Your Next SCBA: New Requirements Are Now in Effect

From the personal protective equipment e-Newsletter, sponsored by

By David Bernzweig

In September, the latest generation of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) began to receive third party approval for meeting the latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards relating to SCBA. Although NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services (2007 edition), is the only required NFPA SCBA standard, the widespread (but not required) integration of personal alert safety systems (PASS) to the SCBA makes discussion of that standard (NFPA 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems, 2007 edition) necessary here as well.

Probably the most important issue addressed in both NFPA 1981 and 1982 is the performance of electronic components such as the heads-up display and PASS alarm in the firefighting environment. Addressing problems that were identified by the National Institute for Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention program and verified by the National Institute for Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Fire Research Division, the latest editions of these standards have incorporated performance requirements and test methods that address reduced alarm volumes at high temperatures and moisture penetration into electronic components.

Other noteworthy changes to the 2007 edition of the SCBA standard include:

• Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) protection is no longer optional for NFPA-compliant SCBA. All new SCBA are required to have this level of protection. The biggest change that you will notice as a result of this requirement is that silicone-based materials can no longer be used in face pieces or other SCBA components.


• All 2007-compliant SCBA are now required to have a separate user-viewable pressure gauge in addition to the heads-up display (HUD). A remote pressure gauge was not required under the 2002 edition standard. In addition, where an electronic pressure gauge is used, it must have an independent power supply, so as not to be impacted by a failure affecting the HUD.


• Where electronic devices are incorporated into the SCBA, the devices shall continue to function properly for at least two hours following a low power source visual alert (low battery light).


• Exhaled carbon dioxide (CO₂) measured inside the SCBA facepiece is now required to be one percent or less in the inhalation air, as opposed to the current 1.5 percent. Although some manufacturers were already meeting this standard, others have had to make minor adjustments to the face piece or nose cup.


• Some changes were made to the performance and test requirements for voice communications. These changes improved the validity and repeatability of the test and should improve voice intelligibility and range. Some manufacturers may need to incorporate electronic voice amplification to meet these new requirements.

In addition to the above requirements, PASS devices are now required to undergo two new tests. A “muffle test” has been added to ensure that the alarm will perform adequately regardless of the position of a downed firefighter. A three-hour “tumble test” has been added to the PASS device (or the entire SCBA if the PASS is integrated) to ensure the longterm durability and performance of the PASS device. Also, all new PASS devices must incorporate data logging with a date/time stamp of the last 2,000 events (e.g. PASS on/off, low battery, prealarm and alarm activation, and so forth) to aid in evaluating device performance.

Although the aforementioned changes aren’t all-inclusive, they do reflect the most significant changes that have been made to the new editions of these standards.

David Bernzweig has been in the fire service for 19 years, the past 12 with the Columbus (OH) Division of Fire, where he is a lieutenant/paramedic. He is the 2nd Vice President of the Columbus Firefighters Union and chairs the Union Health & Safety Committee. David is a member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Respiratory Protection Equipment. He is a member of the FEMA US&R Ohio Task Force One, and is a fire and EMS instructor for the State of Ohio. He has degrees in Political Science and Economics from The Ohio State University.