Firefighters exempt from wearing high-visibility vests

When the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) promulgated the Worker Visibility Rule (23CFR 634) for first responders operating on roadways, it hadn’t considered that it would be an unnecessary complication for firefighters in turnout gear specially designed to be fire-proof. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute and other firefighter groups asked to be exempted when directly exposed to fire, flame, heat or hazardous materials. The FHWA issued an interim rule allowing an exemption for fire service, and made the exemption permanent in the final rule.