Most Helmets in my Dept were Red if I remember correctly, The Capt. had a white one as did the Batt. Chief IIRC.
Regarding the lights a good powerful angle light is what was standard issue in my Dept. I wasn't that into lights back then, I just got the brightest bulbs available, LED's were toys.
I really liked the angle lights versatility in use, when using tools and in tight carmped spaces (like just about all the time standing right in a tight group of your team) a longer light gets in the way. Also it;s nice to hook it to your outer gear in front where it can be momentaried or used while attached and facing more or less in the right direction.
They do have to be made rugged, shockproof, and completely waterproof. It's more important than output since mostly you will be looking at objects within 5 feet of you! High power is great as long as it's ultra reliable power. It's more important in real usage that it's simply bright enough but bullet proof and handy and light (weight).
Regarding helmet lights, they are useful in non smoky environments so you can use both hands and have some illumination but remember in this most smoky environments it's not so much to illuminate far objects as it is to make you somewhat visable to your crew, and for very close utility light, like to see what your hands are doing etc.. Chances are if you need a stronger light someone else in your crew will be holding a handheld for you while you pry door, give medical aid etc..If your alone doing a search it's the handheld you need for cutting through the dark/smoke.
Of course now I guess there are alot better ones than when I was doing it, but back then they were usually designed for use in close quarters not for great throw or great power.
Our capt was generous in letting us experiment with off the shelf products that were not approved by the dept, as long as we made sure to carry our minimum Dept. approved gear as well. Once a light was proven, we could try to get approval for it from higher up, and don't hold your breath.
