Turnout Gear Racks & Bunker Gear Storage for Fire Stations
Ready Rack® and Red Rack™ turnout gear racks in wall-mounted, freestanding and mobile layouts, plus helmet, boot, hose and SCBA storage. MH-USA is an authorized Ready Rack dealer: send your roster and room dimensions and we will lay out the gear room and quote it.
18–24″
Red Rack section widths
184 hr
Salt-spray tested powder coat
3 Styles
Wall, freestanding, mobile
Free
Gear room layout & quote
Shop Ready Rack Turnout Gear Racks
MH-USA is an authorized Ready Rack dealer. These are genuine Ready Rack and Red Rack products, built to your section count, so each one is priced on request: open a product, send the Request Pricing form, and we return a layout and a quote with freight. Some common sizes are in stock at select manufacturers, subject to confirmation.
More Ready Rack products: Freestanding Red Rack · New-Tech Wall Mounted Ready Rack · Freestanding Ready Rack (chrome) · Helmet Holder · Mobile Hose Cart · Multiple Purpose SCBA & Hose Storage · Shop all fire station storage →
What a Turnout Gear Rack Does (and Why It Is Not Just a Locker)
A turnout gear rack is an open, ventilated storage section for one firefighter’s structural ensemble: coat, pants with boots, helmet, hood, gloves and small personal items. The open steel frame lets air move through the gear on every side, so damp liners dry between calls instead of sitting closed in a solid steel cabinet.
Because each section is sized to one set of gear, a rack run also keeps the gear room organized for a fast turnout: every firefighter knows where the pants and boots sit, the helmet is on its own shelf and the coat hangs open, ready to pull on. Ready Rack, made by Groves, Inc. in Woodstock, Illinois, built its name on this open-air turnout storage idea, and MH-USA supplies the full Ready Rack line as an authorized dealer.
Who this page is for
Fire chiefs, station captains, facilities managers, architects and purchasing staff planning a new station, a gear room remodel or a replacement of rusted or overcrowded racks. If you need enclosed lockers for duty uniforms or police officers, see our police and fire station lockers guide instead.
Ready Rack Product Lines for Turnout Gear Storage
Ready Rack sells two families of turnout gear racks. Red Rack™ is the newer heavy-duty line built from 1.25″ square tubular steel with a red powder coat. Ready Rack® is the original chrome-finish wire system. Both come wall mounted, freestanding or mobile, and both can be ordered in long runs thanks to modular sections. Use the cards below to see which family and mounting style fits your station.
Wall Mounted Red Rack™Red powder-coated tubular steel sections in 18″, 20″ or 24″ widths, 72″ tall, 20″ or 24″ deep. Open back keeps outlets reachable; 2″ and 6″ wall spacers clear conduit and piping. View product →
Freestanding Red Rack™Same sections on heavy-duty legs that keep gear off the floor. Single sided is about 20″ deep and double sided about 40″ deep, roughly 82″ high; runs join to any length. View product →
Mobile Red Rack™Red Rack on 5″ swivel casters, two with foot brakes. Roll gear to a cleaning area, reconfigure a temporary station or park a run next to the apparatus during a remodel. View product →
Freestanding Ready Rack® (Chrome)The original “classic chrome” turnout rack: zinc chromate finish with a clear-coat sealer, two open wire shelf levels, full-length grid dividers, a hanging pole, two hooks and a name plate per section. View product →
Mobile Ready Rack®Chrome Ready Rack on casters in single or double-sided runs, so a station can move its gear storage when a room is rearranged or the floor is cleaned. View product →
New-Tech Wall Mounted Ready Rack®Chrome wall-mounted runs about 21″ deep that use corridor or bay wall space and free the floor. Standard 18″ and 24″ section widths. View product →
Surplus Gear Storage RackHolds up to 16 spare sets of coats and pants on flat dry hangers. Useful for second sets, reserve gear and new-hire inventory. Freestanding or mobile.
Air Dry Laundry RackA dedicated rack for gear coming out of the extractor. It dries four complete sets with coat hangers, glove hangers and hooks, keeping wet gear out of the personal racks.| Feature | Red Rack™ | Ready Rack® (chrome) |
|---|---|---|
| Frame | 1.25″ square tubular steel, welded sections | Wire shelving system with grid dividers |
| Finish | Red powder coat, rated for a 184-hour salt spray test and UV exposure | Zinc chromate with clear-coat sealer |
| Section widths | 18″, 20″, 24″ (wider on request) | 18″ and 24″ standard |
| Depth | 20″ or 24″ compartments | About 21″ single sided, 36″ double sided |
| Per-section kit | Adjustable helmet shelf, adjustable boot shelf, hanging pole, 2 apparel hooks, name plate | 2 wire shelf levels, hanging pole, 2 apparel hooks, name plate |
| Security option | Lockable door, top security shelf, rear security panel | Open storage |
| UV cover | Gear Guard PVC covers made to fit | Not offered as standard |
Specifications come from Ready Rack’s published catalog and product pages. Sizes and options change, so we confirm every dimension with the factory before your order is released.
Wall-Mounted, Freestanding or Mobile: Picking the Right Configuration
Wall-mounted runs: the default for a dedicated gear room
Wall-mounted Red Rack and New-Tech Ready Rack hang the full run on the wall, so the floor under the gear stays open for cleaning and boots dry with air underneath. Because the back is open, existing outlets stay usable and no electrician is needed. Ask for 2″ or 6″ spacers if conduit, pipe or a wainscot sits on the wall.
Mobile racks: flexible stations, remodels and decon rooms
Mobile units roll on 5″ casters with brakes. Departments use them where the layout is not final, for a temporary station during construction, to move gear for floor cleaning, or as a rolling rack between the extractor and the gear room. Keep mobile racks parked out of direct sunlight and away from running engines.
Freestanding and double-sided runs: the high-density option
Freestanding units stand on legs and can be single sided against a wall or double sided down the middle of a room. A double-sided run puts two firefighters’ sections back to back, roughly halving the run length needed for a large roster. The chrome Ready Rack with helmets on the top shelf is still a common, economical choice for bay walls.
Need even more density?
For reserve gear, uniforms, SCBA spares and EMS supplies, some departments add track-mounted mobile shelving in a separate storeroom; see our tactical gear storage mobile shelving case study for one public-safety example. Compact shelving closes the aisles, so it suits clean, dry stored items rather than in-service turnout gear that needs open airflow between calls.
Open Racks vs Gear Lockers vs Welded-Grid Lockers
Three storage types show up in most fire-station gear rooms. Each has a place, and many stations combine them: open racks for in-service turnout gear, enclosed lockers for station uniforms and personal items, and secure options where the public or other agencies share the building.
| Type | Airflow | Security | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open turnout gear racks (Red Rack, Ready Rack) | Highest; air reaches every side of the gear | Optional lockable door, shelf and back panel per section | In-service gear in a dedicated gear room |
| Welded-grid gear lockers (various makers) | High; grid panels on sides, back and door | Usually lockable doors | Stations that want an enclosed look with airflow |
| Ventilated steel lockers | Moderate; louvers or perforations only | Lockable | Duty uniforms, off-duty clothing, police and EMS staff |
| Solid steel lockers | Low | Lockable | Personal items in crew quarters, not wet turnout gear |
If your plan calls for enclosed lockers, our police and fire station lockers page covers duty lockers, ventilated gear lockers and crew-quarters lockers, and our employee lockers hub compares steel locker tiers and sizes.
NFPA 1850 Storage, Ventilation and UV Guidance
Turnout gear care is now covered by NFPA 1850, the standard on selection, care and maintenance of protective ensembles for structural and proximity firefighting and SCBA. NFPA consolidated the former NFPA 1851 (protective ensembles) and NFPA 1852 (SCBA) into this one document, and the fire service is moving its policies over to it.
Storage is its own chapter. The training material published so far splits it into on-duty storage, off-duty storage and gear in transit to a cleaning or repair provider, and keeps the long-standing basics from NFPA 1851: clean, dry, well-ventilated storage, out of sunlight and away from contaminants.
Storage rules that shape a gear room
- Store gear clean and dry. Open racks and air-flow hangers help liners dry between calls.
- Keep gear out of direct sunlight. UV degrades outer shells and moisture barriers, so avoid windows and open bay doors.
- Ventilate the storage area and keep it separate from vehicle exhaust where possible.
- No airtight containers for in-service gear (new, unissued gear is the exception).
- Stay within the temperature limits NFPA 1851 listed: not below −25°F or above 180°F.
- Keep gear away from oils, solvents, acids and alkalis, and away from sharp tools that can tear shells.
- Keep soiled gear out of living quarters and bag it for transport in a cab or personal vehicle.
Gear Guard covers for UV and diesel particulates
Where a rack has to sit near windows, skylights or in the bay, Ready Rack’s Gear Guard covers zip over a Red Rack run. They are 8 oz PVC laminate UV shields that are anti-microbial, fluid proof, flame retardant and easy to wipe clean, and Ready Rack designs them to cut UV exposure and diesel-exhaust particulates on stored gear. Covers are made to fit a specific run, so they are custom, non-returnable items.
Check the source, not the summary
We paraphrase NFPA guidance here so you can plan the room. Your department’s PPE program manager, the gear manufacturer’s instructions and the current edition of NFPA 1850 from nfpa.org control what you must do. We can match the rack layout to your written policy.
Sizing a Turnout Gear Rack Run per Firefighter and per Apparatus Bay
Start with people, not wall length. Count every member who keeps gear at the station on every shift, add second sets of gear if your department issues them for rotation through cleaning, then add room for new hires and reserve gear. A volunteer or combination station often needs a section for every active member, not just one shift.
Then pick a section width. 18″ sections fit the most firefighters on a wall; 20″ is a common middle ground; 24″ sections suit large coats, proximity gear or members who store extra items. Depth of 20″ is standard, with 24″ available for bulky gear.
Wall-mounted Red Rack run lengths (from the Ready Rack catalog)
| Sections in run | 18″ sections | 20″ sections | 24″ sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19.75″ | 21.75″ | 25.75″ |
| 4 | 76.00″ (6′-4″) | 84.00″ (7′-0″) | 100.00″ (8′-4″) |
| 6 | 113.50″ (9′-5.5″) | 125.50″ (10′-5.5″) | 149.50″ (12′-5.5″) |
| 8 | 151.00″ (12′-7″) | 167.00″ (13′-11″) | 199.00″ (16′-7″) |
| 10 | 188.50″ (15′-8.5″) | 208.50″ (17′-4.5″) | 248.50″ (20′-8.5″) |
| 12 | 226.00″ (18′-10″) | 250.00″ (20′-10″) | 298.00″ (24′-10″) |
Worked example: a 24-member station
24 members with one set each, in 20″ sections: two wall-mounted runs of 12 sections need about 250″ each, or roughly 42 feet of clear wall in total. The same 24 sections as double-sided freestanding units need about half the run length, but you must leave a dressing aisle on both faces. Add 10–20% spare sections for growth and reserve gear if the budget allows. These are planning figures from published catalog lengths; we confirm the final layout against your room drawing.
Per apparatus bay
When gear storage is planned bay by bay, size each run to the riding positions of the apparatus it serves, multiplied by the number of members who share those positions across shifts. An engine with four riding positions and three shifts needs twelve sections if each member keeps gear at the station. Keep each run within a short, clear walk of its apparatus, but outside the exhaust zone and out of sunlight from the bay doors.
Helmet, Boot, Glove and Personal-Item Storage
Every Red Rack section ships with an adjustable helmet shelf and an adjustable boot shelf, so the helmet sits above the coat and boots sit low with pants pulled over them for a quick step-in. The accessories below fine-tune the section for faster drying and better organization. Name plates (black plastic or engraved red metal) label each section.
Air-flow coat hangersDry Kwik open and closed-loop hangers spread the coat open so air reaches the liner. Flat dry hangers hold coats and pants; glove dry hangers hold a pair of gloves or a hood.
Pant hangers and hooksProximity pant hangers hang pants upright; steel apparel hooks dry bunker pants or hold mask bags and loose equipment.
Helmet holderA steel stand that takes pressure off the helmet’s ratchet band and lets interior parts dry faster, which helps helmet parts last. View product →
Personal property boxA 12″ × 5″ × 6″ lockable box (customer supplies the lock) for keys, phones and wallets, mounted inside the section.
Ready Rack benchA 48″ butcher-block hardwood bench on steel legs for stepping into boots and pants, placed along the dressing aisle.
When the gear room needs to lock
Shared stations, training centers and buildings with public access often want gear secured. Red Rack’s security option adds a lockable steel door and top security shelf per opening, plus a rear panel on freestanding and mobile units. The open grid keeps the section ventilated even when it is locked.
Hose, SCBA and Equipment Storage
A gear room plan usually extends to hose, cylinders and bags. Ready Rack builds hose racks, hose dryers, hose winders and carts in the same red finish, so the equipment room matches the gear room and every piece of equipment has a home off the apparatus floor.
Group SCBA and cylinder storage near the fill station, keep hose drying away from gear racks so drips do not reach clean gear, and leave space to roll carts straight to the apparatus.
Multiple Purpose Storage SystemAbout 51″ long, 21″ deep and 60″ high on casters; configurable to hold 24 SCBA units, up to 32 air cylinders or 1,400′ of 2½″ hose. View product →
SCBA mobile bottle cartsWire carts with cylinder shelves for unloading empty bottles and reloading apparatus in one trip. View product →
Mobile hose cartTwo or three tiers in 72″ or 104″ lengths to move rolled hose without carrying it. View product →
Mobile hose dryerHose drapes over the arms to air dry, with no climbing to hang or retrieve it.
S.O.S. multi-purpose rackModular compartments with V-shelves for SCBA, oxygen and dive cylinders or flat shelves for gear bags, on 1,050 lb casters.Station Planning: Gear Room, Decon and the Apparatus Bay
Plan the route gear takes after a fire
Newer stations are laid out by contamination level. NFPA 1585 (2025), the standard for exposure and contamination control, designates red, yellow and green areas: red for spaces likely to be contaminated, such as apparatus bays, decon spaces and areas that store contaminated equipment or PPE; yellow for transition and cleanup; and green for living, administrative and public areas. Turnout gear storage belongs on the bay side of that line, in its own ventilated room, never in the green living areas.
- Dirty gear goes from the apparatus to the decon or laundry room, not back to the rack.
- Extractors and drying equipment sit between the bay and the gear room.
- Clean, dry gear returns to an open rack in a ventilated room with no direct sunlight.
- Personal clothing and station uniforms stay in crew-quarters lockers, separate from turnout gear.
- Doors and hallways stay wide enough to roll a mobile rack or a hose cart through.
Drying cabinets and laundry racks
Ready Rack also sells drying cabinets such as the Smart-Dry 6, which dries turnout gear inside and out with air-flow hangers and no tumbling, and Ready Rack lists it as meeting NFPA 1850. NFPA 1850 now allows drying temperatures up to 120°F when the gear maker allows it, up from the old 105°F limit. An Air Dry Laundry Rack is the lower-cost option for gear that can air dry.
Worktables and tool storage
Round out the room with a worktable system and tool storage lockers. Each tool locker section is 20″ deep, 24″ wide and 72″ tall with three shelves and a rear security panel, and takes optional peg boards, louvered panels, a security door and a security shelf.
How to Get a Turnout Gear Rack Quote from MH-USA
MH-USA quotes Ready Rack as an authorized dealer. Most gear room projects follow four steps, and we can work from a sketch, a phone photo or architect drawings.
Send the basics
Member count, gear sets per member, room dimensions, doors, windows and outlets, plus any photos.
Layout and options
We propose section widths, mounting style, run lengths and accessories, and flag sunlight and exhaust issues.
Quote and approval
You get an itemized quote with freight. Grant, bid and spec paperwork can be prepared on request.
Delivery and install
Racks ship knocked down with assembly instructions; installation can be quoted where available.
What to include in your request
- Number of firefighters keeping gear at the station, by shift, and whether you issue second sets
- Room or wall length, ceiling height and floor type; note windows, skylights and bay doors
- Preferred style (wall, freestanding, mobile; red Red Rack or chrome Ready Rack) and section width
- Security needs, helmet holders, personal property boxes, name plates and Gear Guard covers
- Hose, SCBA, cylinder, EMS or dive gear that should be stored in the same room
- Delivery address, dock or ground-level access, and your target move-in date
Lead times depend on the configuration and the factory schedule. Some common sizes are in stock at select manufacturers, subject to confirmation, and we confirm availability and freight on every quote. Call (800) 326-4403 or request a quote online.
Groves publishes a limited warranty for Red Rack and Ready Rack storage units: one year on the unit, five years on the painted finish against rust and corrosion, and a limited lifetime warranty on welded joints. Terms can change, so we include the current warranty with your quote.
Turnout Gear Rack FAQs
What is the difference between a turnout gear rack and a turnout gear locker?
How much wall space do I need per firefighter?
Can turnout gear be stored in the apparatus bay?
Does NFPA 1850 require a separate gear room?
What is the difference between Red Rack and Ready Rack?
Are Ready Rack turnout gear racks lockable?
Can I buy Ready Rack products on your website?
How long does turnout gear last, and does storage matter?
Plan Your Station’s Turnout Gear Storage
Send your roster and room size. We will lay out Ready Rack turnout gear racks, helmet and boot storage, and hose and SCBA racks, and quote them with freight.