“Firefighting is a blue-collar profession. We need to incentivize and reward those who work hard and dig down to be the best firefighters they can be.”

Captain John Zour

Why did you become a firefighter?

When Captain John Zour graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems, he earned a piece of paper that could make him a lot of money. He soon realized that monetary rewards wouldn’t make him happy and he decided to pursue his passion instead.

A couple of months after graduating college, he applied for a job at his local fire department. He had begun his journey to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who were both volunteer firefighters.

Today, he is a captain at Howard County Fire Department in Maryland but his contributions to the fire service extend far beyond his own department…

Captain Zour used his experience in the field to create the ZMac Card — a potentially life-saving product for anyone who comes into contact with hazardous materials in the field. There’s more on the ZMac card and Captain Zour’s company, In Our Gear, later in the article.

What advice do you have for other firefighters?

“Remember that firefighting is a blue-collar profession.”

Throughout his career, Captain Zour has seen too much emphasis on resumes and certifications while the blue-collar nature of firefighting has been neglected.

“We put tremendous value on certifications and who has the longest resume without incentivizing those who work hard and dig down to be the best firefighter they can be.”

What’s the biggest change you see coming in the fire service?

Captain Zour believes that the biggest changes coming in the fire service will revolve around improving firefighter safety. From carcinogen reduction to behavioral health improvements, the fire service is evolving in ways to help firefighters live longer, healthier lives.

These changes to promote safety will also pose some challenges. One of which will be staying true to the blue-collar profession that firefighting is while adopting new technology and procedures.

“The best way to go about integrating change is by getting buy-in from the ground up,” Captain Zour highlights the importance of buy-in at all levels in the department. “We can do this by sharing stories and having people show how important the new safety measures are.“

How did you start In Our Gear and what does the future look like for your company?

In 2013, Zour went on a HAZMAT call that was dispatched as an anhydrous ammonia leak. The first-arriving crews went in to do recon equipped with a traditional 4-gas meter. After a successful search, they exited the building and reported their readings. They soon learned that although those four gases are important, they don’t always tell the whole story…

They all kept their SCBA on the entire time they were inside, but they had no idea that the ammonia levels were as high as they were because they couldn’t smell it.

Afterwards, they determined that if anyone in the first arriving crews had decided to take off their SBCA before exiting the building, they probably would have died because of the extremely high ammonia levels.

“There are many hard-working firefighters out there who aren’t equipped to detect everything they need to know.”

This is what Captain Zour and co-founder Chad McClintock set out to change when they launch In Our Gear. Their first product was the ZMac card — an easy, effective, and affordable tool to detect hazardous materials.

After filing in 2013, Zour and McClintock finally received a utility patent on InOurGear in 2019. They launched other forcible entry tools during the 6-year period to fund the costs of maintaining the business which allowed them to get to this point today.

“The most difficult part of building In Our Gear has been the transition from the novelty of starting a business to the everyday grind of making the business a success.”

At first, Zour and McClintock were hoping for a few departments in Maryland to purchase the ZMac card… Now, after receiving interest from departments across the country and other industries, they have their sights set on global impact.

Their goal is to provide chemical protection for all first responders who come into contact with hazardous materials throughout the world. You can learn more about In Our Gear and contact Captain Zour with requests for purchase or more information on their website or on their Facebook page.