Patent ID: 7146646

Claim:
A method for protecting a military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker, wherein the method comprises providing the military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker with a protective garment, which is a coat, trousers, overalls, or coveralls, which is reversible, which has a shell of high visibility and a shell of low visibility, and which is wearable with either shell facing outwardly while the other shell faces inwardly and wherein the shell of high visibility has portions that are reflective, fluorescent, or both, which portions face outwardly when the protective garment is worn so that the shell of high visibility faces outwardly, each shell conforms to NFPA standards for outer shells of protective garments for firefighters, wherein, if a tactical situation, in which a need for low visibility overrides a need for high visibility, develops or is expected to develop, the military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker wearing the protective garment with the shell of high visibility facing outwardly and with the shell of low visibility facing inwardly is motivated to doff the protective garment, to reverse the protective garment, and to re-don the protective garment with the shell of low visibility facing outwardly and with the shell of high visibility facing inwardly.