Batman Connection to Valley Firefighters

Tag : fire-resistant fabric

By: Norma Yuriar and Kyra Jenkins
While Batman's new movie 'The Dark Night' continues to break boxoffice records, members of Fresno City Fire Department say theyshare at least one thing in common with the superhero.
The materials used to make the bat suit are the same fabrics foundin their fire uniforms.
"I don't classify us as heroes, Batman I guess is a hero," saidFire Captain Mark Cogburn.
The bat suit worn by Christian Bale in the Dark Knight was made outof Nomex, a fire resistant fabric and a light weight fiber calledKevlar; perfect for fire uniforms.
"Firemen are regular guys in a suit, just like batman is a regularguy in a suit, so it makes perfect sense," said Dave Allread, ownerof Heroes Comics in Fresno.
Allread said the bat suit has evolved through years but this timecostume designers made it a little more realistic.
"I just thought they would use whatever was the cheapest and looksthe best on screen," said Allread. "I didn't know they would gofor more of a real effect, that's pretty neat, they went all out."
At Fresno City Fire Station 5, Capt. Cogburn who's in charge ofordering uniforms said, "the garments we use are made out of whatthey call a PBI, Kevlar combination."
The day uniform worn by firefighters is made out of Nomex,according to Cogburn.
Cogburn also says the fire resistant fabrics were developed by NASAin the 1960's for the space program.
Nowadays, it not only protects our men and women in uniform, butsuperheroes as well.
According to the Fresno City Fire Department, it costs about $2,000an outfit for each firefighter.
The bat suit costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to make and ittook costume designers a good six months to design.