An officer and a firefighter on a handline enter a structure fire and begin extinguishment when without warning the floor gives way and they fall into the basement. A Mayday is transmitted, and a firefighter assist search team (FAST) is quickly deployed. Mutual aid, or additional alarms, is dispatched as operations now focus on assisting the FAST by controlling the fire and getting the trapped firefighters removed to safety. The problem is compounded as rescue crews have a difficult time gaining access to the trapped firefighters. The area around the opening is unstable. Stairs are burned away or cannot easily be found. Self-rescue is also a problem because of injuries or a confusing layout. Low-air alarms on the trapped firefighters begin to sound as the rescue operation continues.
Most firefighters have read or heard or may even have been involved in a situation like this. A firefighter is trapped, needs help, and cannot self-rescue. This incident could have occurred in a variety of ways-a fall through an opening, a collapse that prevents an exit, or an obstacle that entangles or pins. The trapped firefighter has few options other than transmitting a Mayday message and activating the PASS alarm. In a situation like this, air management is critical. The trapped firefighter must remain calm and try to conserve air while waiting for help.
 (1) A firefighter using SCBA, wearing a full turnout, and carrying equipment climbs stairs to perform a strenuous activity as part of the drill. (Photos by author.) |
Managing the air supply when using an SCBA should not be anything new to a firefighter. To be able to manage air when faced with a situation like that described above, you need to practice and drill. Described below is an air management drill that is easy to set up and will build confidence in managing SCBA air.
DRILL SETUP
The drill begins with a group of firefighters using SCBA and donning full turnout gear performing a strenuous activity similar to firefighting. Timed benchmarks for each firefighter are recorded throughout the drill. When the low-air warning on the firefighter’s SCBA sounds, all but one participant changes modes and attempts to conserve the remaining air. One participant, selected before the drill starts, continues the physical activity until his SCBA is completely out of air. Depending on physical ability, a flight or two of stairs are used. Firefighters using SCBA and in full turnout gear, which includes gloves and firefighting hood, climb up and down the stairs. SCBA air cylinders are checked before starting the drill to ensure that the cylinders are completely filled. Firefighters should carry a heavy tool or a roll of hose. Prior to the drill, a 100-foot walking loop is set up at the top or the bottom of the stairs. The firefighters leave the stairs for a short time and walk about the loop. This is done to give firefighters a chance to catch their breath and to avoid traffic backups on the stairs between firefighters.
Somewhere along this loop, a training officer who is not participating in the drill records times on a chart and monitors the physical activity level of the firefighters participating in the drill. Time may be recorded on a large sheet of paper with a marker, a dry-erase board, or a chalkboard. The officer recording the times should use a stopwatch or a wristwatch with that feature and record time in minutes and seconds when benchmarks are reached. Use a chart with rows and columns (Table 1).
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The drill starts when the training officer begins timing with the stopwatch. Firefighters walk up and down the stairs and around the loop using their SCBA on air. The drill is meant to be strenuous and safe. The training officer should monitor firefighters and make sure they are working at an appropriate level. If the firefighter is not working hard enough, the training officer should tell that firefighter to move faster or should give him something heavier to carry. Also, if the training officer finds the firefighter is working too hard, he should stop him, slow him down, or give him less to carry.
Firefighters have to monitor their air consumption during the drill. When a benchmark is reached, the firefighter should notify the training officer so that the time can be recorded on the chart. By timing and recording these benchmarks, firefighters are also reinforcing, or learning, the habits of air management. For the SCBAs that have the indicator lights inside the mask, an extra step is needed when recording benchmarks. Firefighters should check the air-gauge display and tell the training officer that amount (photo 2).
 (2) The training officer records times and cylinder pressures when a firefighter notifies him of a benchmark during the drill. |
Firefighters should continue this activity until the low-air warning sounds. This will occur at different times for each participating firefighter; this time is recorded as well. All but the preselected firefighter should stop all activity and shift to calming down and attempting to conserve air. They should not remove any turnout gear, but they can sit down to get the weight of the SCBA off their back. They should attempt to move as little as possible to save energy. Breathing should be slowed and controlled. Encourage controlled breathing techniques such as skip breathing-slowly taking in a breath and holding it for as long as it takes to exhale, usually about a few seconds. At this point, instead of exhaling, inhale in another slow breath and then exhale slowly. This breathing technique is easy to master, but proficiency takes practice.1
When the selected firefighter reaches the low-air warning point, he notifies the training officer, who records the time, and continues the physical activity of climbing up and down the stairs until he is completely out of air.
PASS alarms for the firefighters need to be controlled during this period of inactivity. The sounding of the alarm creates stress on firefighters and causes an increase in air consumption. To control this when integrated PASS alarms are in use, the best thing to do is to is to reset the alarm each time it goes into pre-alarm. In some integrated PASS alarms, the motion sensor is part of the PASS device, so a simple shake of the PASS device will reset the alarm. Other PASS alarms have the motion sensor by the air cylinder, and so it is best to keep a finger on the reset button and reset the alarm each time it goes into pre-alarm. Keeping a finger on the reset button limits movement and the expending of energy. The objective of the drill is to manage air consumption and save energy during this period of inactivity (photo 3).
 (3) A firefighter now rests and attempts to conserve air from the SCBA during the drill. |
At some point, the pressure for the air cylinder in the SCBA will drop to such a low level that the low-air warning alarm will stop. At this point as well, resetting the low-air alarm by pressing the reset may also shut off the electronic function of integrated PASS alarms. Try to avoid this, because, in a real situation, you do not ever want to have the PASS alarm turned off. Firefighters, including the selected firefighter who continued physical activity, should note the air pressure on the gauge and tell the training officer. The training officer records the time on the stopwatch and the pressure. Not long after this, the firefighter will run completely out of air. The training officer again notes the time on the stopwatch, and the firefighter removes all turnout gear. This part of the drill is over. A rehab period that includes drinking water and cooling down is needed.
DRILL CRITIQUE
The times and the SCBA air pressures for each firefighter are reviewed and discussed. Let’s look at some results of this drill (Table 2). Times are recorded in minutes and seconds; the number below represents the SCBA psi reading at the benchmark. In this drill, SCBA psi readings were the same for each benchmark.
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Many are surprised when they see how long you can maintain and conserve air when necessary. Most firefighters also learn how their SCBA functions in low-air mode all the way down to completely being out of air. In this drill, most firefighters conserved and stretched air to last another 16 to 25 minutes after the low-air warning alarm activated. Compare the results of the firefighters who practiced air conservation with the firefighter who continued physical activity after the low-air warning alarm sounded. In this drill, the firefighter who maintained physical activity ran out of air 6 minutes and 28 seconds after the low-air warning alarm activated.
This drill provides practice that helps firefighters to be more proficient in air-management skills. During the critique, the training officer should review the steps that should be taken if a firefighter becomes lost or trapped inside a burning building.
The first step is to notify Command of a Mayday and give the name or names of those trapped or lost. Attempt to identify your location; if that is not possible, give your last known location.
It is also important to activate the PASS alarm. Keep in mind that you may want to turn the PASS alarm on and off at times when using a portable radio to give or receive messages; communications may not be effective with the alarm blaring in the background.
This is also a good time to discuss managing and controlling PASS alarms. Turning PASS alarms on and off when lost or trapped may be an effective way to maintain control of the scene. To improve radio communications, lost or trapped firefighters may want to consider turning the alarm off temporarily. Also, in some situations, rescue firefighters may find a lost firefighter who is also trapped. The trapped firefighter should consider turning off the PASS alarm when found. This will make communications at that scene more effective.
If lost or trapped, firefighters should attempt to self-rescue, if possible, or move away from dangerous places. If self-rescue is not an option, SCBA air management and conservation become critical. Firefighters will have to avoid physical activity and remain in one place to make it easier for rescue firefighters to find them.2 They will also need to calm down and begin controlled breathing techniques, such as skip breathing, to conserve air. Trapped or lost firefighters must notify Command if a low-air warning alarm is sounding. The main priority for the FAST should include filling an air cylinder or replacing an SCBA of the trapped firefighters.
Another important point to make within the critique is the importance of SCBA air confidence. Air consumption can be stretched to last a long time if you need it and know how to do it. Trapped or lost firefighters have options to consider in maintaining their air supply. Keep in mind that the time values in this drill cannot be relied on in a real firefighting situation. In a real firefighting situation, firefighters are working harder and are stressed by the Mayday; the times in this drill will be less. The important point is that when using SCBA, air should be managed and can be conserved if needed.
References
1. Essentials of Fire Fighting, Fourth Edition, International Fire Service Training Association, 1998, 108.
2. “Career Fire Captain Dies When Trapped by Partial Roof Collapse in a Vacant House Fire-Texas,” National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Dec.16, 2005. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200509.html.
SCOTT JOERGER is an engine company captain with the Rochester (NY) Fire Department. He is the former chief of the Pittsford (NY) Volunteer Fire Department and a former wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon. He has an associate’s degree in fire protection and a bachelor’s degree in management.
