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Masks on or off in the truck?
On a structure fire call, my captain told me to have my mask on but not on air when I get out of the truck. Of course I will follow his directions, but I was wondering if it's better to mask up before making entry. On some calls, captains got off the truck with their mask on, and their inital size up to dispatch was really difficult to understand, their mask was all foggy, and it's hard to understand their directions. That's just my opinion...brothers and sisters, what do you think?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chuck Gunter on
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I, we generally mask up before making entry. 2 reasons......... 1 that gives the officer time to do a walk around (360 size up) and 2 it allows us to do a little bit of a size up before making entry. If I mask up in hte truck most of the time I dont think I could find the hose lay to pull bacause of fogging..... Just my thought.... Be safe
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Permalink Reply by Tom Evans on
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Might be a good time to have a talk with your captain. Is it department policy or his policy? Good, clear communication is key to safety and success on any scene and I believe this would impede that. He may have a good reason for the requirement or it may just be somthing someone come up with a long time ago and has become common place. As for Me and My guys, We don't mask up till just before entry. I feel that having a clear mask at entry, combined with the clearer commuication (not to mention the extra air intake) during hose outlay and pre entry ops would only serve to inhance scene safety. But be careful how you approach him with it. Some old timers get real defensive real quick. You might want bring it up casually and take the "I grasshopper, You Master-I'm here to learn" approach.
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Permalink Reply by Truckie Jay on
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I don't mask up till at the entry point. Poor communication from the mask, limited visibility, fogging are just a few of the things that will affect you and slow your movements down.
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Permalink Reply by Nathan Whoric on
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i know when we run car/structure fires atleast 2 people have masks on when getting off the truck. the chief is on scene 98% of the time first and when theres 4 people on the engine, the Lt (rear seat behind cpt) and a FF mask up and the Capt (front seat) does the size up while following the LT and FF draggin the hose to make entry. i feel better masking up on the truck since i am more relaxed and calm on the truck and make sure my mask and everything else is set.
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Permalink Reply by paul michael komandt on
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My dept. just started saying to mask up at the door. all for the safety reasons.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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If you mask up and start using your cylinder air when exiting the vehicle, you're going to waste a lot of breathing air prior to ever getting near a dangerous atmosphere. Running out of air inside the structure, not being able to see while sizing up the scene, and fogged masks are more directly life threatening than any number of toxins that are in smoke that you're not breathing unless the driver parked the rig in the smoke.
If masking up prior to exiting the rig is the right thing to do, why doesn't the DOT make the apparatus drivers do it?
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Permalink Reply by Doug on
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we mask up when we go to enter the structure or if smoke conditions warrant when we get off the truck, getting off the truck with a mask on i feel is to dangerous.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on
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We use MSA MMR's and they have a feature were you can hang the regulater on your mask and then clip in when you want to breath air. This allows us to mask up hang the regulator and still breath off ambient air until we clip in and take the first breath....so in short we are not wasting air just cause we hav our masks on.
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Permalink Reply by LT. Darrell Wright on
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MASK OFF in the truck, mask up only at the door.
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Robert, We have the same style MSAs. If you have the mask on, you should be breathing the air. If you don't, you're limiting your visibility, rebreathing your own exhaled carbon dioxide, making yourself lactic/tired prior to entry, and adding to the risk that you'll trip over or run into something and get hurt due to the reduced vision.
Those MSA masks have neck straps, too. Those are the straps that are designed to hang the mask around your neck until you get to the entry point. The regulator slide feature on the MSA mask is designed for the following sequence...
Go to the entry point with your mask hanging from the neck strap, helmet on, hood down around your neck.
Doff helmet in a safe area.
Don the SCBA mask.
Immediately pull your hood up.
Immediately don your helmet.
Immediately place your second stage regulator on the mask slide.
Immediately don your gloves.
Immediately snap your second stage regulator into the mask, inhale to activate the "First Breath On" feature, and give the regulator a tug test to ensure it's locked into the mask.
Immediately go to the entry point and start on your assignment.
If you're exiting the rig wearing your facepiece, you're risking lots of safety and fatigue problems.
I repeat my earlier question - if it's such a good idea to wear the mask without hooking into the air supply, why not have the driver mask up prior to responding to the scene?
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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on
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Mask off on the truck, mask on right before entery
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Permalink Reply by John on
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Mask up when ready to make entry. The biggest reason I've seen ff's make for putting them on in the truck is because of time I would have to cordially disagree with. Practice, practice, practice has gotten me to the point where I can kneel mask hood and helmet in less than 10 seconds, quite often in less than 7. (Please understand, I'm not trying to be arrogant or pat my own back, simply being honest that practice is what has given me speed.)
We had a first in after lunch today. I entered the structure to determine location of fire and size as it didn't appear to be very far along. (after my exterior look around first) I was able to clearly see the front yard with it's poor sidewalks and steps, able to clearly see the broken glass in the side door which is info IC needs in help determining cause, sniff for accelerants (very common for us as we have a plethora of arsons) navigate through the home opening the front door, direct my guys to enter the front door not the side in a normal speaking voice to eliminate confusion, make it to the second floor without tripping, determine level of smoke in the attic, and radio IC location of fire. All this was easily accomplished and safely accomplished due to no mask on. I knelt, and in about a 7 count was masked, hooded, helmeted, and on air. All this done as the hoseline made it to my location. No delay, better view of fire and situation.
Obviously, if upon approaching the entry door, or immediately upon entering the structure I would have masked up before proceeding any further.
Just my personal opinion and experience. I point no blame to others who perform otherwise, I just feel best and safest is without a mask on.
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