When it comes to SCBA emergency air management, we have found that certain breathing methods are based on opinion and conjecture as opposed to testing and evaluation. The key to testing any method is to build in as many realistic controls as possible and to evaluate the subjects based on their individual performance. Articles and books teach breathing methods but may fail to stress the training and self-comparison necessary for a method to be effective for that firefighter. It’s common practice to take the stopwatch out in recruit class to time a firefighter to don his personal protective equipment (PPE), including SCBA, within 30 seconds, yet no time comparison is done with breathing techniques and use of SCBA.
We have all learned that a low-air alarm may not afford enough time to exit a structure and how to mark the point of no return. SCBA training has increased awareness and has educated firefighters to call for help as soon as they realize that they may be lost or running out of air. However, the fact still remains that firefighters will continue to find themselves faced with out-of-air emergencies. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has tracked nonheart-related deaths inside structure fires since 1978, and smoke inhalation has been the number-one cause of death each year. This trend is continuing and underscores the need for a proven, reliable way to conserve air supply when your survival is at stake. It is important to remain calm and rely on training.
Routine is a word usually shadowed by complacency. Checking your SCBA at shift change is a routine that takes only a couple of minutes and should be as thorough as a parachute check. One aspect of the check is air pressure. How low does the bottle pressure have to be before topping off?
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