Camilla Callesen, development and engineering manager, PPE Fire, at VIKING LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT, led the way to develop VIKING VALKYRIE. “Women’s body shapes differ from men’s,” she explains. “That means the fit can never be the same and to ensure a better fit and improved mobility we had to design the patterns differently from those made for men. It’s also about performance – gear should work with firefighters and not against them. And most importantly it’s about safety. Firefighters do have a dangerous job, and it is our responsibility to create gear that always protects them. Their safety is always a top priority at all times.” Women comprise a diverse group when Gear design must account for key anatomical differences. it comes to height and body shapes, which presents unique considerations when designing PPE. As Callesen explains, creating PPE for women requires cut lines placed in certain areas for a good fit. PPE for men tends to have a more uniform shape, so designing for women means accommodating different curves to support mobility and performance. ENGINEERED FOR PERFORMANCE AND COMFORT At VIKING personnel will personally wear and test the gear—both men and women’s designs to ensure functionality and comfort. “We truly understand the challenges women face when it comes to performance, fit, and mobility,” she says. “In our department everyone, no matter their role, test the gear themselves. We also try it on several different body types to make sure we can cover different needs.” VIKING VALKYRIE is made by women for women. “It is created with the female figure and curves in mind,” Callesen adds. “That should always be the standard for female firefighters.” VIKING VALKYRIE provides space for the bust and hips and can be a different solution for different shapes. Although VIKING often says it is not a tailoring company, in the case of the VIKING VALKYRIE, it has placed a great deal of effort into both the construction of patterns and the challenging grading processes that require a wide range of sizes for proper fit—for example, ensuring that extra length is added in the right places. To this end, Callesen’s team has engineered the shoulder, chest, waist and hip areas. When you change to female sizes, these areas move in a different way than with gear manufactured for men. For example, Callesen highlights the importance of designing for the hips. “When it comes to females, the fit can be very different because some women have wider hips, while others have narrower hips with more shape in the back,” she says. “You need adjustments because even though you need that space in the back, you don’t need it in the sides. So, we’ve designed adjustments in both the waist and the hip areas to allow female firefighters to adjust the gear themselves for the optimal comfort and mobility.” RESEARCH-DRIVEN INNOVATION Completing a task like this demands more than just customer insights, it also requires a proper foundation doing their own research. Callesen says VIKING VALKYRIE is a practical solution to a practical problem. VIKING started by thoroughly researching the needs of female firefighters and the challenges regarding proper fit, including studies and available gear on the market. Once a prototype was developed, Callesen and her team brought it to a fire department. The firefighters who tried on the gear had various shapes and sizes, and Callesen’s team discussed with them what they needed that they couldn’t find in their current gear. They took photographs and videos of the movements and limitations of their current gear, which provided Callesen with focus areas to bring back to the design table for gear that would provide the best fit for more confidence on the job. For example, observing how a female firefighter steps up or climbs onto a truck shows that there is a distinct difference in leg movement, which is directly linked to hip motion. The real breakthrough for Callesen’s team comes when they see a female firefighter trying on the gear and realizing that someone took the time to research and address the challenges they’ve faced with ill-fitting gear. APRIL 2025 | 2
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