EVOLVING SAFTEY TECHNOLOGY: INTEGRATED PASS DEVICES

EVOLVING SAFTEY TECHNOLOGY: INTEGRATED PASS DEVICES

BY KEVIN ROCHE

On May 12, 1979, Engineer Lynn Hazlitt of Los Angeles City (CA) Fire Department (LAFD) Squad 39 became disoriented and lost while fighting a structure fire in a large industrial warehouse. Hearing his shouts for help, firefighters on the scene knew that Hazlitt was lost and in trouble, but they did not know where to focus their rescue effort in the large, smoke-filled building. Another firefighter encountered Hazlitt inside the structure and assisted him until his own air supply was exhausted and he was forced to leave the building. An erroneous report that the firefighter in trouble had been rescued delayed the rescue operation that eventually discovered Hazlitt`s body.

Hazlitt`s death, which had been preceded by a number of multiple firefighter fatalities in which the inability to locate the fallen firefighters was a factor, is the incident most responsible for the development of what many feel is the single most important advancement in firefighter protective equipment since the invention of the self-contained breathing apparatus–the Personal Alert Safety System (PASS).

After the details of the incident at which Hazlitt died were analyzed, the local International Association of Fire Fighters affiliate, Local 112, requested that CAL/OSHA investigate the incident. CAL/OSHA`s report was released on November 1, 1979. One of the results of the investigation was a mandate that all LAFD firefighters wear and use PASS devices. Beginning on October 1, 1983, CAL/OSHA mandated that all California structural firefighters use the devices. CAL/OSHA also developed a standard for designing and testing PASS devices.

THE EVOLUTION OF PASS STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

The concept of the PASS, a small electronic motion-sensing device about the size of a transistor radio, is simple: If the device, worn by a firefighter in the interior of a structure during a fire, senses a lack of motion, it sounds a loud audible signal to assist rescuers in locating the downed firefighter. Early PASS devices were plagued with a number of problems including a high rate of false alarms, breakage, and an audible signal that could easily be confused with smoke detectors and fire alarm horns.

In 1983, NFPA 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS) for Fire Fighters, was adopted. This standard made great strides in defining the design and operation of PASS devices and greatly expanded the scope of the original CAL/OSHA standard. The original NFPA standard and the two editions that have followed it since have greatly improved the reliability and accuracy of PASS devices. The requirement that PASS devices be available and used by all firefighters was included in the first edition of NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, when issued in 1987 and has been included in each subsequent edition of that standard.

Although CAL/OSHA mandates the use of PASS devices and NFPA standards have done much to improve the availability and reliability of PASS devices, the one basic problem that could not be overcome was that firefighters weren`t turning them on.

On April 11, 1994, two Memphis, Tennessee, firefighters died in the line of duty while fighting a well-developed fire in a high-rise apartment building. One firefighter was found entangled in wires near the stairwell entrance on the fire floor; the other was found in an apartment on the fire floor that did not burn but was filled with toxic smoke and fire gases. Their manually operated PASS devices were not activated.

On February 14, 1995, three Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, firefighters died in the line of duty while fighting an arson fire in a single-family dwelling. All three firefighters were wearing PASS devices, yet none of the devices were activated. The firefighters were discovered in a room that did not burn but had been filled with smoke and toxic fire gases.

These two incidents are by no means isolated situations in which a lack of training and discipline could be cited. We know about the circumstances surrounding these deaths because of the openness and honesty of the fire chiefs in these two cities. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Director Charles Smith and Chief Charles Dickinson.

Firefighters` failure to activate their PASS devices is a nationwide problem. In my own department, a quick inspection of any PASS device we have in service reveals evidence that the devices are not often activated in fire situations–the parts of the device exposed only when the device is activated are clean; the parts exposed when the device is off are covered with soot and drywall residue. After speaking about this issue with members of fire departments across the country, I see that this problem is present in a great number of fire departments. The best available explanations are that firefighters avoid false alarms by never activating the PASS device or they forget to activate the device as they prepare to enter the “heat of the battle.”

At Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini`s direction, a committee of representatives of labor and management studied the issue of replacing the department`s SCBAs with an SCBA that integrated a PASS device with the SCBA so that activation of the SCBA would automatically activate the PASS device. In part due to our pending purchase, the NFPA standards governing PASS and SCBAs were modified to allow integration.

When we began our replacement process, NFPA 1982 required that all PASS devices survive a series of drops from a distance of 10 feet onto a concrete floor. To complete the test successfully, the PASS had to survive hits on each surface and two corners. With the PASS integrated into the SCBA, there was concern that no PASS could survive the impact created by dropping a 30-pound SCBA. There was also concern about dropping a high-pressure air cylinder from such a height. The NFPA Technical Committee on Protective Equipment for Fire Fighters processed a temporary amendment to the standard that changed the way fully integrated PASS devices are tested. A very severe vibration test was substituted for the 10-foot drop test. Since the change to NFPA 1982 was adopted, a number of SCBA manufacturers brought SCBAs with integrated PASS devices to the market.

SCBAs with integrated PASS devices currently are available from International Safety Instruments (ISI); Interspiro, Inc.; National Draeger, Inc.; Mine Safety Appliances (MSA); Scott Aviation; and Survivair. These integrated SCBA/PASS devices have the following features:

On all units described in this article, the PASS is activated when the knob/handwheel on the air cylinder is turned and the SCBA is charged.

Integrated PASS/SCBA devices incorporate the capability to press a single button/ switch to place the PASS in full alarm. Single-motion manual activation is a requirement of the standard.

Each unit requires that the user shut off the air cylinder and drain the SCBA before deactivating the PASS.

The integrated PASS devices continue to operate even if the user runs out of air.

Each PASS issues an audible pre-alert, or chirp, that warns the user to move or the unit will go into full alarm.

Integrated PASS devices allow the user to reset the unit with a push of a button/switch should a “false alarm” occur.

Most existing SCBAs can be retrofitted with an integrated PASS. The integrated PASS must be purchased from the manufacturer of the department`s SCBA.

NEW SYSTEMS

The ISI Duo PASS is a partially integrated PASS unit held in a stainless steel bracket attached to the SCBA waist belt. A device on the belt senses that the SCBA has been turned on and activates the PASS. The PASS also can be used independently from the SCBA; it slides out of the bracket to allow the firefighter to use the PASS in areas where he normally would not wear an SCBA, such as for wildland fires. The Duo PASS is also available with heat-sensor capability.

The Interspiro Spiropass is a partially integrated PASS that attaches to the existing extra air outlet on the SCBA`s pressure gauge manifold and can be clipped to the right-hand waist belt of the SCBA. It also can be disconnected from the SCBA and used in a stand-alone mode and is equipped with heat-sensor capability.

The MSA Firefly IP is fully integrated into–a permanent part of–the SCBA. The backpack and air cylinder shield the electronic components of the PASS. The PASS controls are in the same location as the SCBA air-pressure gauge. The resulting console contains the pressure gauge, a panic button to place the unit in full alarm, a button to reset alarms, and a set of colored LED lights. The green lights indicate the PASS is operating properly; flashing red lights indicate prealarm and alarm modes and can assist firefighters in locating a downed firefighter. The MSA IP also includes heat-sensing capability.

The Draeger I-PASS can be used as an integrated PASS with the SCBA or as a stand-alone PASS device. If the I-PASS is to be used as a stand-alone unit, it automatically activates when it is removed from its holder. The user can reset the alarm but not turn off the I-PASS while the SCBA is pressurized or the PASS is out of its holder. A bright light strobe, which flashes when the PASS goes into alarm, gives a visual and an audible alarm.

The Scott-Pak-Alert 1000 is a fully integrated PASS similar to the MSA unit. The Scott system has a console that contains the SCBA`s remote pressure gauge, a manual alarm button, a reset button, and flashing green and red LED lights. The system`s sensor and audible alarms are located between the SCBA`s backplate and the air cylinder. The PASS is a permanent part of the SCBA. The Pak-Alert 1000 currently does not offer heat-sensing capability.

Survivair`s integrated PASS device–called PASSKey–is available in two styles: one that plugs into the SCBA buddy breather quick-disconnect and one that is plumbed directly into the intermediate pressure side of the first stage regulator. Both styles are removable to enable use as stand-alone PASS devices. It incorporates a heat sensor.

SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS

Q. Should a department purchase an integrated PASS device that is a permanent part of the SCBA or one that is removable for use away from the SCBA?

Unless you plan to purchase new SCBAs, you currently have no choice. You must use the integrated PASS device offered by the manufacturer of your SCBA. When purchasing new SCBAs, the ability or inability to use the PASS without the SCBA is part of the individual purchasing decision. Many factors must be considered, such as service support and other SCBA features. The positive side of being able to remove the PASS is that it can be used to protect the firefighter in situations where the SCBA is not in use. The negative side is that the PASS may not always be with the SCBA when needed. In my department, we are comfortable with a fully integrated PASS, since we feel it will provide protection for firefighters in a very high percentage, perhaps as high as 99 percent, of the situations in which their lives are in danger and where a PASS device may provide an additional layer of protection for them–but the choice is yours, based on the characteristics and needs of your department.

Q. With the PASS integrated with the SCBA and no way to turn the PASS off while the SCBA is in use, aren`t you afraid of excessive false alarms?

Yes. Our entire SCBA committee is in mortal fear of angry firefighters (with their ears ringing) seeking us out. However, new PASS technology, by its enhanced motion-sensing capabilities, prevents the false alarms common with early units. In addition, the Phoenix Fire Department extended to 60 seconds the 30-second time increment between the detection of a lack of motion to the sounding of the alarm required by NFPA 1982. Although this does not comply with the language of the standard, we feel it will produce a marked reduction of false alarms with little or no impact on the safety of our firefighters.

Q. Will a PASS/SCBA integrated device save every firefighter lost in a structure?

No. Firefighting is an extremely dangerous business. A PASS device may have little, if any, impact on firefighter survivability in the event of a catastrophic building collapse, for example. However, studies of numerous firefighter fatalities in the recent past have raised the strong possibility of the likelihood of a different outcome had firefighters turned on their PASS devices before entering the structures.

Q. Is the high cost of an integrated PASS, usually two to four times more than a stand-alone (nonintegrated) PASS, worth the expense?

Yes. Stand-alone PASS devices are a complete waste of money if they are not used. Experience has proven that even when faced with a life-or-death situation, firefighters forget to activate their PASS devices. “Automatic” activation of the PASS device builds a level of safety into the firefighting operation–it guarantees that the devices will be working when needed, and that is priceless.

The ISI Duo PASS is carried in a slide-in bracket on the SCBA`s waist belt. When docked in the bracket, it activates when the SCBA is turned on and can also be used as a stand-alone unit independently from the SCBA.

The Spiropass attaches to the SCBA`s air manifold and attaches to the waist belt.

The MSA Firefly IP uses a console to control the PASS. The pressure gauge, “panic button,” reset button, and LEDs are contained in this compact control unit.

MSA sandwiches the electronic components of the PASS device between the SCBA backplate and air cylinder to protect it.

The Scott Pak-Alert 1000 uses a control console, worn on the user`s right shoulder strap.

The PASS components of the Scott Pak-Alert 1000 are shielded by the air cylinder and backpack. Two horns are used to produce the audible distress signal, decreasing the chance that the distress signal will be muffled if the firefighter falls on the PASS device.

The Draeger I-PASS can be used as an integrated PASS with the SCBA or as a stand-alone PASS device.

KEVIN ROCHE is a fire protection engineer with the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department, assigned to the Resource Management Division. He has a bachelor`s degree in fire protection and safety engineering technology from Oklahoma State University and a master`s in political science with a certificate in public administration from the University of Florida. He cochaired the department`s SCBA Committee.