the weighted side, which can be very annoying.
Not so with the
Discover Helmet Light. A 1-inch-wide silicone strap firmly holds the
light at the bottom of the helmet shield and above the front brim of the
helmet. And the battery pack is centered at the rear of the helmet bill
so it’s perfectly balanced. As I tilt my head up or down, the light
shines directly on the object in my line of vision. It just takes a
slight turn of the head to the left or right to gain a 180-degree
peripheral perspective of my surroundings.
At first, I thought
the battery pack, which uses four AA batteries, was a little too large
and heavy for the unit. Smaller lithium battery-powered units are
available on specialized models, but they tend to make the light
cost-prohibitive for fire department and individual budgets. FoxFury
gave up weight reduction in exchange for a more economical power
source—but saving a few extra bucks definitely comes in handy nowadays.
The entire unit weighs 9.4 oz., but after wearing it for a while, I
didn’t even realize it was there. The battery pack also fits inside my
goggles, which are strapped to the rear bill of my helmet, so that’s a
plus.
Another consideration is the on/off power button. This “tap
switch” is located to the side of the LED lights on the horizontal
light strip, but it takes some practice to activate the light quickly
while wearing the helmet, because it’s difficult to feel with gloves on.
To get to it, I run my finger down the edge of my helmet shield. It’s
also a little bit difficult to switch between the two operational modes
during the heat of battle, with gloves on. The first tap turns the light
on low, which is at 45% power. A second tap turns the light on to high
at 100% power. I give it two quick taps before I put my gloves on and
that seems to work pretty well. The great thing is that the light can’t
be accidentally bumped, switched off or get caught on anything.
Finally,
it’s important to note that this is an extremely powerful light, which
is ideal for working in dark, smoke-filled conditions; however, because
this headlamp is worn right above the brim of the helmet, it’s also at
eye level. This works well when everyone is facing forward, advancing a
hoseline, but if you turn around for face-to-face communication with
someone, the light may strike them directly in their eyes. The remedy is
simple: Remember that you’re wearing one of the brightest lights on the
market for close-quarters work, and when you’re having a face-to-face
with someone, tilt the helmet or your head back slightly so that the
beam isn’t shining directly into their eyes. This is especially
important if you’re on a truck company performing rooftop ventilation at
night. Another simple remedy is to raise a free hand up to your helmet
shield to cover the light beam.
Other features include a red,
rear-flashing, LED safety light on the back of the battery pack that
activates as soon as the light is turned on, and it stays on in either
low or high mode. The light is waterproof up to 10 feet, and impact- and
fire-resistant; it’s been tested to withstand 500 degrees F (260
degrees C) for 30 minutes. You can expect about seven hours of
illumination on high mode and 12 hours on low mode.
I’ve used the
Discover Helmet Light on numerous training evolutions and elevator
rescues, and I have to say this light is a noticeable improvement over
others I’ve had in the past. I also spent a six-hour day lighting fires
and supervising recruits in a burn building. By the end of the day, my
helmet shield was noticeably warped and slightly melted, but the FoxFury
light looked pretty darn good. The silicone strap withstood all the
heat of the day, the lens was still clear (not bubbled) and the aluminum
housing unit was barely tarnished. Everything on the light cleaned up
with soap and water and looked just like new.
The unit retails
for $114.99, and ships with a two-year warranty. And I don’t know about
you, but catastrophic incidents, such as the World Trade Center attacks
and the recent earthquakes in Japan, have helped me realize more than
ever before that I can’t put a price on my personal safety and survival,
or those of my crewmembers.
FoxFury’s Discover Series Fire Helmet Light
Pros
+ Brightness and balance
+ Durability
+ Illuminates periphery and objects in direct line of vision
+ Economical power source
+ Easy to clean
Cons
- Difficult to feel on/off switch with gloved hands
- Brightness can be intense if not prepared for it
- Cost
FoxFury Lighting Solutions
2091 Elevado Hills Dr.
Vista, CA 92084
Tel: 760/945-4231
www.foxfury.com
