UniFirst Debuts Flame Resistant T-shirts in Iraq

Tuesday 03rd of April 2007 09:45:30 PM

With so many people fighting and trying to rebuild Iraqi cities, having the right equipment and uniforms can help save more lives. For many, this means clothing that will protect them from fire related injuries. Global manufacturer UniFirst recently donated over 400 flame resistant t-shirts that will help those who face difficult battles each day. Hopefully, more t-shirts will be sent over in the coming months in order to protect everyone. The flame resistant material actually snuffs out fire before it has a chance to burn through and make contact with skin. These new shirts could save many lives.

“One of the most debilitating injuries is when clothes burn — it burns the skin and the material gets embedded in the skin. The recovery time and cost is so high,” said UniFirst marketing communications specialist Ken Tokarz. Since reports have surfaced as to the number of people who are injured by fire related incidents, the United States army has required that all personnel wear flame resistant uniforms. But for private contractors and those working to rebuild Iraq that are not military personnel, there are now more options available.

UniFirst currently manufactures flame resistant uniforms for a number of global and US companies. Adding t-shirts to their list was an easy choice. “Our donation of this flame-resistant apparel provides all of us at UniFirst with a tremendous sense of pride and a sense that we’re doing a little something to help keep our soldiers safer,” said UniFirst Vice President Cynthia Croatti.

UniFirst engineer Ben Brown, who served over a year in Iraq knows first-hand the types of clothing it takes to survive in those conditions. “If given the option of wearing this (instead of a cotton T-shirt) I’d wear it,” he said.

(c)Troy Newell, www.sxc.hu