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Claustrophobia
ok so we were doing training the other day and we all tried on scba masks. One guy had a complete panic attack and freaked out with the thing on, it was bad enough he had to be taken home early. I was fine though. I was just wondering if you can still be a firefighter even with claustrophobia? This guys feels terrible because his dream is to become a ff and now he's afraid he can't. Any advice? Do you know anyone with the same issue who made it onto the department?
Jessica
Jessica
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jessica Travis on
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bad idea, he started hyperventilating and then got sick.
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Permalink Reply by T.J. on
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We've got guys like that and their's a LOT more then just putting on a face piece in firefighting, he can drive trucks, do water supply, be the guy who changes bottles, be a pump operator and the list goes on.
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Permalink Reply by NOVAFireman on
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I hear the Police are looking for applicants.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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Sure he can....Take scene support operations class....there is a hell of a lot more to firefighting than putting a pack on and going inside....Hanging ground ladders...scene safety....laying hose lines...helping with water supply....tool control....accountability....driving trucks....there are countless jobs that one can do....BUT...unfortunately all paid departments have their people go through Firefighting training before they get to a unit...and if that;s his goal then he must overcome his fears...cold hard honest truth....not everyone can nor should everyone even trry to go past their personal limits....Stay safe and always keep the faith.....Paul......if he freaked out just putting the mask on he would go over the edge when the face peice is covered or blacked out I am sure.....
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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I'll give you a serious answer to a serious question. When I first started I didn't like to maskup. Then someone did something amazing for me. He wipe the condensation off that you get when you first put it on. I still don't like it but I do it. We had one member who wore a mask while watching TV just to get used to it. Another problem is that they might not be getting air.
I have been driving for the last 10 years and only had to mask up twice. But as a driver or anything else in the fieservice you need to be ready to go inside, it might be the difference between life and death for someone.
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Permalink Reply by Teresa on
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there are plenty of things a person can do in the department..I went through the same thing for my firefighter 1 class..the instructor knew me from when i was a fire explorer so he let me finish the class. I can still do things outside the scba area.. I can work with my guys to get more comfortable with the air pack so that way one day i can go interior.. i can do scene support, hydrant work, accountability..and many other things.
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Permalink Reply by Lawrence W on
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Each person is different, but regardless of our personal limitations, if you want to overcome them, then it comes down to facing them head on and working through them a little at a time.
Wearing the mask a little at a time in an environment where you are most comfortable has worked for many people whom I have worked with in the past. This gives you the ability to limit time in the mask, ensure that you can maintain your visibility and maximize your comfort with the equipment. This is not an insurmountable challenge, but it may take quite some time to get there. Remind him to be patient and don't force it. All things in time.
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Permalink Reply by rfdjumper on
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If his dream was to be a career firefighter then he should really work hard overcoming this prior to applying in the future. If he can't overcome it then I'd suggest another line of work. If his goal is to be a volunteer firefighter, then I'd say good luck, you can probally find something to do, though he'll never get certified FF1, and that is normally the prerequisite of most other classes.
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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If he still wants to try, just have him wearing street clothes, no pack and just wear the mask if he wants to to it he can try taking small steps. Maybe at first dont tighting the mask down all the way then the next time tighting it down let him get used to it. Then try it with a pack or gear. Just have him take small steps. Hope that helps Good luck and stay safe
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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there are other things to do for this individual until he overcomes his issues... it's sad to say... this job is not meant for everyone...
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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It can be overcome.
It takes time and it takes patience.
I had an ERT member that was the same.
We started simply with her holding the mask to her face (no starps on) and no demand valve.
We then progressed to the same, but with straps on.
We then progressed back to the mask on (no straps on) but with the demand valve on.
We then progressed to the same but with straps on.
We then progressed to doing light duties with the mask on but no demand valve.
We then progressed to light duties with the mask on and the demand valve on.
And on and on it went.
It took weeks for this member to overcome this fear. (And some of those drills above went for a few hours)
can they wear SCBA now? YES.
Are they the most competent at it? NO.
They can do tasks, but as the OIC, we need to be mindful of it and pick and choose the jobs we put them into.
They don't need to be thrown on the rubbish heap because of it.
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