I'm just wondering, what's everyones guidelines to getting SCBA certified in their station ? when I joined my first company all we needed to do was put the pack on, show them what each thing did and breath air... now when I came to my other department we have to go through a whole pack test/course. which i think i shouldn't have to do since i'm already pack qualified...
Go through the coarse and test . You can never know too much and how do you expect your current department to evaluate you if you don't show them ,talk is cheap. Don't forget as well qualifications on one department may fall short of qualifications on another. SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOUR FIRST DEPARTMENT WAS SADLY LACKNG IN TRAINING.
!st... a physical and Pulm Function test, medical clearance(annually) 2nd...Firefighter 1 certification (or equivalent) 3rd...Fit testing (annually)....
Ashley,
Since you have only been in this service for a year + change, I will not get too disrespectful to you, and I will try and explain as best I can, that you are way way out of line if you think that just because one dept. says you are pack ready, that you don't think you have to prove to anyone that you think you know.... That mentality will get you either kicked out, injured or killed, along with anyone who has the balls to back you up in the real deal.
STOP now, and get back into the bay, learn everything there is to know about breathing...and breathing apparatus, and get the courses needed. IF you decide to persue the FF1 exam, your present attitude could be your downfall. I hope your present chief or officers are members here, and will see this, and then ride the living crap out of you til you puke scba! Next to turnout gear itself, the SCBA is the single most important piece of equipment you will ever need in this job, and god help you if you think it won't happen to you.
PLEASE, come on down, and take a second look. You can not possibly know enough, when it comes to anything in this service. If you don't do it for yourself and your company, do it for your family. Trust me on this k. Damn !
Good luck... I seriously mean that.
I'm with Roy, seems your first dept was too lax.
Secondly, you state you are pack qualified, are you talking the same pack? If so, it doesn't matter what you think or don't think you should have to do, it is their rules, play by them.
Thirdly, you are saying you know how to buddy breathe, how to quick fill if need be, how to skip breathe, you know how much time on air you have without exertion and with exertion, you know how to take your pack off to get through confined spaces while breathing air, you can put the pack back on afterwards, you can operate every control blindfolded, you can change out a cylinder blindfolded, you know what to do if your regulator fails....and this list goes on.
Fourth, reread the second point again.
Personally, there is nothing worse than someone with the attitude that they don't have to do something because they think they are already certified.
there is alot more to know then what the parts are and how to put on and breath air everyone should take a scba class. I have learned alot and just when i thought i knew it i had a issue with mine in a fire scared the hell out of me took more training on my scba learn as much as possible
Permalink Reply by FETC on August 18, 2010 at 7:02pm
Sorry but your not pack qualified in any way shape or form. What standard did the 1st department use? Who tested you? Name the parts, put it on and breathe air???? One of the most important pieces of equipment that you must understand inside and out, a device that if used wrong, or improper during an IDLH, will kill you.
The J&B SCBA portion of firefighter 1, (the individual module for SCBA alone) is 12 hours long. That is what I would call qualified or accredited for SCBA alone.
Permalink Reply by FETC on August 18, 2010 at 7:11pm
NATHAN -
The regulator is a very important part of the unit. You should fully understand how it works internally. I have a question for you.... Seeing your profile pic: What is happening to your specific airpack when you don the pack, mask up, take your first breath and the vibra-alert is activated?
Nope not low on air, you check the gauge and you are almost full....
I think you need to look deep inside and see why you don't want to do it..."Wanting" to do something or not wanting to do it doesn't matter....If we are told we are doing it...well, guess what....? We ARE doing it......As a side note I see by your profile that you don't have Firefighting Essentials or the newer course Firefighter1...Then, I am sorry to inform you....you are NOT a Firefighter...not yet. Is your issue related to a bad experience "on air"..? Have you had an issue with claustrophobia...? Nothing to be ashamed of...many have had the same issues and with a little help worked their way through it.....I can remember way back....sitting in the squad room "on air" watching a ball game to get comfortable....I'm not ashamed to admit it....I worked through it .....Think about your decision...as an old Chief told me ...."Son, you volunteered to get in the Department and you can volunteer to get out...but, between them you do as you are told." Good luck and stay safe.......Paul
Permalink Reply by FETC on August 18, 2010 at 7:59pm
First off, the mask vibra-alert is powered by air flow not batteries. Batteries are for the pass alarm.
If your vibra-alert is activated and you are not at the low air alarm level. You have suffered a total 1st stage regulator failure. The pack has automatically switched over to the 1st stage (bypass) regulator, it changes the route in which the air is flowing in the 1st stage regulator assembly and this is an emergency. That is why the mask is vibra-alerting.
Many who I teach, have no idea how the air flows through an airpack, but they can name the heck out of the visible parts. How the vibra-alert works - The air flow (psi) at the point of a low air alarm, or if your 1st stage regulator fails, the air (psi) is slightly higher than when the pack is working normal with full air. This increase in psi, causes the mask regulator to vibrate.
The end result of air (psi) is still the same inside your mask / nose cup, due to the mask regulator flowing a preset psi to the end user.
I would get out right away, with my partner...this is a regulator failure and it is not safe...then tag it as out of service....Get another pack and then go back to work...