Scott.
We just received a FIRE Act grant to upgrade our SCBAs.
We had sales reps come in for Scott, MSA, Survivair and ISI and after much comparison, research, discussion and demonstrations, we decided that Scott would fit our needs the best.
And they will meet the 2007 NFPA standard.
So, what are the rest of you using?
If you were the decision maker for your department, would you buy more of what you got or would you get something else?

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We use to have the 4.5 last year we also got a grant for 23 new paks we got the new scott NXG2 realy nice paks they light up like a christmas tree and have the new quick connect necks on them the only problem we keep running into the is you have to change the batterys every 3 to 4 monthsDelete Comment
we are using new msas right now with the carbon wrap bottles. I love them, but in all reality i will wear anything that gives me air, they are all meant for the same purpose
We were also able to upgrade our SCBA's with grant money. We were running Survivair before the grant. I had issues with the Survivair and was excited to get new packs.

After reviewing every airpack we could get our hands on we settled on the Scott NXG2. I helped in the research and testing. The Scott airpacks were my choice. I enjoy all the "bells and whistles" on the pack and have no regrets after having them in service for several years now. I like how quickly you can change an air bottle and be back in the action. I love the flashing LED lights. They are an added way to keep track of your buddy when doing interior operations.

So far I have only experienced one negative thing. We were not able to remove a bottle from the pack. The temperature was below 0 and any misplaced water was freezing instantly. It was a trailer fire and was a surround and drown from the beginning. I think that enough condensation built up on the back of the pack near the “nipple” that the bottle was frozen onto the pack. That pack was out of commission for the rest of the fight.

I haven’t personally experienced any other problems. I like Scott NXG2.
We ran Scott 2.2s up until about 5 years ago, at which time we bought new Survivair Panther SCBA with the small 4500 psi (30 minute) composite bottles. We liked the smaller profile of the Panther, which makes it easier to fit through tight spaces. Aging firefighters like myself liked the fact that they were more lightweight than the older packs. As I recall, what finally swayed us toward Survivair was the fact that they threw in extra masks and spare tanks for free when we purchased the packs.

However - where the Scotts just kept ticking, we have had to send each of the original 10 Survivair packs back to the factory for repair; some have been back multiple times. HP hoses and O-rings have been the main source of failure. The county cascade truck had to use special procedures to fill the bottles at 4500 psi.

We just bought a few more of the Panthers, and had to convert the older ones to be compatible with the new heads-up display and buddy breathing systems. We also have our own in-house cascade so we don't have to rely on outside resources. All in all, they are pretty good packs.
We upgraded a few years ago. I was n the committee and we looked at about 8 different packs. We went with Scott. First reason was that our area is primarily either MSA or Scott and for introperability it made sense. Then we looked at technical data. The Survivair Panthers had over 65 recalls about three years ago. Keep on them and do your research about the recalls. Make sure they take care of everything. Scott has not changed their basic design since the early 70's when they designed them for NASA. IF they ain't broke, don't fix them. We went with 4500 psi 45 minute bottles, all the bells and whistles at the time. Only had monor problems with bottle leakage that was quickly fixed with new valve seats on the bottles.
It's kinda the way I look at it.
Scott SCBAs got me through 22 years without a hitch.
I just wish someone would invent a mask with material that won't break when you tighten down the facepiece. Rubber sucks in that regard.
I do miss the vibrating face mask low air alarm that the Scott 2.2s had. The Survivairs have a bell in the back like the original Scotts did, but it's sometimes hard to tell if it's your alarm or someone else's.

Do all SCBA have the "glow in the dark" tanks nowdays?
we use the scott 2.2 with quick connect bottles and has built in pass device and heads up display.

we used to have msa and recieved a grat and replaced them in 2004.
We use the Scott Air Pak Fifty's and they are great, reliable built well and available with all the upgrades now. We have a couple of the NXG2's and some guys really like them, others don't they seat a little different depending on your build, shorter guys don't like them as much. We use the AV2000 masks. Definitely recommend SCOTT SCBA.
Scott makes the best pack out there. Only issues to date that I am aware of happening (overall) were the High Pressure Hose assembly breaking (recall and fix for free) and the other was the built in PASS devices in the Scott Next Generation Packs. The battaries last a total of about 3 days. (even without use)
Monday nite, we placed our order for all new Scotts. After having four different demos, we landed on Scott.
Thank you, FIRE Act.
And Brian Vickers, who helped fashion our successful grant.
If Scott is the best, why do you complain about battery life?

Drager is by far the best SCBA made, they have been doing it longer than anybody. The new PSS7000 series is a super unit, 6 month battery life on entire unit, PASS, heads up, communication.

The old AirBoss series was a bullet proof SCBA, low maintenance, no problems ever.

The real issue is most departments can't or won't spend the extra money to go with the best. Drager will never be low bid, but for quality you can't beat them.

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