DO WE KNOW OUR AIR CONSUMPTION....

In our last article we discussed the need to properly man each fire company with 4 people. We pointed out the consequences of not properly staffing companies at this level and we pointed out the advantages of this level of staffing.

Today we want to discuss training and why we train. Obviously we train so that we may keep our skills at a highly effective level. This is for the safety of the citizens we swore to protect, for our families , and for ourselves. But sometimes we train for something other then just keeping our skill level up, we train to find out information about our department, ourselves, and our crew members. This is information we must have since we rely on each other with our lives.

So today I want to discuss Air Consumption...

Over the last 3 decades, career and volunteer firefighters have come to understand the importance of using a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus or SCBA, when operating in toxic environments. We now understand that "Smoke Eating" and taking the "Breath From Hell" can cause short and long term medical problems, even death. Fire Departments around the world spend thousands of hours and money training their personnel on how to properly don and doff the SCBA or air pack. But do these firefighters actually know their own limits when using their SCBA or air packs.

Today's fires produce more toxic gases then in the past. Today's toxic gases are produced by almost everything we have in our homes. Synthetics, man made materials, and petroleum based products produce hundreds of deadly gases. Smoke from these fires, which is full of these deadly gases, often incapacitate firefighters so quickly they cannot make it to an accessible exit.

A few of the deadly gases are carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and phosgene. Carbon monoxide is the most commonly deadly gas produced in a fire, and can be deadly even in small quantities. Carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in the bloodstream 200 times faster then oxygen. Hydrogen cyanide result from the burning of plastics and interferes with cellular respiration. It is thought that hydrogen cyanide actually kills more firefighters then carbon monoxide. Phosgene is formed when materials such as vinyl are burned. At very low levels phosgene causes itchy eyes and a burning in the throat. At high levels phosgene causes pulmonary edema and death. These gases were not produced in years past, so the dangers to today's firefighters are much greater.

It is common practice in today's fire service for firefighters to wear full bunker gear including their SCBA in all Immediate Danger to Life and Health (IDLH) situations. IDLH is defined as exposure to smoke or other poisonous gases at sufficiently high concentrations, that is likely yo cause death on immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects or PREVENT ESCAPE FROM SUCH ENVIRONMENT.

It is also a pretty common practice in the fire service to exit the IDLH when the audible and visual alerts sound and show that the SCBA contains it's last 25% of air. This last 25% is considered emergency air for the person in case of an unforeseen situation. To rely on the red blinking light or the low air vibrating alarm as a tool to alert the wearer to start the process of thinking about exiting is unsound and very foolish.

Firefighters in the United States are killed at a actually alarming rate (apprx. 100 per year). The  third leading cause of these deaths is running out of air in dangerous environments. As stated earlier, firefighters routinely wait until their low air alarm activates before attempting to leave the dangerous environment they are in.

So the question becomes how long and how much can a firefighter work, before they must begin their exit form the IDLH area? The only way to know the answer for sure, since each firefighter consumes air at different rates, is to train on AIR CONSUMPTION while performing actual fire ground tasks.

Most SCBA's today are regulated at 2200 to 4500 psi, that can last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, under ideal conditions. This time depends on how much an individual exerts themselves during the emergency event. Between 1997 and 2006, 250 firefighters died on the fire ground at structure fires. Of these 250 firefighters, 142 were killed inside the IDLH and 72 of those 142 died of asphyxiation. Why are firefighters still dying of asphyxiation? More importantly, why are firefighters still running out of air?

Is it because firefighters are not truly trained on air consumption?

There are a multitude of variables affecting how long an individuals air pack will last, such as, being physically fit, emotional  preparedness, and the individuals knowledge of the equipment. Simply checking the SCBA or air pack at the beginning of a shift is no longer enough. With the education the general public receives from fire departments, as well as better smoke detectors and alarm systems, fire departments are actually experiencing fewer fires then in the past. The fire service is becoming younger and younger each year. So the inexperience of firefighters and the idleness of these firefighters can lead to a sense of complacency. This can be deadly.

When was the last time a individual actually trained on air management? Sure there are drills of inspection, donning full gear within a minute, and even buddy breathing but what about actual air consumption times while working? 

As recruits in a fire academy, every firefighter is taught that when the low air alarm sounds you grab a buddy and begin to exit the structure. Depending on the size of the SCBA bottle this could mean a firefighter has maybe 5 minutes of emergency air left. This also depends on their breathing pattern at this time. This worked ok in the past when structures were mostly single story and had many openings such as windows and doors. Today's structures are much larger and have less openings. Not even mentioning the enormous amounts of commercial buildings that are being built today. These are basically giant mazes for firefighters.

If the low air alarm is activated and the firefighter is 3/4 of the way into a structure with only 1/4 of breathing air left to exit with, they are in a no win situation. This could lead to panic and a consumption of the emergency air at a faster rate then normal. This is why training on air consumption is needed.

Know how much air you have, manage that air while inside the IDLH area, and exit before the low air alarm activates. This means to be completely out of the IDLH environment before your low air alarm activates. It doesn't get any simpler then that, yet statistics still show firefighters dying from asphyxiation (running out of air). In 2009 the United States Fire Administration (USFA) reported that 5.55% of firefighter fatalities were from asphyxiation.

Think about this: A firefighter is ultimately not aware of how much air they consume in just 10 minutes of strenuous work on a 45 minute bottle. It has been proven that a 45 minute SCBA bottle will last a firefighter approximately 20 minutes total. So taking the emergency reserve of 5 minutes from the 20 working minutes of a 45 minute bottle, that actually only leaves 15 minutes of working air time. That give the firefighter 7 1/2 minutes to work their way into a structure and 7 1/2 minute to exit the structure. Those numbers should open a few eyes and minds. Air consumption is something that is so vital to each and every firefighter that dons a SCBA, yet it is one thing that is actually trained on the least. Many fire departments and firefighters believe just because they are in decent physical condition they will be able to consume air appropriately. This is not the always the case. Air consumption while working is a skill, just like pulling hose or spotting a hydrant and must be trained on.

So when you hear your department talking about wanting to drill on air consumption, don't think oh great just another pointless drill. Don't think that they are looking for a way to make it punitive or trying to embararess someone. This is information that the department, your crew, and you need to know. Your life as well as your fellow firefighters life depends on the knowing of this information.