Gate City Bank leaders and West Fargo firefighters in North Dakota pose with new protective helmets

57 Safety Helmets + Gate City Bank

We’re proud to have presented the West Fargo Fire Department with 57 new jet-pilot-style helmets to increase their firefighters’ safety on the job. West Fargo is the first department in North Dakota to utilize this type of head protection, which features a revolutionary design that’s truly state-of-the-art.

Helmets are crucial protective gear as they guard against heat, steam, falling materials and other dangers. The new helmets that we donated to the West Fargo Fire Department feature an innovative brimless design that mimics jet pilot helmets, providing:

Less weight
Greater balance
Enhanced ergonomics

The helmets have been certified by the National Fire Protection Association as meeting thousands of performance standards for structural firefighting and technical rescue. In addition to being grateful for the increased safety the helmets provide, the department said it didn’t have the budget to upgrade to the helmets on its own, not all at once. We made that possible by covering the entire cost.

“Gate City Bank is committed to providing a better way of life, and is extremely thankful for our first responders and the difference they make in our community,” says Kristi Persons, Senior Vice President. “We’re proud to donate these helmets, which will protect those who protect our communities.”

In the long term, the new helmets will help West Fargo firefighters protect against an often-unknown occupational hazard – cancer, which is one of the major killers of both career and volunteer firefighters due to carcinogens in building materials and fire-retardant items. Additionally, the new helmets have parts that can be easily removed, washed and replaced, helping limit carcinogen exposure.

“Firefighter helmets haven’t changed in design much over the last 120 years, and while our department respects tradition, we appreciate Gate City Bank’s generosity even more. It has allowed us to better protect our department, so we can better protect the public.”