RIT ROPE DRAG
BY ART DONAHUE
While engaged in a repair assignment for my employer, I ended up under the Atlantic on a submarine talking with some sailors about their firefighting gear. They permitted me to try their oxygen breathing apparatus (OBA) and emergency air for breathing (EAB) equipment. The OBAs generate oxygen chemically and are worn roughly the same way as SCBAs. The EAB consists of a mask, NomexT hood, and 15-foot airline. The line attaches by means of a quick disconnect to any of hundreds of hard-piped breathing air manifolds located throughout the boat (they are more than 560 feet long). The back of the OBA has a large metal D-ring for dragging disabled personnel to safety. It made perfect sense to me. That frame and all those straps make a great lifting harness. So, how come my SCBA doesn`t have one?
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