FULL-TIME FIREFIGHTER.
ANDY HERSHBERGER PAID HIM A
VISIT.
♪
>> IT IS A BROTHERHOOD.
FIRE SERVICE IS A BROTHERHOOD.
YOU CAN'T LOSE THEIR TRUST.
IT'S IMPORTANT.
ANDY: THEY ARE FUNCTIONAL,
SOMETIMES FANCIFUL, BUT
DEFINITELY IN IT FOR THE FIGHT.
FIRE HELMETS CAN IN SOME WAYS BE
WORKS OF ART, WITH A TRUE,
PRACTICAL LIFE-SAVING PURPOSE.
JASON MARCELA KNOWS THEM INSIDE
AND OUT.
HE IS A CAPTAIN WITH THE
MERRIMACK FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH
22 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
HERE IN HIS SHOP IN MANCHESTER,
WE SEE HIM CUSTOMIZING FIRE
HELMETS.
IT HAS BLOSSOMED INTO A
BUSINESS.
JASON: I USED TO WORK IN BODY
SHOPS.
I LEARNED ABOUT WORKING WITH
FILLERS, PAINTS, PREP WORK,
LAYING DOWN PAINT, HOW TO GET A
GOOD QUALITY FINISH.
SO LEARNING THAT PROCESS KIND OF
CORRELATED INTO THIS.
ANDY: JASON WAS ALSO A TEENAGER
WHEN HE STARTED WORKING AS A
FIREFIGHTER.
THE REPAIR WORK IS SOMETHING HE
KIND OF STUMBLED INTO.
JASON: IT WAS PROBABLY THE
EARLY-2000S.
I WAS WORKING AT THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD GUYS WITH HATS THAT HAD
DAMAGE.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS TALKING
ABOUT PUTTING THOSE HELMETS OUT
OF SERVICE BECAUSE OF DAMAGE.
I WAS LIKE, HOW HARD CAN THIS BE
TO FIX?
♪
ANDY: JASON STARTED DOING SOME
RESEARCH, WHICH INCLUDED
LEARNING THE HISTORY OF FIRE
HELMETS.
JASON: THIS GOES BACK TO A GUY
WHO IS A LUGGAGE MAKER.
HE WAS ALSO A VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTER.
HE REALIZED THERE WAS NO REAL
HEAD PROTECTION FOR FIREFIGHTERS
BACK IN THE DAY.
ALL THEY WERE WEARING WAS SO
STOVEPIPE HAT -- WAS A STOVEPIPE
HAT, LIKE ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
♪
ANDY IT IS LARGELY BELIEVED
THAT IN THE EARLY 1800S, THE MAN
TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO BUILD A
BETTER FIRE HAT.
THE ICONIC SHAPE OF THE MODERN
FIRE HELMET WAS BORN.
JASO THIS IS REALLY WHAT YOUR
CLOSEST THING AGE WISE TO WHAT
HE WAS ORIGINALLY MAKING.
IT IS THE HELMET WITH THE LONG
BRIM, WHICH HAS EVOLVED OVER
TIME.
THIS IS CALLED A HIGH EAGLE.
ANDY: OVER TIME, THE EAGLE
BECAME LESS ORNATE, TO AVOID
CATCHING ON WIRES OR DEBRIS.
THE DOMA WAS STREAMLINED AND
FITTED WITH BETTER INTERIOR
PROTECTION.
-- THE DOME WAS STREAMLINED AND
FITTED WITH BETTER INTERIOR
PROTECTION.
JASON: SO NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE
LEATHER PROTECTION, BUT YOU HAVE
ALMOST LIKE A HARD HAT.
ANDY: WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN
CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS,
THE ONE CONSTANT HAS BEEN THE
MATERIAL -- WHETHER.
-- LEATHER.
JASON: IT TENDS TO BE ONE OF THE
FIRST THING HE IS ISSUED FROM
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IF IT IS A FAMILY WHOSE
GENERATIONS OF FIREFIGHTERS,
FROM FAMILY MEMBER TO FAMILY
MEMBER, THAT BECOMES THE ONE
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT YOU CAN TRULY
CARRY THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE
CAREER.
ANDY: BUT JUST LIKE ANY PIECE OF
EQUIPMENT, THEY BREAK DOWN OVER
TIME -- ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE
DEMANDING NATURE OF THE WORK.
THROUGH WORD-OF-MOUTH, JASON
WENT FROM TINKERING WITH THEM TO
OPENING REKINDLED LIDS IN 2013.
HE WORKS ON ABOUT 300 HELMETS HE
YEAR, ALL BY HAND, ALL BY
HIMSELF.
JASON: EVERY HELMET IS
LEGITIMATELY DIFFERENT.
GOES BACK TO THE WHOLE PROBLEM
SHOOTING THING.
IT COULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THE
STITCHING FAILING.
OR, THE WIRE INSIDE OF THE
LEATHER IS STARTING TO STICK OUT
BECAUSE IT HAS SHRUNK FROM
EXPOSURE.
SO OK, WE HAVE TO OPEN IT UP.
RE-WELD IT.
PUT IT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
♪
ANDY: JASON SAYS HE HAS BOOKS
JOB -- HE HAS JOBS BOOKED OUT
UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2018.
HE SAYS THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT
THE MONEY, BUT THE CRAFT, THE
JOB, AND THE TRADITION.
JASON: THIS IS TAKING SOMEONE'S
MOST PRIZED POSSESSION AND
KEEPING IT IN THE FIGHT.
YOU ARE CONTINUING ON WITH THEIR
LEGACY.
IT IS SOMETHING THEY'VE HAD FOR
YEARS.
IT WILL GO WITH THEM THROUGHOUT
THEIR ENTIRE CAREER.
♪
JASO YOUR DEAR, YOUR BOOTS,
ALL OF THAT WEARS OUT.
THROW IT AWAY.
YOUR HELMET?
KEEP FIXING IT.
WHERE IT.
RETIRE IT.
HANGING ON THE WALL.
THAT'S REALLY WHO YOU ARE, THAT
HELMET.
♪