Flame-Resistant Tactical Jacket: What to Look For Before You Buy
In short: The FireGuard™ is Strike20's cold-weather tactical jacket, built from flame-retardant treated fabric with a waterproof, oil-resistant finish. It is designed for professionals working in cold, wet or industrially dirty conditions where a spark is a realistic hazard. Its flame resistance comes from a treatment applied to the fabric — not from an inherently flame-resistant fiber — which means following the care label matters. If you need documented flame testing, that is our EmberX line; if you need inherent flame resistance that never washes out, that is the NomexX SWAT Uniform.
What is the FireGuard™ jacket built for?
Most jackets are only tested when conditions stop being comfortable. The FireGuard™ Tactical Flame-Resistant Jacket was built around that assumption — cold, rain, oil, grit, and the possibility of flame exposure in the same shift. It addresses three problems at once: heat retention when you stop moving, water and oil soaking into the shell, and ignition risk near vehicles, fuel or industrial equipment.
How does its flame protection actually work?
The FireGuard™ uses a flame-retardant treated fabric. The fabric is engineered so it resists ignition and does not readily sustain a flame — protection that comes from how the material is treated and constructed, rather than from the raw fiber.
That distinction is worth understanding before you buy, and most brands will not explain it to you:
| Type | Where the protection comes from | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Treated (FireGuard™, FireShield) | A flame-retardant treatment applied to the fabric | Effective, more affordable — but performance depends on following the care instructions, since treatments can diminish with laundering |
| Inherent (NomexX SWAT) | The fiber itself is flame resistant | Protection does not wash out over the garment's life; higher cost |
| Lab-documented (EmberX) | Fabric flame-tested by SGS to ASTM D6413 | You can ask for the test report and read the numbers |
We explain the whole testing subject — what ASTM D6413 measures, what "afterflame" and "char length" mean, and why a fabric test is not the same as a certified garment — in our complete guide to fire-resistant tactical clothing.
What does the waterproof and oil-resistant finish do?
Wet outerwear is heavy outerwear, and heavy outerwear gets left in the vehicle. The FireGuard™'s finish makes water and oil bead and run off the surface rather than soaking into the fabric, so the jacket keeps its weight and its insulating behaviour through a long wet shift. The oil resistance matters more than people expect — for anyone working around vehicles, machinery or fuel handling, oil saturation ruins a jacket faster than rain ever will.
Who should be wearing it?
- Security teams on cold-weather posts — static duty in winter is the hardest test of any jacket.
- Law enforcement and patrol working through weather without changing kit.
- Industrial-site and vehicle-adjacent roles where oil, grit and ignition sources share the same environment.
- Outdoor professionals who need a durable shell that tolerates rough handling.
How should it be cared for?
This is the part that decides whether the jacket protects you in year three the way it did in month one. Follow the garment's care label exactly: wash as instructed, avoid bleach and fabric softener, and do not use industrial laundering unless the label permits it. With treated flame-retardant fabrics, the care label is part of the protective system — not a suggestion.
Frequently asked questions
Is the FireGuard™ made from Nomex?
No. Only our NomexX SWAT Uniform uses genuine Nomex®. The FireGuard™ uses flame-retardant treated fabric — a different and more affordable approach to the same problem.
Is it fireproof?
No garment is. Flame-retardant fabric resists ignition and does not readily sustain a flame; it does not make you immune to fire.
Is it fully waterproof?
It carries a waterproof, oil-resistant finish designed to shed water and oil. For prolonged immersion-level exposure, no tactical jacket in this class is a substitute for dedicated wet-weather equipment.
Which jacket should I choose for cold but dry conditions?
If flame exposure is not a factor, the StormShield Tactical Softshell is the lighter, more breathable option.
Where to go from here
See the FireGuard™ Tactical Flame-Resistant Jacket, or compare it with the EmberX Fire-Resistant Uniform if documented flame testing is what your organisation requires. Outfitting a team? Send us a request for quote, or apply through our distributor program.
About the author
Idan is the founder and CEO of Strike20. An Israeli military veteran, he founded the brand to build professional-grade tactical gear for security teams, law enforcement, and military users, and he leads its product development.
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