By John F. “Skip” Coleman, Technical Editor
According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, 2007 edition, Section A.7.11.1.2 (and I paraphrase): The NFPA, ANSI, IAFF, and most selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA) manufacturers do not recommend any form of buddy breathing … including using some devices that can be purchased (for extra money) for SCBAs.
I looked at the User’s Guide for the SCBA that my previous department uses, and it states (again, I paraphrase): These appliances are designed for singlewearer use. Any other use of this apparatus voids the warranty.
If you do use these devices (in my opinion, this includes transfill or quick fill systems), then (1) you are using the device in a manner other than singlewearer use (as with the transfill, a firefighter connects his transfill to another firefighter’s transfill to provide more air to the receiver, and at that point you are no longer in the “singlewearer” mode); (2) you are doing something that is not approved by the manufacturer and others; and (3) your local or state workers’ compensation bureau may not cover any injury you may incur because you “broke the rules.”
This month’s Roundtable question is, Does your department teach and allow buddy breathing and the use of transfill or quickfill systems on your SCBAs?
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PHOTO OF THE DAY: A spectacular early morning fire in Uniondale, New York, totally destroyed a local beverage store. Firefighters were called to the scene just after daybreak and found a fire in an outer storage area that was rapidly spreading to the building. Additional alarms were sounded, but the fire quickly communicated to the interior, and a heavy fire load produced a fire that eventually caused the roof to collapse. Water pressure was also a factor, and representatives from the local water districts were called on to boost pressure in the area. It took departments about two hours to bring the fire under control. No serious injuries were reported. (Photo by Lou Minutoli.) Send your submission for Photo of the Day to Pete Prochilo (peterp@pennwell.com). |
URBAN FIREFIGHTER
Urban Firefighter Magazine provides the latest in fire service culture, training, and media. It is an edgy and vibrant publication representing a major shift in content, reader participation, and the delivery of both. It is a digital magazine available free and does not require a subscription. Go to www.urbanfirefighter.com and read what you have been missing.
FIRE LIFE
What’s cooking at your station or at your home? Try Rip Esselstyn’s “E2 Eatloaf/Lynn’s Meatloaf.” It is wonderful the next day panfried on wholegrain bread with mustard, pickles, and ketchup. And if you are looking for a filling, healthy, and hardy breakfast, try “Rip’s Big Bowl,” as featured on the Whole Foods salad bar and on our Web site.
Don’t miss Anne Gagliano’s threepart series on “night terrors” in her popular column “What Every Firefighter’s Spouse Should Know,” which you will find only on Fire Life (www.firelife.com), the only Web site dedicated to all offduty fire endeavors. If you missed her Blog Talk Radio show with her husband Mike, you can listen to the archived show. Not since George Burns and Gracie Allen (or Bobby Halton and Diane Feldman) has a pair livened up the airwaves like these two.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Paul Shapiro, director of Fire Flow Technology and engineer (retired) from the Las Vegas (NV) Fire Department, offers eight rules for moving a lot of water at a fire in “Big Paulie’s Words of Wisdom on Movin’ the Big Water.”
Kenny Thompson, a firefighter/paramedic with the Ithaca (NY) Fire Department, in “Pumped Up, Fired Up, Motivated!” writes: “The most basic and rudimentary skill that we possess as firefighters and EMS responders is motivation. I will discuss how motivation impacts the fire service, specifically response time. Response time begins when your feet head toward the engine, not when the rubber meets the road.”
Deputy Chiefs Frank Viscuso and Michael Terpak write “Responding to Water Main Breaks,” an excerpt from their new book Operational Guides for Fire Service Professionals (Fire Engineering, 2011). They provide a universal tactical worksheet that can be used at all structure fires and 70 operational “field” guides for incidents.
In “Tailboard Talk K.I.S.S. or Not? A Reluctance to Simplify,” Craig Nelson and Dane Carley write: “We live and work in a complicated world. We also know that complex, complicated environs are ripe with opportunity for mistakes because complicated environments are difficult to understand, leading to a lack of situational awareness. So, simplifying reduces the chance for error. Or does it?”
COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH
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Name: Shawn Grass. Department: Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department. Title/rank: Battalion chief. Years of public service: 23. Agency structure: Paid fire department. Bio: Previously served as the chief of training for the Warren Township (IN) Fire Department for eight years before the department merged with Indianapolis. Has instructed at FDIC in Truck Company Operations and Flashover. |
