YDS, Europe’s largest manufacturer of military and police footwear, have been awarded the contract to supply all Welsh firefighters with YDS flame retardant leather CROSSTECH® fire boots.
In another successful contract for YDS Boots, the company will supply 3500 firefighters throughout Wales (North Wales, South Wales, Mid & West Wales) over a 4 year period with the Talos and Pluto CROSSTECH® firefighter boots. YDS are one of only a few manufacturers in the World who specialise in injected Dual Density Rubber (DDR) sole construction using rubber compounds mixed in-house under a secret method and formula. The sole material is injected in liquid form then fused to the upper leather for a strong bond, and it is ideally suited to hazardous environments and in particular firefighting.
‘The chosen YDS firefighter boots are of a high standard and have scored strongly for durability in trials’ commented Lee Bunkham of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
The contract will feature 2 boots both incorporating DDR technology and CROSSTECH® fabric to give an unprecedented level of protection to Welsh firefighters, against water, blood, body fluids and some chemicals.
The Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) worked with the Welsh Fire procurement team to carry out a mini tender for this contract under their 000299 Structural PPE framework and ensured a compliant route for Fire and Rescue Services to suppliers. YPO’s Emergency Service Category Buyer Sarah Sesum advises ‘Purchasing in this way removes the requirement for an OJEU tendering process saving time and money.’ Protective footwear frameworks from YPO are currently available to all fire, police and ambulance services throughout the UK and Northern Ireland.
Steve Hall, Sales Director at YDS Boots, commented ‘We are delighted to supply all regions of Wales with the YDS Pluto and Talos fire boots, and indicates we are positioned well for product quality and cost effectiveness.’
The boots selected for the Welsh Contract complied to the latest European Firefighter footwear EN 15090:2012 standards, with the Talos featuring a quick release front zip and the Pluto designed with pull on loops. Both boots include various additional and protective features including flex areas, a nail-proof protective textile midsole, a cut resistant strip, ankle protectors and a ridged bump cap for extra durability.
YDS continues to develop new protective footwear designs with fire and rescue technical experts in response to the changing role of the fire officer. It is working with world leading technology brands including Tencate®, D30®, WL GORE® and Coolmax® in new footwear projects.
