Why firemen have mustaches

Some will maintain a fairly strict policy where firefighters should remain beard-free when on duty. There is no problem in letting it grow while off duty, but they need to shave before returning to the station. The enforcement of regulations often depends on the role of the firefighter. Those that perform line or combat duties — in other words, direct action in fires and major incidents — are more likely to be told to shave.

Those that work in other departments or within community firefighting groups are more likely to get away with some beard growth. They will then be advised on other shaving techniques. This no-beard policy from the National Firefighters Association all comes down to an issue of health and safety. That mask forms create a seal on the face to stop air coming in and to provide a clean flow of oxygen. The fear is that a beard can cause a barrier between the mask and face, limiting the ability to create a good seal.

This gap, however small, could mean that dust particles get into the beard and the airways of the firefighter.

If dust and soot were to get into the beard, this would increase the risk of developing serious respiratory illnesses and cancers. Cancer rates are high among firefighters because of the layers of debris on their gear. Plastic particles, petroleum fumes, asbestos and more all play their part. If this sits within the beard it is all too easy to inhale particles after removing the mask. Any firefighter with a beard will need to wash it carefully after every incident to stay clean.

Therefore, the safest approach is to keep beard hair to a minimum to avoid this risk or to shave it all off. Fire departments have traditionally required firefighters to keep their hair short. Exposed hair can be a hazard on the fireground, and short hair is usually considered more professional for men. However, various court cases have prohibited departments from requiring employees to conform to a certain hair length.

National firefighter guidelines only restrict certain types of facial hair this is to ensure firefighter SCBA masks get a good seal to protect your lungs. Fifty percent of firefighters are between 30 and 49 years old. There were 29, fire departments in the United States in It may be a firefighter thing. So what is it about firefighters and facial hair? Is it personal preference or something they do to have a deeper connection to the profession they serve in?

Irish, the fire chief in Homer, has had a mustache since , he said. Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations restrict the type of facial hair allowed when wearing self-contained breathing apparatus, gear that firefighter wear inside burning structures.

Hair can impede a tight seal. Bombard, a volunteer firefighter with the Cortlandville Fire Department, has had his mustache for a long time, but the one he has now has been growing since — the last time he shaved. He sometimes waxes it into handlebars.

Navy did allow beards for a time in the s and s, following a directive from Chief of Naval Operations Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. The vast majority of police forces across the United States still ban beards. However, moustaches are generally allowed in both the military and police forces except for those undergoing basic training. Army Special Forces and other U.

Special Operation Forces have been allowed to wear beards in Afghanistan,and other middle-eastern countries in order to better fit in with the indigenous population. After the internet killed the pRon industry, they needed a new line of work with alot of hot and steamy situations..

ETA - it depends on the product. For certain items, people give MORE credibility to those with facial hair. It's odd. On a side note: Back in the 70s and 80s almost every cop in my town had a mustache. The popular story was that it made it harder to pick them out of a line-up if someone was foolish enough to file a brutality charge. At my old station, out of 11 people, only my Captain had a mustache.

Where I work now, on my shift there are no mustaches. Going through all the other shifts mentally I can only think of 3 or 4. If no beard, at least a mustache :thumbup:ETA: and tradition. It's peer pressure and a clique.