#479 The Evolution of Structural Firefighting PPE: Reigniting a New Era with Bill Lawson and Helmut Zepf from PBI

I sit down with Helmut Zepf, Managing Director of the PPE Division at PBI, and Bill Lawson, President of PBI, to explore what is really protecting firefighters inside their PPE.

As The Firefighters Podcast begins its partnership with PBI ahead of INTERSCHUTZ 2026, this episode looks beyond the badge on the kit and into the science, history, and real-world performance behind high-performance protective fabrics.

From PBI’s origins in high-temperature polymer science and NASA, through to flame resistance, break-open protection, durability, comfort, field testing, procurement, and the changing nature of modern fires, this conversation asks a simple but important question:

How much do firefighters truly know about the gear they trust with their lives?

In this episode, we discuss:

• PBI’s origins and connection to NASA
• Why heat transfer matters as much as flame
• Break-open protection and decomposition temperatures
• Why heavier PPE does not always mean safer PPE
• Comfort, movement, fatigue, and firefighter performance
• Durability after real-world operational use
• Procurement decisions and what fire services should be asking
• Why modern fires demand modern protection

This episode marks the start of our partnership with PBI and a wider conversation about firefighter safety, education, innovation, and understanding the PPE that helps bring crews home.