2009
Article 5: Self Contained
Breathing Apparatus
Northshore Fire Department
Training Division
Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Contents
Contents ........................................................................................................................... 1-2
Chapter 1 TRAINING SCHEDULE .............................................................................. 1-3
Chapter 2 CHANGING SCBA ON DOWNED FIREFIGHTER................................. 2-1
Chapter 3 RIT Pack ......................................................................................................... 3-1
Chapter 4 500 PSI DRILL ............................................................................................... 4-1
Chapter 5 S.C.B.A. CONSUMPTION TEST ................................................................ 5-1
CONSUMPTION TEST ..................................................................................................... 5-2
COURSE STATIONS: ...................................................................................................... 5-3
COURSE MAP ................................................................................................................. 5-4
Chapter 6 ESCAPE FROM ENTANGLEMENT........................................................... 6-1
Chapter 7 SHIFT/DUMP/RE-DON SCBA .................................................................... 7-1
Chapter 8 SCBA ANNUAL EVALUATION ................................................................. 8-1
Chapter 9 THE POINT OF NO RETURN ................................................................... 9-1
The NFPA and air management .......................................................................... 9-1
THE POINT OF NO RETURN ............................................................................... 9-2
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE POINT OF NO RETURN................................. 9-2
Entry Point ............................................................................................................... 9-3
Firefighters’ Physical Condition .............................................................................. 9-3
Firefighter Size......................................................................................................... 9-3
The Type of Work Being Performed ....................................................................... 9-3
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE DURATION OF THE AIR SUPPLY ............... 9-3
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ............................................................................. 9-7
FINAL THOUGHTS ............................................................................................... 9-7
Endnote .................................................................................................................... 9-8
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Chapter 1 TRAINING SCHEDULE
Even Years
Odd Years
January
SCBA Policy and Procedures Review
4100-03. SCBA Inspection Procedures
(Daily, weekly, monthly, annually and
cleaning procedures), Identify the
various types of respiratory protection
equipment that Northshore Fire uses.
SCBA Policy and Procedures Review
4100-03. SCBA Inspection Procedures
(Daily, weekly, monthly, annually and
cleaning procedures), Identify the
various types of respiratory protection
equipment that Northshore Fire uses.
February
60 Second Donning Check
60 Second Donning Check
March
500 psi Drill (Breaths in 500 psi)
Shift/Dump/Redon SCBA
April
Annual Fit Testing
Annual Fit Testing
May
60 Second Donning Check
60 Second Donning Check
June
Consumption Testing
Consumption Testing
July
Point of No Return Drill
Air Conservation Techniques
August
60 Second Donning Check
60 Second Donning Check
September
Wall Breech Maneuvers
Escape from Entanglement
October
SCBA Maze or Confidence Course
SCBA Maze or Confidence Course
November
60 Second Donning Check
60 Second Donning Check
December
RIT Pack
Changing SCBA on Downed Firefighter
Any item in RED indicates that YOUR Training Division will evaluate.
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Chapter 2 CHANGING SCBA ON DOWNED
FIREFIGHTER
CHANGING AN SCBA ON A DOWNED FIREFIGHTER:
While operating in IDLH environments, it may become necessary for the member to
exchange an SCBA on a downed or trapped firefighter. In order for the member to
accomplish this task safely, it must be practiced in a secure environment with full
PPE and breathing air from your SCBA.
REMOVING:
It may not be necessary to remove the pack frame completely. Remove the
firefighters regulator and replace with the new SCBA’s regulator. The following steps
should be taken in order to accomplish the removal and replacement of the SCBA:
 Loosen the shoulder straps
 Remove chest strap if needed
 Unbuckle waist strap
 Remove right shoulder strap
 Carefully roll firefighter onto right side
 Remove pack to left side to avoid pulling the MMR hose
RE-DONNING:
After the old pack is removed:
 Place left shoulder strap on firefighter
 Carefully roll firefighter onto back
 Place right shoulder strap on firefighter
 Buckle and tighten waist strap
 Buckle chest strap
 Tighten shoulder straps
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Chapter 3 RIT Pack
RIT PACK:
Use the RIT Pack to quick fill the SCBA of a downed or trapped firefighter. Use the
RIT Pack to perform a regulator exchange with a malfunctioning (simulated)
regulator. Use the RIT Pack to perform a mask exchange with a malfunctioning
(simulated) mask.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
1. Obtain a complete RIT Pack for demonstration. Perform the following in well lit
area first and then advance to a “black out” scenario.
2. Have member carry RIT Pack to a trapped (simulated) firefighter and perform a
quick fill using the URC on the trapped firefighter per the Firehawk manual.
3. Have member carry RIT Pack to a firefighter and perform a regulator exchange.
4. Have member carry RIT Pack to a firefighter and perform a mask exchange.
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RIT Pack
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Chapter 4 500 PSI DRILL
500 PSI DRILL:
The purpose of this drill is to demonstrate the functional capacity of a SCBA cylinder
in an emergency operation where the firefighter must operate below the low pressure
alarm.
OBJECTIVE:
To reinforce the importance of daily SCBA checks to ensure that the most vital piece
of life safety equipment is ready to function at its optimal level.
Daily Routines Make a Difference
A daily check of your SCBA may be taken for granted by even the most experienced
firefighter. Common practice may be to allow an SCBA cylinder to be slightly below full
before exchanging or refilling the cylinder. This drill reinforces the importance of
making sure your SCBA is as close to full as possible at all times. It will allow you to
identify how much “survival time” you have with as little as 500 PSI of air. This drill will
underscore the importance of air management and reinforce the concept of exiting a
hazardous environment before low pressure alarms activate. Firefighters should not
operate in an IDLH atmosphere while their low pressure alarm is sounding. This drill
emphasizes worst case scenario operations.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
1. Obtain a complete SCBA unit for demonstration.
• Facepiece
• SCBA unit
• SCBA cylinder
2. Using a spare cylinder, bleed air supply to approximately 500 PSI on bottle
pressure gauge.
3. Place the 500 PSI cylinder into SCBA.
4. Instruct a firefighter to complete standard donning sequence using all PPE. Do not
turn on cylinder until instructed.
5. Prepare to count the number of available breaths the firefighter will take once on
air and track the time the firefighter is able to breathe from the cylinder.
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6. Have firefighter attach regulator and open cylinder and begin breathing. Count all
breaths and record time. Firefighter should perform emergency MAYDAY radio
procedures after silencing PASS device or low pressure alarm, reactivation of PASS is
required after MAYDAY.
7. Continue breathing until cylinder is empty, remove regulator and place protective
hood over exhalation hole to simulate filter device. Simulation is now complete.
8. Discuss how many available breaths were left in the cylinder and how much time
under “controlled/non-stress” operations were available to the firefighter below the
500 PSI level.
9. Emphasize the fact that the number of breaths and the amount of time that were
available is the amount of time for the RIT to get you. Do not accept anything other
than a full SCBA cylinder!
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500 PSI Drill
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Chapter 5 S.C.B.A. CONSUMPTION TEST
The use of self-contained breathing apparatus is an essential tool used in the fire
service. Every member who uses an SCBA must know their limitations in its use. This
consumption test course is designed to allow the participant a greater understanding
of their abilities and restrictions when using and SCBA.
REHAB STATION:
As with any strenuous training session, a rehab station should be setup to ensure
proper rehabilitation of the participants prior to and after each evolution.
Recommended rehab supplies should include as a minimum: Water, cups, proper
cover from direct sunlight (i.e. tent) chairs or benches for participants and if possible a
misting system to allow for immediate cool down.
CONSUMPTION TEST OVERVIEW:
1. Each member is provided one S.C.B.A. with cylinder filled to capacity (i.e. 4500
psi.).
2. Participants are medically screened prior to the evolution (Including: bloodpressure, pulse, respirations).
3. Vital signs and starting S.C.B.A. pressure are documented.
4. Each participant is then instructed to begin the course at a comfortable pace – NO
RUNNING is permitted.
5. Participants are instructed to complete as many tasks/stations as possible without
stopping. Partially completed stations will not be counted.
6. Participants continue this process until their low-pressure alarm activates at which
point their low-pressure activation time is documented.
7. Members will continue through the course until they reach total exhaustion and/or
run out of air at which point their total operating time is documented.
8. Members are provided a 1-minute rest period followed by a second medical
screening.
9. Members are provided with a 15-minute break to allow for rehabilitation and fluid
replacement.
10. Participants are provided a final medical screening after 15-minute break.
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
CONSUMPTION TEST
Name:__________________
Date:________
Vitals:
Initial
1 Minute
After Completion
15 Minutes
After Completion
B/P
_____
_____
_____
Respirations
_____
_____
_____
Pulse
_____
_____
_____
Starting SCBA Pressure: ________
Time of Low Pressure Bell Activation: _________
Time of Completion: _________
Number of Stations Completed: __________
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COURSE STATIONS:
STATION 1 – LADDER RAISE/LOWER
Equipment Required: Roof ladder, one traffic cone (set 50’ from hose tower wall)
Simulation: This station is designed to simulate the task of raising and lowering a
ladder to perform a task on a roof or upper levels during a firefighting operation.
Shoulder carry the roof ladder and proceed to the hose tower wall. Perform a one
person ladder raise. Lower the ladder and carry back to traffic cone. Rest the ladder
next to the cone.
STATION 2 – TRAFFIC CONE FATIGUE TEST
Equipment Required: Eight (8) 24” traffic cones (spread out in two rows of 4, 8’
apart), two (2) softballs, and two (2) baseballs placed on top of the cones.
Simulation: This station is designed as an evaluation station of early fatigue and
coordination compromise. Members are required to pick up a softball/baseball and
carry it over to the next cone (walking in a figure 8 or “S” formation). This process
continues until all the balls are moved to the opposite side.
STATION 3 – PIKE POLE / CEILING PULL SIMULATION
Equipment Required: (1) pry bar
Simulation: This station is designed to replicate the actions necessary to perform
overhaul (i.e. ceiling pull) or check for spot fires in the overhead. Members are
instructed to raise and lower a pry bar simulating the action of pulling a ceiling – (15)
times.
STATION 4 -HOSE BUNDLE CARRY
Equipment Required: 1 wyed apartment pack, two traffic cones (set 50’ apart).
Simulation: This station simulates the action of picking up a hose bundle and
transporting it to a desired location. Members are required to pick up the wyed
apartment pack and walk out to the traffic cone, navigate around it and return to
original traffic cone.
STATION 5 -ASCEND THE TOWER
Simulation: This station simulates a firefighter ascending to the fourth floor of a
building. Members are required to walk up to the fourth floor of the tower and return
to the ground floor.
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COURSE MAP
See detail below for cone test.
Softball
Softball
Baseball
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Baseball
Consumption Test
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August 7, 2009
Consumption Test
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Chapter 6 ESCAPE FROM
ENTANGLEMENT
ESCAPING FROM ENTANGLEMENT:
The purpose of this drill is to reinforce the importance of being familiar with the
SCBA and its parts, their location as well as life saving techniques in the event the
member should become entangled in wires preventing their movement through the
building. The members shall don all PPE including SCBA and practice entanglement
techniques in blacked out conditions. Members shall be proficient in removing
themselves from an entanglement situation. This exercise should all be done in
complete PPE.
ESCAPE TECHNIQUE:
Members are encouraged always to be aware of the potential for entanglement
hazards while inside of a structure performing fire-fighting activities. This suspicion of
entanglement hazards is greatly heightened when there has been a collapse of any
part of the structure. In the event that you are presented with an entanglement
situation, a member should do the following:
 If you feel a tugging on your SCBA, STOP IMMEDIATELY and back up one
step!!!
 Place your tool on the ground with the handle pointing in the direction you
were traveling.
 DO NOT TRY to force your way out of this. This will make your
entanglement worse.
 If you are with a partner, let them know what your situation is and ask them
to try and free you from the entanglement.
 If you do not have a tool to cut the wires/obstruction away from you, try the
“swim” technique.
 While on our hands and knees attempt to snag the wires by taking your right
arm and moving it in a sweeping motion backwards along the outside of the
leg at the knee- up past the waist and directly overhead to the front of the
firefighter in a swimming motion.
 If you do not snag the wire with this method, repeat the above motion with
the arm on the other side.
 Upon snagging the wire, place the wire(s) in both hands and raise them high
above your head freeing yourself from the entanglement.
 If after doing the swim motion you were unable to snag the wire, rotate body
90 degrees to either the right or left and attempt the swim motion once again.
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 If this does not work, turn back to the center and then rotate 90 degrees the
opposite direction and attempt the swim technique again.
 If none of the above techniques enable you to grab the wire and free yourself,
then a Mayday situation exists. Declare a “MAYDAY”.
 At this point you may need to shift or remove the SCBA from your back.
 If you are able to free yourself, advise the Incident Commander of your
situation then take the wires in your hand and push them away from your
position, ensuring that the wires do not come back to you.
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Chapter 7 SHIFT/DUMP/RE-DON SCBA
SHIFTING, REMOVING AND RE-DONNING SCBA:
While operating in IDLH environments, it may become necessary for the member to
remove their SCBA pack frame without removing their mask. In order for the
member to accomplish this task safely, it must be practiced in a secure environment.
SHIFTING, REMOVING AND RE-DONNING TECHNIQUE:
SHIFTING:
It may not be necessary to remove the pack frame completely. The following steps
should be taken in order to “shift” the pack frame to reduce the member’s profile:
Loosen the shoulder straps
Remove chest strap if needed
Loosen waist strap if needed
Shift pack to left side to avoid pulling the MMR hose
DUMP/REMOVE:
As a last resort, the member may have to remove the pack to navigate an obstacle.
The following steps should be taken in order remove the pack:
Loosen the shoulder straps
Remove chest strap
Unbuckle waist strap
Remove right arm from shoulder strap
Grasp left shoulder strap and remove arm
*DO NOT LET GO OF THE PACK FRAMES SHOULDER STRAP! Doing so could
cause the pack to fall away from the member pulling his/her mask off.
RE-DONNING:
After the member has successfully navigated the obstacle, re-don the pack as soon as
possible.
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Chapter 8 SCBA ANNUAL EVALUATION
Objectives: WAC 296-305-04001(17)
Employee Name:__________________________________Badge Number:_______
Task
Notes
Don in under 60 seconds
All employees will begin drill with bunker coat, hood, and
helmet on and chin strap secured. All procedures must be
completed to pass the evaluation.
Verbalize air pressure in cylinder
Turn cylinder completely on
Don via over-the-head or coat method
Buckle and tighten waist strap
Buckle chest strap
Tighten shoulder strap
Verbalize cylinder pressure via the PASS
device
Don facepiece
Check facepiece seal
Don hood
Don and secure helmet
Test MMR by-pass
Attach MMR to facepiece
Stop time when employee claps gloved hands
together.
After time stops:
Turn on Clear Comm
Attach Clear Comm to radio mic
Without looking:
Activate PASS device
Activate Emergency By-Pass
Announce Mayday:
“mayday, mayday, mayday, (blank) Command from (firefighters name or company)”. Once acknowledged, the
Mayday shall be followed by a report to include (if known) crew or personnel id, location, number of firefighters
missing or trapped, extent of help needed (trapped, lost, missing, amount of air, ect).
Evaluator: ___________________________________________ Date: _____________
August 7, 2009
Annual Evaluation Form
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Chapter 9 THE POINT OF NO RETURN
BY STEVE BERNOCCO, MIKE GAGLIANO, PHIL JOSE, AND CASEY PHILLIPS
THE RULE OF AIR MANAGEMENT IS SIMPLE: KNOW how much air you have in
your SCBA and manage the amount of air you have so that you leave the hazardous
environment before your SCBA low-air warning bell begins to ring.1
This rule holds true for any fire building or hazardous atmosphere. Firefighters should
follow it at all times: at bread-and-butter room fires, at house fires, at the large apartment
house fire, at the large commercial fire, at the confined-space rescue-at any incident
where firefighters use their SCBAs.
This article discusses how the Point of No Return relates to the Rule of Air Management.
The NFPA and air management
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1404, Standard for Fire Service Respiratory
Protection Training, 2002 edition, covers specific training policies that relate to the selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA). However, many fire departments probably are not
following important aspects of this mandate.
NFPA 1404 (5.1.7, plus appendices) states the following:
“Training policies shall include, but shall not be limited to the following:
(1) Identification of the various types of respiratory protection equipment.
(2) Responsibilities of members to obtain and maintain proper facepiece fit.
(3) Responsibilities of members for proper cleaning and maintenance.
(4) Identification of the factors that affect the duration of the air supply.
(5) Determination of the Point of No Return for each member.
(6) Responsibilities of members for using respiratory protection equipment in a hazardous atmosphere.
(7) Limitations of respiratory protection devices.
Most departments have training policies relating to numbers 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. We are all
familiar with our yearly face piece fit test, how we are supposed to clean and maintain
our SCBA, and the limitations of our SCBA. However, most of the fire departments in
the United States have ignored training policies related to (4) identifying the factors that
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affect the duration of the air supply and (5) determination of the Point of No Return for
each member.
THE POINT OF NO RETURN
What is this idea of the Point of No Return to which NFPA 1404 (5.1.7, plus appendices)
refers?
In ancient lore, sailors associated the Point of No Return with ships sailing too close to
the edge of the world and succumbing to the pull of the water as it dragged them over the
falls. For many firefighters, the Point of No Return symbolizes that point beyond which
you are unable to return from the hazardous environment-in short, the point where you
die.
We believe that the Point of No Return is not the point where you die but rather that point
at which you or your team stops becoming part of the solution and starts to become part
of the problem. By crossing the Point of No Return, you are now a part of the problem
and, most likely, in need of intervention by resources that might otherwise have been
directed toward the initial problem. Crossing the Point of No Return and doing nothing
about it can lead you toward death. At best, your situation is quickly resolved, and it is a
lesson learned. At worst, you die in the hazardous atmosphere by going too deep, staying
too long, and ending up beyond the limitations of your equipment. The Point of No
Return is a key concept that is often overlooked in aggressive interior operations and a
concept that must be addressed by officers serious about the safety of their crews.
Determining the Point of No Return for each member and identifying the factors that
affect the duration of the air supply are critical to the Rule of Air Management and to
firefighter safety and survival. In fact, these two mandates are perhaps the most important
aspects of an air management policy.
Most of the firefighters who have died in structure fires over the past five years died from
carbon monoxide poisoning after they ran out of air, pulled off their face pieces, and
breathed in deadly smoke. In other words, many of these firefighters died because of a
lack of air management.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE POINT OF NO RETURN
NFPA 1404 (A.5.1.7) lists a number of important factors that affect the Point of No
Return. We will discuss each of these factors as they relate to the Rule of Air
Management.
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Entry Point
This is the point where most firefighters enter the hazard area. It is imperative that all
entrants, particularly the officer/team leaders, take note of the entry point and its
specifics. What is the size of the opening? To what degree will the entry point hinder
firefighters from quickly exiting the hazard? Where is the location of the opening? What
are the chances of the entry point’s becoming blocked? Can any debris or façade
compromise the entry point? To what degree are handlines and other equipment going to
limit the opening? Is there a second means of egress? Is this secondary means of egress
already in place? Do the firefighters in the hazard area know where the secondary means
of egress is located?
Firefighters’ Physical Condition
We are talking mainly about cardiovascular fitness conditioning here. Your team’s ability
to function in the hazardous environment will depend on the team’s least physically
conditioned member. This poorly conditioned firefighter could lead you and your team
toward the Point of No Return if that firefighter’s air is not being managed correctly.
Cardiovascular conditioning and the interrelationship between air management is a good
reason for every fire department to institute a wellness-fitness program for its firefighters.
Many firefighters’ lives could be saved, and fire departments would benefit from such
programs.
Firefighter Size
The larger the individuals on your team, the more difficult it will be for them to move in
tight places and for you to remove them if they should get into trouble. It is our
experience that, all things being equal, the larger the individual, the more air he uses.
The Type of Work Being Performed
The assigned task is directly related to air usage. Using heavy tools or moving a charged
2 ⁄ -inch handline through a hazardous environment will take a heavy toll on your
available air supply and could push you toward the Point of No Return if you are not
practicing the Rule of Air Management. As officers/team leaders enter the hazardous
environment, they must make a mental note of their assigned task and how it will affect
their crew’s work cycle.
1 2
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE DURATION OF THE AIR SUPPLY
• Familiarity with equipment. Equipment-having the appropriate equipment and
knowing how to use it-is the first factor that affects the duration of the air supply. Not
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having the right equipment puts you on the path to disaster. It is imperative that
officers/team leaders ensure their members are adequately equipped for the task assigned
to them prior to entering the hazard zone. It is equally important that they know how to
use their equipment, especially when things go wrong.
How many firefighters have practiced looking at their pressure gauge, particularly in
situations of limited visibility? Do they know where the needle is when they have
consumed half of their usable air (not counting their emergency reserve air)? Do they
know how to successfully complete an emergency transfill in blackout conditions to a
firefighter who is out of air and unconscious? Do they know what the average work cycle
is for the amount of air they have in their air cylinder? Do they know how to clean and
check their SCBA for problems? Have they practiced air conservation techniques?
If you do not know the answer to any of these questions, we suggest that you go out and
drill on your equipment. Remember, your SCBA is the most important piece of
equipment you wear. Knowing it and how to use it in adverse conditions may save your
life some day.
• Physical and emotional preparedness. The greater your exertion, the quicker your air
is depleted. This is not anything new. Officers/team leaders must continually monitor
their firefighters and determine how they are handling their assigned tasks from an
emotional and a psychological perspective. Are they breathing at an inordinately high
rate? Do they seem in control of their movements, and are they moving purposefully?
Are they experiencing tunnel vision with their assigned task? Is there any history of
claustrophobic reactions or problems in high-stress situations?
We have run multiple air management and search/rescue training sessions in blackout
conditions for the Seattle Fire Department and have come across these types of situations
with some of our members. These situations occurred in a limited-hazard environment
where the individuals knew they were in no real danger. Imagine how quickly these
members would breathe through their air supply if they were facing truly serious fire
conditions? Competence breeds confidence, so train.
Be cognizant of your crew’s emotional and psychological state when they are wearing
their SCBA in a hazardous atmosphere. Sometimes, just telling a firefighter to calm down
and slow his breathing can help extend his air supply in the hazardous environment.
Often, firefighters who are breathing heavily don’t even know they are doing it until you
tell them. The bottom line for officers and team leaders is that situational awareness must
extend to the physical and mental state of their team in addition to the environment in
which they are operating.
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• Know what your air supply is on entry and at reasonable intervals as you proceed
into the immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) environment. This practice
affects the duration of the air supply. This is an essential piece of the Rule of Air
Management-knowing how much air you have in your SCBA.
Checking your air level before you enter the hazard zone is a must. Believe it or not, a
number of firefighters have failed to check their air levels before entering an IDLH
environment and then found themselves in serious trouble. A preentry air check is so
simple. Yet, if you ask around your department, you most likely will find plenty of
firefighters who do not perform this preentry air check.
Firefighters must regularly check the air levels on their pressure gauges as they move
through the hazardous atmosphere. We recommend checking team air levels every five
minutes or so. Some progressive fire departments have instituted the policy of having
their dispatchers announce time on-scene every five minutes. This on-scene time
announced over the radio is a signal for every member using SCBA to pause and check
their team’s air levels.
The heart and soul of air management is knowing how much air you have in your
cylinder. Know it when you go in, at intervals along the way, and make sure you have
enough air in your bottle to exit the hazardous atmosphere before your low-air warning
bell begins to ring. Remember, your reserve air, the air in the red zone of your air
pressure gauge, is there only for emergencies. You should be out of the hazardous
environment before your low-air warning bell begins to ring. Using the low-air warning
bell as a signal to exit the hazardous environment is a recipe for disaster. We want the
low-air warning bell to be an emergency alarm, not the false alarm it is today on the U.S.
fireground. Exiting the hazardous atmosphere before the low-air warning bell begins to
ring is central to the Rule of Air Management.
The U.S. fire service needs to view air management the same way as the dive industry
does. Commercial and recreational SCUBA divers check their air from start to finish, and
they never use their reserve/emergency air unless they have a true emergency. Think of
structural firefighters in a smoke-filled IDLH environment as “smoke divers.”
Firefighters, like SCUBA divers, are in a hostile environment where they cannot take off
their breathing apparatus. If SCUBA divers can check their air and be back on the surface
before they use any of their emergency air, then firefighting “smoke divers” can too. The
U.S. fire service must learn from the dive industry, which has been practicing air
management for decades.
The fire services of many countries have adopted aggressive air management policies for
their firefighters. For example, in England and Hong Kong, if a firefighter works into his
emergency air (and the low-air warning bell begins to ring) and no emergency exists, that
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firefighter is severely disciplined. If this same firefighter fails to follow the Rule of Air
Management again and works into his reserve air without being in an emergency
situation, that firefighter is no longer employed. This “two strikes and you are out” air
management policy is tough, and it illustrates just how serious some fire service
organizations are about air management. Keep in mind that every country that has
adopted an aggressive air management policy has far fewer firefighter deaths in structures
per capita each year than the U.S. fire service.
• Ongoing evaluation of your team based on air supply, physical exertion, and
general condition. Officers/team leaders should be aware of where their members are
and how they are doing at all times. Officers/team leaders should monitor the specific
hazards of the assigned task and any difficulties encountered along the way, and they
should recognize changes to the team and to the hazardous environment in which they are
working as they occur. How these variables are affecting the team becomes readily
apparent if the officer/team leader is monitoring air levels. Firefighters consuming air
quickly are usually doing so for a reason. Some conditions that might cause air
consumption to increase are heavy workload in a short timeframe, a moderate workload
over an extended period of time, high heat, low visibility, increased stress levels, and
severe fire conditions.
• The physical layout of the structure and any variables presented as you proceed.
These affect the air supply. Recognizing the layout and physical variables of the structure
aids in your ability to get the job done safely and effectively. It begins at the entry point
and should continue as you and your team move through the hazard area. Taking note of
landmarks, conditions, and alternate routes of egress are crucial elements of safe interior
operations.
Most firefighters who run out of air get lost or separated from their team in heavy smoke
conditions. By staying oriented in the structure, and to their team, firefighters can operate
more effectively, under less stress, thereby reducing their air use and extending their
work cycle. Do whatever it takes to keep oriented in the hazardous environment-use a tag
line, keep a team member at a doorway while another goes into the room to
search/extinguish, or, better yet, use a thermal imaging camera (TIC).
The TIC is one of the greatest technical advances to come along in the fire service. If you
have one on your rig, use it. Don’t leave it on the rig when you go to an alarm. Use it to
stay oriented in searches, to monitor heat conditions overhead, and to enhance situational
awareness. It will have a profoundly positive effect on your air supply, allowing you to
stay in the structure longer (less wasted time fumbling around in the dark) and to conduct
your fire attack/search more efficiently.
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• Understanding how far you have advanced into the structure or hazardous
environment and the time it has taken you to get there. This goes hand-in-hand with
staying oriented in the hazardous environment.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
If you review the factors that affect the duration of the air supply and look at them
together, you will find an outline and an argument for situational awareness, which has
always been and will continue to be an important aspect of safe and aggressive interior
firefighting. If firefighters conducting interior operations are ignoring situational
awareness, they are ignoring safety, and they will pay a dear price sooner or later.
Firefighters must know where they are in the hazardous environment in relationship to
the entry/exit point and must constantly monitor changing conditions and other factors,
such as heat conditions, fire growth, the interior layout of the structure, the air supply of
the interior team, secondary means of egress, locations of potential victims (exit
pathways and bedrooms), and how the fire attack/search is progressing.
Hopefully, your fire department’s dispatchers give timely on-scene radio reports (every
five, 10, or 15 minutes) at every fire and significant event. These reports are important
since the other factors affecting the emergency scene, such as fire’s weakening the
structure you are in, are still occurring as you attempt to complete your assigned task. As
you monitor radio traffic, you will get an idea of what headway is being made, how much
time has passed since you arrived at the fireground, and whether you should keep going
or leave the hazardous environment. Staying aware of the entire situation will help you
make intelligent decisions, particularly in regard to air management.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Many fire departments fail to train their members on the concept of the Point of No
Return found in NFPA 1404 (5.1.7, plus appendices). Ignoring this concept can be
deadly. It is claiming firefighters’ lives across the United States, and its influence will
continue to increase as the structures we encounter on the fireground become larger and
fail more quickly. Firefighters must understand the factors that affect the Point of No
Return so they can avoid crossing over this dangerous point.
Firefighters in countries with progressive air management policies have lower per-capita
firefighter death rates in structure fires than the United States. We believe that the Rule of
Air Management is essential to firefighter safety and survival on the fireground.
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Training Manual Article 5: S.C.B.A.
Endnote
1. “Train in ‘The Rule of air Management,’” Steve Bernocco, Casey Phillips, Phil Jose,
and Chris Yob, Fire Engineering, April 2003.
● STEVE BERNOCCO is a 12-year veteran of the Seattle (WA) Fire Department,
where he is a lieutenant on Ladder 10. He has served as a training officer and is a
member of the Seattle Fire Department Operational Skills Enhancement Development
Team.
● MIKE GAGLIANO has 17 years of fire/crash/rescue experience with the Seattle
(WA) Fire Department and the United States Air Force. He is a lieutenant on Engine 16
and is a member of the Seattle Fire Department Operational Skills Enhancement
Development Team.
● PHIL JOSE, a 15-year veteran of the Seattle (WA) Fire Department, is the captain of
Ladder 5. He has served as a training officer and is a member of the Seattle Fire
Department Operational Skills Enhancement Development Team.
● CASEY PHILLIPS, a 16-year veteran of the fire service, has served the past 13 years
in the Seattle (WA) Fire Department. He is the captain of Engine 40 and a member of the
Seattle Fire Department Operational Skills Enhancement Development Team.
Steve Bernocco, Mike Gagliano, Phil Jose, and Casey Phillips will present “The Point of
No Return” at the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, April 11-16.
Consult the FDIC Official Show Program for exact date and time.
To access this article, go to:
http://www.fireengineering.com /display_article/227773/25/none/none/FDPrv/THEPOINT-OF-NO-RETURN
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