From CAIRNS & BROTHER, INC. To CairnsHELMETS

Like most good things, Cairns got its start with very humble beginnings. The founder, H.T. Gratacap, had carved a niche in an innovative ocean transit luggage market, making his luggage from specially treated leather so it would offer superior durability and withstand wetness without rotting. Being a volunteer Firefighter in New York City, he and his compatriots became aware of the need to provide Firefighters with better head protection. Gratacap rose to the need by inventing the first American fire helmet in 1836. That helmet was named the New Yorker, and although being re-engineered many times through out it’s life, it is still produced today.

Shortly after this, two brothers named Cairns, who were operating a Metal Badge, Button, and Insignia business in New York, came up with the idea to mount an identification badge to the front of Gratacap’s helmets. Hence the first front piece and holder. The match was made, and the companies cooperated until Gratacap retired in the mid 1850s, and the Cairns & Brother legacy began. At this time, the business was known for the manufacture of a rigid head protection device made out of leather and very ornate helmet identification shields known today as front pieces. Not inclined to rest on their laurels, the Cairns brothers and their nephews began to expand the product lines to encompass nearly all of the Firefighters' contemporary equipment needs. Through the late 1800's, the company extended its line to meet all fire department equipment needs except for trucks and ladders. By the turn of the century, this line included a full line of head protection devices, uniforms, badges, belts, buckles, fire record books, protective clothing, some respiratory devices and other equipment like tools, axes, hose, lamps and torches.

By 1890, the product lines were so diversified and so carefully tuned to the Firefighters' needs that the little New York based company, employing all of about 12 people, was honored at the World's Fair with two Silver Metals for product line and quality. This market knowledge, quality and dedication to engineering was then and is still now what Cairns strives for.

In the 1920's, Edward Cairns introduced a high tech lightweight helmet made out of a revolutionary new material, "aluminum". Cairns continued to invent unique and tailored head protection devices for structural firefighting. In the late 1940's and early 1950's, Edward Cairns expanded the head protection line to include a crash helmet for use by high speed boat racers. With this focus on head protection, Cairns continued to sell a full fire protection product line as a "head to toe" provider.

During the late 1950's and early 1960's, Cairns dropped its full line strategy to focus only on head protection. Bill Mc Cutcheon Sr. and Pete Coombs Sr. the owners at the time, developed a gift line made out of leather which included replica fire buckets, ice buckets, trays, mugs and other items that were effectively marketed and sold.

In 1974 a new low profile lightweight OSHA compliant helmet, the 770 Philadelphian was launched and as its name would represent, was designed for the specific needs of the Philadelphia firefighters.

By the late 1970's, the company’s change in direction paid off with the development of a totally new OSHA Compliant firefighters’ helmet. The 660 Phoenix helmet revolutionized head protection for firefighters, by incorporating the first full thermal/impact cap. This new concept in head protection was a tremendous commercial success; in fact some of its patents and features remain in effect on today’s helmets. This brought on a new generation of high performance helmets starting with the first fiberglass reinforced composite shell on the 660C Metro in 1981. The first Polyaralyte faceshield in 1983, and the first non-corroding faceshield hardware in 1984. In 1985 Cairns launched a level of performance that has never been equaled even in today’s helmets. The 990 Intruder offered superior cut and penetration protection with 3 overlapping layers of a ballistic grade Kevlar knit held together by an ultra high temperature resin.

By the late 1980’s Cairns developed another first using a Kevlar composite material in a traditional helmet style and in 1990 it was launched as the Classic 1000. A few years later in 1992 the Cairns 1010 was created as a total fiberglass composite in the same Classic shape.

In May of 1997 Cairns re-launched the Front piece line, adding many new benefits and a new ordering system. This line offers over 27 million different possible combinations including two different leather choices (Johnson leather or patent leather), 8 color choices of fronts, text or panels, new reflective white Scotchlite panels or letters, and many new graphic choices that are actually recessed into the front for protection and durability. They also brought back some of the Cairns history in the new Carved Brass Eagle Front Holder in a style and quality our founding fathers would be proud of.

In January of 1998 Cairns started shipping a new NFPA approved eye protection for use on all Cairns helmets. These new Goggles offer the same convenience as faceshields with its patent pending no adjustment attachment system. This system allows donning and doffing even with gloved hands. The Goggles offer high temperature materials and its lens has both an anti fog and anti scratch coating.

In February of 1998 Cairns re-launched a whole new line of helmets. They may look the same, but after a closer look you can notice the improved design that offers greater durability, comfort, lower ride, less parts to maintain, stronger materials and parts and as overall lighter weight.

In August of 2000, Cairns was purchased by Mine Safety Appliance Co. (MSA). MSA is a world leader in safety products and has a dedicated vision of providing to highest quality safety equipment to the fire service and the industrial market. The acquisition was an excellent fit for MSA because of its commitment to Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Instruments, and Thermal Imaging Cameras (TIC) for the fire service.

CairnsHELMETS/MSA has remained committed to providing to highest quality safety equipment to the fire service market. Although having a new team, CairnsHELMETS strives to carry on what the original founding fathers had started, "to be recognized as the quality company for advanced head protection and high technology products by our customers, vendors, employees and stakeholders.