Albury captain John Vandeven is looking forward to getting his hands on one of the new helmets, which will be rolled out to all stations later this year.

With in-built radio technology and lighting, the new headwear is “certainly going to be pretty different” to the current ones, Mr Van de Veen said.

“Anything that gives us extra protection and makes our job safer and a bit easier is a good thing,” he said.

“The in-built lighting is a big plus — one of the things we do struggle with is the weight of the present helmets, which mean we can’t always put a light on top of it.

“So that will provide better visibility and safety.”

Fire & Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins welcomed the state government’s $7 million rollout.

“An extensive process was undertaken to identify the best product and we know we’ve achieved a great result,” Commissioner Mullins said.

“The in-built radio communications equipment means it will be easier for officers ... to communicate about complex firefighting and rescue operations — this can quite literally mean the difference between life and death.”

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Stuart Ayres said would “see our firefighters equipped with the most modern, safest, high-tech helmets in the world”.