Basic SCBA

Self-Contained Breathing
Apparatus

Alabama Fire College

Introduction
Failure to use the SCBA properly can
result in injury or death
Respiratory system extremely
vulnerable
Fire departments must have a mask
rule
Wear and use SCBA in IDLH
atmosphere
SCBA necessary even during exterior
defensive operations
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Alabama Fire College

Introduction (contd.)
Any inhaled toxic gas can directly
cause disease of the lung tissue
One in 12 firefighters is injured in
the line of duty each year
Smoke inhalation accounts for 18
percent of fatalities
21 percent of fireground injuries

7.3
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Conditions Requiring
Respiratory Protection
Oxygen deficiency
High temperatures
Smoke or by-products of
combustion
Toxic environments

7.4
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Oxygen-Deficient
Environments
Fire consumes oxygen
Produces toxic gases
Displace or dilute oxygen

Oxygen concentrations below 19.5

percent are oxygen-deficient
atmospheres
Affects on the human body:
Muscular impairment
Mental confusion
Death
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7.5

Table 7-1 Effects of Hypoxia (Reduced Oxygen)

7.6
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Elevated Temperatures
Respiratory system sensitive to
temperature
Air temperatures as low as 165F can
cause death within 1 minute
Inhaling gases causes:
Pulmonary edema
Asphyxiation
Long-term damage

Temperatures in structure fire reach

1000F
One unprotected breath will cause death or
severe damage to respiratory system
7.7
Alabama Fire College

Smoke
Unburned products of combustion,
particles of carbon, tar, associated gases
Large amounts of gases due to use of
plastics
Inhalation of small amounts may be fatal
Four causes of damage by smoke:

Asphyxiation
Chemical irritation
Chemical asphyxiation
Any combination of these
7.8
Alabama Fire College

Effects of Toxic Gases

and Toxic Environments
Combustion produces toxic gases and
irritants
Affect short- and long-term health

When combustion products combine may

form lethal toxins
Some common gases affect circulatory
system
Commercial occupancies may produce
additional toxins
Requires higher level of protection
7.9
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Table 7-2 Toxic Gases Formed as Products of Combustion

7.10
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Legal Requirements for

Self-Contained Breathing
Apparatus Use
Common sense: Use SCBA on every
fire scene
Start to finish

Regulations developed for SCBA use

Organizations established regulations
and standards
7.11
Alabama Fire College

Title 29 Code of Federal

Regulations, Section 1910.134
Establishes standards for all entries into
IDLH atmospheres
April 1998 revision contains requirements
related to interior structural firefighting
Defines interior structural firefighting as IDLH

Requires the use of SCBA

Requirements for complete respiratory
protection program
Regular medical evaluation
7.12
Alabama Fire College

NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire

Department Occupational Safety
and Health Program
Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) must
adopt the standard for the fire department
Three additional standards:
NFPA 1404: minimum requirements for
protection programs
NFPA 1981: design and performance criteria
NFPA 1982: standards on PASS
7.13
Alabama Fire College

Limitations of Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus
Understand limitations to use unit
effectively and safely
Limitations of the SCBA unit itself
Size, weight, air supply

Physiological limitations of the user

7.14
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Figure 7-7 Continuous training with SCBA is one of

the keys to effective firefighting operations.

7.15
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SCBA Design and Size

SCBA units add weight and bulk to PPE
SCBA cylinder consumed more quickly
than length of time rated for:
Limits advance into building
More frequent crew rotations

Other concerns:

Restricted visibility
Added weight and bulk
Firefighters voice muffled
Limited air quantity
7.16
Alabama Fire College

Limitations of the SCBA User

Physical, mental, emotional state
cause usage problems
Physical limitations: added weight and
bulk
Physiological limitations
Lack of confidence in SCBA unit
Physical stress and anxiety
Emotional conditions

7.17
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Air Supply Management

Air supply management
Must understand air consumption rates
Individual point of no return
Heads up display

Various methods of breathing take experimentation

on the part of the firefighter
Use normal breaths and exhale slowly
Never hold breath
Controlled breathing is most efficient use of air

7.18
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Figure 7-11 An example of an air consumption test.

7.19
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Types of Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus
Two types of SCBA:
Open-circuit SCBA
Exhaled air is vented to outside
atmosphere
Most common

Closed-circuit SCBA
Exhaled air stays in the system for
filtering, cleaning, circulation
Sometimes used for specialized rescue
incidents
7.20
Alabama Fire College

Open-Circuit Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus
Designed and built in accordance
with NIOSH and NFPA standards
Four basic assembly components:

Backpack and harness

Cylinder
Regulator
Face piece assembly

7.21
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Figure 7-13 The four components of the open-circuit SCBA

are the backpack/harness, cylinder, regulator, and face piece
assemblies.

7.22
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Head Harness

Head Straps
Nose Cone
Voice Emitter

Head Straps

Regulator Adapter Port

7.23
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Purge Valve
(Emergency
Bypass)

Heads Up
Display
(HUD)
Face Piece Lock Tab
Mechanism

Regulator Quick
Disconnect with HUD
Connector

Air Saver Switch or

the
Don/Doff Switch
7.24
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Closed-Circuit Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus
Not used for firefighting operations
Most common use: hazardous materials
incidents
Air supplies range from 30 minutes to four hours
Contain cylinder, filter system, regulator, and
valves
Clean and filter exhaled breath and add oxygen
Air supply duration based on filtering/cleaning and
oxygen capacity of unit

7.25
Alabama Fire College

Open-Circuit Supplied
Air Respirators
Open-circuit supplied air respirators
(SARs)
Also called airline respirators
Remote air supply

Commonly used for hazardous materials

incidents
Confined space rescues

Long-duration of air supply, mobility, agility

SCBA escape unit with 510 minutes
7.26
Alabama Fire College

Inspection and Maintenance of

Self-Contained Breathing
Apparatus
Inspection on daily or regular basis
Always follow manufacturers
instructions
Procedures in this chapter may differ
from the recommendation

7.27
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Daily Maintenance
SCBA units should be checked
daily
If used during emergency scene or
training exercise should be
serviced in same manner
Follow 10-step inspection
procedure

7.28
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Monthly Maintenance
Monthly SCBA check contains all
elements of the daily check
Adds several checks of mechanics of
system

Irregularities noted and repaired or

pull SCBA from service

7.29
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Annual and Biannual

Maintenance
NIOSH and SCBA manufacturers
require different functional tests of
SCBA units
Only manufacturers authorized or
trained service personnel shall
conduct these tests
Firefighters should refer to the
instructions for the SCBA units used
7.30
Alabama Fire College

General Considerations
Operational safety checks must be
performed
Conducted on a daily or regular
basis
Immediately prior to using the SCBA
unit

If any component does not operate

properly or is damaged, unit taken
out of service immediately
7.31
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Figure 7-23 Firefighters must perform regular checks

of SCBA to ensure the units ability to operate.

7.32
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Donning and Doffing SelfContained Breathing Apparatus

Most common donning procedures:
Seat-mounted position in the apparatus
Side compartment on the apparatus
Storage case

Refer to manufacturers instructions

7.33
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Storage Case
Two methods to don unit:
Over the head
Coat
Choice is a matter of personal
preference and training

Refer to donning instructions for the

particular SCBA unit

7.34
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Seat-Mounted Apparatus
Allows for quick donning
Unit readily available for regular
inspection
Three important safety requirements:
Storing of the face piece
Donning the unit while vehicle is moving
Checking the cylinder gauge

Never don while vehicle is in motion

Check gauge before response or use the
buddy system
7.35
Alabama Fire College

Compartment or Side-Mounted
Apparatus
Similar to seat-mounted position
except firefighter is standing
If mount bracket wrong height, use
coat method
Follow donning methods for particular
mounting style

7.36
Alabama Fire College

Donning the SCBA Face Piece

Most SCBA face pieces donned in a similar
manner
Difference in style of head straps, regulator
location

Essential to protect firefighter from toxic

gases
Firefighter must be fitted for the face piece
to be used with a particular manufacturers
SCBA
Prohibit anything that may interfere with
proper fit and seal of face piece
Examples: eye glasses, beards, sideburns
7.37
Alabama Fire College

Removing/Doffing the
SCBA Unit
Generally to remove SCBA donning procedure
is reversed
If awaiting another assignment, remove face
piece
Allow normal breathing, conserve air

Do not wear the mask without air flowing into it

Regulator or face piece must not be
contaminated
After assignment complete, report to
rehabilitation
7.38
Alabama Fire College

Self-Contained Breathing
Apparatus Operation and
Emergency Procedures
Fire departments must establish
respiratory protection programs
Firefighters must be proficient in the
safe use of SCBA
Donning and doffing procedures
Individual limitations
Limitations of SCBA unit
7.39
Alabama Fire College

Safe Use of SCBA

Essential to firefighter survival
SCBA unit and protective equipment
add weight and bulk
Increased exertion and loss of body
fluids

Firefighters must be aware of

symptoms of heat stress
Be aware of own limitations and
abilities
7.40
Alabama Fire College

Operating in a Hostile
Environment

General rules:

Check in with accountability officer when entering

or exiting
Remain low, check the environment and
conditions
Never remove the face piece, maintain an
awareness of location
Ventilate as you advance if it does not spread fire
Check for outside openings
Maintain direct contact with other team members
Never enter a hostile environment alone
7.41
Alabama Fire College

Restricted Openings
Probe tight spot with a tool
Be sure conditions on other side of
obstacle are safe
Shift pack to left side
Swim through obstacle backwards
Forward dive technique
Do not remove SCBA unless
absolutely necessary
7.42
Alabama Fire College

Figure 7-31 Firefighters may have to get beneath an

obstacle to facilitate their escape, which may also
require them to lower their profile.

7.43
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Emergency Procedures
Emergency procedures exist to assist a
firefighter in safe escape from hazard
Remain calm, rely on training and
knowledge
Never remove the face piece of the SCBA
Standard emergency check procedure
stressed
If entangled, do not pull forward
Use wire cutters to cut one wire at a time
Swim method
7.44
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Figure 7-32 Emergency procedures check.

7.45
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Changing SCBA Cylinders

Cylinders changed after use, following
local SOPs
Cylinder 90 percent full could mean loss
of 25 minutes of air supply
Could make the difference in successful exit

Follow 12-step replacement procedure

Additional steps for two-person SCBA
cylinder replacement
7.46
Alabama Fire College

Servicing SCBA Cylinders

Cylinder serviced when below full
Air source must be tested and certified
All cylinders must have a current
hydrostatic test date
All fill stations must have fragmentation
containment devices
All manufacturers recommendations
should be followed
Fill rate may vary

Cascade system
Compressor/purifier system
7.47
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(B)

(A)

Figure 7-36 (A) A cascade system is one of the systems available

to service SCBA cylinders. These may be fixed or mobile units. (B)

7.48
Alabama Fire College

Lessons Learned
SCBA unit is to a firefighter as a weapon is
to a soldier
No substitute for proper SCBA training
Continued practice and advanced training
necessary

Prevent failures: thoroughly inspect and

test SCBA function as often as possible
Firefighters must be prepared to go in
harms way
Be knowledgeable and proficient in use of SCBA
7.49
Alabama Fire College

Summary
SCBA is one of the most important items of PPE
that firefighters have available to them.
An increase in safety regulations and
improvements in design and construction of
SCBA have greatly increased their safety and
reliability.
An SCBA has limitations and also increases the
limitations and demands on the firefighters
physical conditioning.

7.50
Alabama Fire College

Summary
The firefighter must be familiar and
comfortable with the use, emergency
procedures, inspection, and maintenance
of an SCBA.
The firefighter must be proficient in the
proper and rapid procedures for donning
and doffing SCBA.

7.51
Alabama Fire College