Are police and firefighters not allowed to wear beards?

Answer 1

NFPA 1500 (Firefighter Occupational Safety Standard) prohibits a firefighter from having facial hair that will interfere with the proper operation and sealing of the SCBA face piece. Hence any beards, mustaches, goatees that will come in contact with the sealing surface of the SCBA face piece and the skin on the face must be removed. That why firefighters don't wear beards.

Police officers who routinely have to wear gas masks are in the same boat. Therefore their departmental police will prohibit beards.

Answer 2

Since 9-11 things have changed a bit. Each department has it's own policy on beards however OSHA requires that the departments provide each of it's officers with personal protection equipment (PPE) including face protective masks. It is also required that the masks be test fitted properly. In order for the mask to seal properly around the nose and mouth area you really cannot have a beard.

Answer 3

It really depends on departmental regulations. Some departments, both police and fire prohibit it for safety reasons. For example, firefighters SCBA masks might not fit as well with a beard, and for police, it could be used as a weapon against them

Answer 4

police and firefighters wear beards when no one else knows about it because hey, they're only human too. Police catch the bad guys and as soon as the bad guy gets hit, then he is crying, oh poor me, a cop hit me, but if I was a cop, you break the law, I'll wear my beard and kick you into hell.

Answer 5

Most municipatilies require the police and firefighters to be clean shaven. The exception to the rule for police, is if they are working in a covert capacity. The other exception for both, is a skin disease, common to African Americans.

Answer 6

A firefighter should not have one because his breathing aparatus won't work. Likewise a police officer must be able to wear a gas mask.