Photos by author
The self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is the most important piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) that any firefighter can use. The level of protection that it provides is unparalleled compared to the rest of our PPE. Our respiratory system is the easiest element to compromise and, when it is, it affects our ability to function on the fireground.
One component of the SCBA is the personal alert safety system (PASS) alarm. The PASS alarm was created and implemented so that the firefighter wearing the SCBA would be able to summon or alert others for help.
In the beginning, the PASS alarm was a manual device that was added to the SCBA. It required the firefighter to manually activate or arm the PASS alarm when they donned their SCBA. The manual PASS alarm would be clipped somewhere on the SCBA with easy access to it by the user. The main issue with the manual PASS alarm was the user not activating or arming the PASS alarm when wearing the SCBA. Many firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty with their manual PASS alarms turned off and not activated. As a result of this inaction, the manufacturers of SCBA made the PASS alarm a redundant component of the SCBA.
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A redundant piece of equipment refers to automation—in terms of the SCBA, once the SCBA cylinder is opened with air entering into the SCBA system, the PASS alarm is automatically turned on or armed. There is no way for the user to deactivate or disable the PASS alarm at any time when donning the SCBA and breathing off it. This automatic function ensures that when the user needs to summon or alert others for the call of help, the device will do so without fail.
I want to stress this singular function: the PASS alarm has been designed and added to the SCBA for the sole purpose of assisting the user by calling for or alerting others for help – that is its only function and purpose. No matter what location the firefighter may be in or around, outside or inside the structure, outside at a vehicle fire, or wherever, when it goes off automatically or by manual means, it is doing so to call for help!
Having said that, how come we as a fire service still must deal with premature PASS alarms going off all the time? There are two main issues: PASS ignored and walked away from and the lack of response to the sound.
First, too often firefighters will take off their SCBA, place it on the ground, close the cylinder, bleed the system down to purge the residual air and then walk away from it or just take it off and place it on the ground and walk away. The result is the PASS alarm going off 30 seconds later, with the firefighter having to run back to shake the pack for a while until they realize that they must press the yellow button twice to reset the PASS alarm and then go through the proper procedures to turn off the SCBA.
We also see many firefighters not being aware of their own PASS alarm going off when they are wearing their SCBA. Whenever they are standing statically for a while, the PASS alarm goes into the pre-alert sequence before going into full alarm and the wearer is not aware that it is their PASS alarm going off. This can be due to the sound emitting from the back of the SCBA being muffled by the firefighter’s coat or them being on air breathing from the SCBA and not being able to hear it right away. Regardless, the firefighter needs to be aware of their equipment and this includes ensuring their PASS alarm does not go off prematurely of by accident.
These types of premature or lazy activations only contribute to the second issue, which is the lack of response to the sound of a PASS alarm going off. It is amazing to witness a PASS alarm sounding and nobody reacting to it. The unfortunate aspect of the first issue is the non-reactions to the PASS alarm. It has become the fire services “car alarm,” going off with people not paying any attention to it.
The reaction of other firefighters needs to be changed so that whenever a PASS alarm is going off, they are looking to see where it is coming from and who needs help. That reaction is the intended reaction for the PASS alarm; it is not meant to be ignored. For the times that it is a premature activation or an accidental activation, the other firefighters need to correct the problem by reminding the individual the importance of the PASS alarm and any false activations will not be tolerated.
A good place to start is on the training grounds. Whenever SCBA is being used for the drill or skill development, any false activations of the PASS alarm must be dealt with immediately. This is not just the responsibility of the instructor; it is the responsibility of all who are participating. Be aware of the PASS alarm!
Another good place to start is to know how the PASS on your SCBA functions and resets. In photo 1, this brand of SCBA chest gauge does not contain the motion sensor for the PASS alarm. It is in the electronics module on the back of the SCBA, as shown in photo 2. To reset the PASS pre-alarm, the user must shake the whole SCBA or use the yellow buttons on the chest console. Other brands of SCBA place the sensor module in the chest gauge—simply shaking the chest gauge will reset the PASS pre-alarm.
Get to know the basics of your SCBA, starting with reviewing your PASS alarm. Ensure that any activated PASS alarms are paid appropriate attention, whether it be on the training ground or the fireground.
Mark van der Feyst has been in the fire service since 1999 and is a firefighter with the Fort Gratiot (MI) Fire Department. He is an international instructor teaching in Canada, the United States, and India, and at FDIC. He is also the lead author of Residential Fire Rescue (Fire Engineering Books & Video). He can be contacted at Mark@FireStarTraining.com.
