Fire Station Laundry Equipment & PPE Drying Solutions
Fire service laundry requires more than choosing a commercial washing machine. Firefighters depend on specialist protective clothing that needs to be cleaned, dried and returned to service without unnecessary wear, while the laundry itself supports contamination management and day-to-day station readiness.
Complete Laundry Solutions for Fire and Emergency Services
Andrew Barton Laundry Systems works with fire and emergency services to develop complete on-site laundry solutions, from initial site assessment and equipment selection through to installation, programming and long-term service support.
A fire station does not have a standard commercial laundry requirement. Structural firefighting turnout gear is very different from station uniforms, towels and everyday textiles, and bulky protective clothing requires careful consideration of washing processes, machine capacity, drying methods and workflow. That is why our solutions can incorporate commercial and industrial washing machines, tumble dryers, stack machines and specialist PPE drying cabinets, configured around the station’s actual requirements rather than a standard package.
Why Do Fire Services Choose Andrew Barton?
1. Specialist PPE Care – Cleaning processes account for the construction and care requirements of specialised protective garments, not just how heavily soiled they are.
2. Purpose-Built Drying – Non-tumbling drying cabinets provide a gentler method for structural turnout gear and other bulky protective equipment.
3. Complete Laundry Planning – From site inspections and floor plans through to installation and programming, we plan the whole laundry, not just the machine.
4. Service Across Queensland – A Queensland-wide service network, preventive maintenance and more than $1 million in spare parts keep equipment ready when it’s needed.
Trusted by Queensland Fire and Rescue
Andrew Barton has previously supplied laundry equipment to Queensland Fire and Rescue, giving our team practical experience in the requirements of fire service environments.
Specialist PPE Care
Firefighting PPE can be exposed to smoke, soot, chemicals and other contaminants during an incident, and cleaning processes need to account for the construction and care requirements of specialised protective garments rather than treating them like standard workwear.
We help specify appropriate commercial laundry equipment and configure machine programs around the requirements of the application, so PPE is cleaned properly rather than run through a standard cycle.
Purpose-Built Drying
Not everything belongs in a tumble dryer.
Drying cabinets provide a gentle, non-tumbling method of drying structural firefighting turnout gear and other bulky protective equipment, helping reduce the friction and mechanical action associated with conventional tumble drying. For PPE, that distinction matters as much as the wash itself.
Complete Laundry Planning
Machine selection is only one part of the project.
Andrew Barton can assist with site inspections, laundry audits, equipment selection, floor plans, installation and equipment programming, including advice for architects and consultants where a project calls for it. The goal is a laundry planned around the station’s actual workflow, not fitted around whatever equipment happens to be ordered.
Service Across Queensland
Fire service equipment needs to be ready when it is required.
Our support continues well beyond installation, with a large Queensland-wide service agent network, preventive maintenance, breakdown support, warranty assistance and more than $1 million in spare parts held in our Brisbane warehouse. When PPE laundry goes down, it affects operational readiness, not just convenience.
Contamination Management Starts With the Right Process
Fireground exposure has become an increasingly important occupational health consideration for fire services.
Firefighting PPE can encounter products of combustion and other hazardous substances during emergency response. Queensland Fire Department itself identifies reducing firefighter exposure to toxins as an ongoing area of focus, including measures such as on-site decontamination and improved contaminated PPE storage and transport.
Occupational exposure to fireground contaminants has become an increasingly prominent focus for fire services more broadly, a focus reinforced in part by inquiries such as the CFA Fiskville Training College investigation in Victoria. That inquiry examined a wider range of site and training issues rather than laundering specifically, but it remains part of the reason fire services continue to prioritise reducing unnecessary contact with hazardous residues wherever possible.
A well-designed on-site laundry can form part of that broader contamination management process by providing fire services with dedicated equipment for cleaning and drying PPE at the station.
Andrew Barton can help develop a laundry configuration that considers how contaminated items enter the laundry, how they are processed, what equipment is appropriate and how clean equipment moves back into service.
Specialist Drying Cabinets for Firefighter PPE
Dry turnout gear without tumbling.
Drying is an important consideration when designing a laundry for structural firefighting PPE.
Conventional tumble dryers work by continually moving garments through a rotating drum. While appropriate for many station textiles and garments, some specialist PPE requires a more controlled drying method or needs to be dried according to specific manufacturer instructions. A drying cabinet provides an alternative, allowing protective clothing to remain hanging while heated air circulates around and inside the garments, reducing the mechanical action associated with tumble drying.
Our specialist recommendation for structural turnout gear and other bulky protective workwear is the Speed Queen FDC6 Drying Cabinet. Full details on capacity, programs and accessories are on the FDC6 product page.
Our Products Are Engineered To Keep Up With Your Needs
Commercial Front Load Washer
10 KG
Commercial Drying Cabinet
20 KG
Hard Mount Washer
9 – 45 KG
Commercial Stacked Washer Dryer
10 KG
Our Experts Can Help You Find The Right Laundry Setup For Your Fire Station
One of our experienced team members will give you a call to discuss your laundry situation & work with you to find the best solution to satisfy your needs.
Enquire Now
Washing Machines for Firefighter PPE
The washing machine at the centre of a fire station laundry needs to do more than handle a heavy load.
Structural turnout gear combines specialised materials and multiple layers, so washing processes need to take garment construction and manufacturer care instructions into account.
Andrew Barton can supply commercial and industrial front load washing machines with programmable controls, allowing wash processes to be configured for different applications.
Rather than selecting a machine based purely on kilogram capacity, we consider:
- The type of PPE being processed
- Number of firefighters or sets of gear being supported
- Expected frequency of washing
- Available water, drainage and electrical infrastructure
- Required wash programs
- Available laundry space
- Requirements for other station laundry
- Future capacity requirements
Correct sizing is particularly important. An undersized machine can create a bottleneck, while simply specifying the largest available machine can add unnecessary cost and infrastructure requirements.
Our team helps determine the appropriate solution for the station.
Equipping the Whole Station
A fire station laundry may need to process far more than structural firefighting PPE, and the right equipment mix depends on what’s actually coming through the door.
Structural turnout gear calls for specialist washing and drying solutions designed around bulky, layered protective garments — a solution may include a programmable front load washer paired with a non-tumbling drying cabinet.
Station uniforms and workwear are usually well served by reliable commercial washers and dryers sized to the station’s day-to-day volume.
Hoods and other washable PPE components can be processed on equipment and programs selected around the manufacturer’s specified care requirements, often alongside the main PPE wash cycle.
Towels and general laundry run through standard commercial washers and dryers, and where floor space is limited, a stacked washer/dryer configuration can add capacity without expanding the laundry’s footprint.
Boots and specialist items generally fall outside what a washer or conventional dryer can handle, drying cabinet accessories provide an option for these where a manufacturer’s instructions allow it.
Every laundry solution is formed to solve a unique problem. Andrew Barton can configure an equipment combination around what a station actually needs, rather than defaulting to the same package for every site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What laundry equipment does a fire station need?
A fire station may require a combination of commercial or industrial washing machines, tumble dryers, stack machines and specialist PPE drying cabinets. The appropriate equipment depends on the number of personnel, types of PPE and textiles being processed, expected laundry volume and available infrastructure.
Andrew Barton can assess these requirements and develop a laundry equipment configuration for the individual facility.
Why use a drying cabinet for firefighter PPE?
A drying cabinet dries garments while they remain hanging rather than continually tumbling them inside a rotating drum. This provides a gentler option for structural firefighting turnout gear and other bulky or specialist items. Our recommended solution, the Speed Queen FDC6, is covered in full on its own product page.
Can firefighter turnout gear go in a tumble dryer?
There is no universal answer for every garment. Firefighting PPE can have specific cleaning and drying requirements depending on its materials, construction and manufacturer.
The garment manufacturer’s care instructions and the fire service’s established PPE procedures should always be followed. A specialist drying cabinet provides a non-tumbling alternative where this is preferred or required.
What size washing machine does a fire station need?
Machine size should be determined by more than the kilogram rating alone.
The number of personnel, amount and type of PPE being processed, required turnaround times, frequency of washing and other station laundry requirements all need to be considered. Andrew Barton can undertake a laundry assessment before recommending equipment.
What is AS 4967:2019?
AS 4967:2019 is the current Australian Standard covering requirements and test methods for protective clothing used for structural firefighting.
It should not be treated as a universal wash-program specification. Cleaning and drying procedures should take into account the relevant garment manufacturer’s instructions, fire service procedures and the specific PPE being processed.
Does Andrew Barton service fire station laundry equipment?
Yes. Andrew Barton provides service and support throughout Queensland, including preventive maintenance, breakdown service, spare parts and warranty support. The company maintains a Queensland-wide service network and holds more than $1 million in spare parts at its Brisbane warehouse.
Discuss Your Fire Station Laundry
Whether you are upgrading an existing laundry, designing a new station or investigating specialist equipment for cleaning and drying firefighter PPE, talk to Andrew Barton before specifying the machines.
We can help assess your requirements, plan the laundry, select the equipment and provide the ongoing service support needed throughout its working life.