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When Do You Go On Air? Yard Breathng
Its been along time since I masked up. I keep seeing comments about yard breathing. I remember turning on the bottles in the engine, grabbing a line and going in. (yes we did check doors and windows and signs for backdrafts)
Is the new school to turn on the air at the door? And if you have a 30 min bottle, how long to you plan on being inside?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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I'm not sure how this is even a question. Masking up in the apparatus is bad enough, but actually sucking down air - as Ben points out, regardless of the bottle's capacity - before actually being confronted by smoke is just plain bad tactics.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Oomkes on
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This just seems like common sense to me WP, I don't understand why someone would do it differently.
But I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round
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Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on
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I have never had an issue with tunnel vision, or "fatigue" from wearing the mask without air.
I even do some of my workouts with my mask (circuts and what not) so I am completley comfortable in my mask, I could even take a nap in it if I had to....Again there is more than 1 road to Baltimore if masking up in the rig is not for you then fine...but to say that one way is 100% right is foolish.
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Bob,
I can't imagine how fatigue would enter into it, but you may well have had a tunnel vision issue and not even been aware of it. Wearing the mask - and the hood around it, and the helmet on top of it (not to mention the usual scratches in the mask facepiece) - significantly reduces your peripheral vision and could easily lead to missing a potential hazard as you approach the scene.
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Permalink Reply by Gregory Borg on
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There may be a miss-understanding of terms. Masking up, to me means putting the air-pack on your back. Not putting on the face piece. I thinks some guys put on the face piece and don't consider being masked up until they hook the regulator to the face piece. I leave my face piece off until I am ready to enter the bad stuff because I need to do the size up, maybe the 360 (unless someone else is assigned) give my orders to the comapny and maybe have to talk to the occupants. All things that are not easy with the face piece on but regulator not hooked up. When ready to enter, helmet off, face piece on, hood up, helmet on, go! I leave my regulator attached to my face piece all the time. Seems to work well and communications do not suffer.
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I agree WP, there probubly is a difference in how a FF sees it as compared to an officer. But all my guys are of the no face piece until ready to enter the IDHL school.
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Absolutely.
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Lyons on
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As soon as I need it.... it might be on the rig with fire showing on arrival, or it might be inside when smoke is present... we use 45 min bottles, use 1/3 in, 1/3 out, and 1/3rd as reserve buffer...
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Tyler,
How could you possibly "need" to go on air while still on the apparatus?
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Permalink Reply by Nate on
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The way we are trained, and the way we practice are usually a little different. As stated before, sometimes an above-grade fire will not warrant airing up until the fire floor, or the stairs to it are reached. This gives you the ability to conserve your working air until it is actually needed. However, we are always masked up and ready to click in the second we get off the truck.
A 30 min. bottle doesn't last nearly that long, and we try to make sure everyone has sufficient air to get out of wherever they are. For this reason exactly we have asked our dispatch to give 10 minute checks over the radio at every working structure fire. This, along with good IC lets us make sure that no low-air alarms are sounding while still in the structure.
That being said, there are times where airing up on the exterior is needed, but not nearly as frequent. Just my $0.02
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Doubly absolutely.
And most of what we respond to are SFD as well.
Water on the fire in 45 seconds? Average?
So the times that it takes 3-4 minutes and others it takes 10 seconds?
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Question, do any of you guys that mask up and yard breathe on the way to the house use positive pressure attack? I'm guessing not.
The only time I could see having my mask on but not breathing bottled air is if there is a confirmed victim\rescue that needs to be performed. Still, the time to put the mask, hood and helmet on at the front door or wherever, is so little I just can't understand it.
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