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May 2008

Monthly Spotlight

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

The "air-pack" as it is often referred to, is one of the most recognizable pieces of firefighting equipment. SCBA is worn by firefighters to provide breathable air in a hostile environment.

Current procedures require Oradell firefighters to don SCBA on every call unless otherwise noted by an officer. This includes, but is not limited to, structure fires, car fires, heavy smoke conditions, Carbon Monoxide emergencies, and even fire alarm investigations.

The Oradell firefighters currently utilize the Scott SCBA system with "30 minute" bottles. This is an open circuit positive pressure system that uses carbon fiber wrapped air bottles, which replaced heavier steel bottles many years ago. Even though the bottles are rated for 30 minutes of use, this number can be drastically reduced (even by half) based on the firefighter's health, agility, breathing rate, and the type of work being done.

It is a common misconception of what is actually in our bottles, which are often described as "oxygen bottles". These bottles are actually filled with filtered compressed air, the same air you are breathing right now. The Oradell firefighters operate a cascade system in the firehouse which has the ability to fill both our SCBA and SCUBA bottles.

The current SCBA system includes an integrated PASS system. The PASS system is a warning alert that will activate when the SCBA and firefighter have been idle for 30 seconds or the manual panic button has been pressed. This alerts others of an injured, trapped, or lost firefighter and can help guide rescuers to his or her location. The system activates when the SCBA system is pressurized and cannot be turned off until the system is depressurized.