| Many other essential safety items were used for personnel protection besides breathing apparatus, including the asbestos suit, leather and asbestos or rubber boots, and steel pot battle helmets with liners. All Sailors wore dungarees and general issue leather shoes for fighting fires and other damage control evolutions. In the 1940s, depending on the ship’s class and the location within the ship, one DC repair locker was equipped with two to ten gas masks, one hose air-line mask with harness for rescue and diving, five or six pairs of low-top firefighter boots, six to ten pairs of gauntlet-type asbestos gloves, four to seven OBAs (A-1, A-2 or A-3), two Type B OBAs and one or two sets of asbestos suits. Unit lockers were outfitted with smaller quantities. In the mid 1950s, type commanders added six to nine pairs of hip boots to lockers and unit locker. |
