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Facepiece Donning. When and how long does it take?
Do you come off the rig with your SCBA facepiece donned or do you put it on just prior to entry? Why? How long does it take to don your facepiece and to on air with your hood and helmet, gloves on properly?
We teach new firefighters to don their entire SCBA in a certain amount of time. 60 seconds or 45 seconds, but isn't the real question for line firefighters, who should be coming off the apparatus with their SCBA's donned, be to master quicker donning of their facepieces?
I keep seeing crews take up to 1 minute to don their facepieces and go on air. This is too long. What say you?
We teach new firefighters to don their entire SCBA in a certain amount of time. 60 seconds or 45 seconds, but isn't the real question for line firefighters, who should be coming off the apparatus with their SCBA's donned, be to master quicker donning of their facepieces?
I keep seeing crews take up to 1 minute to don their facepieces and go on air. This is too long. What say you?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Scott Kleinschmidt on -
I have never understood the need to mask up in-route. A fire fighter thats knows his equipment well should be able to put his mask on, go on air, helmet and gloves back on quickley. Never have timed this but can't see it taking more than 15-20 seconds. I feel getting of the rig with your mask on affects your ability to "take in" the fire ground. Your ability to see, hear and smell is affected.
I think a FF should be ready on all alarms but save your mask and air until you are ready to enter the IDLH
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Blizzard on -
Most appliances in my fire department don't have the CABA in the cab so we have to exit the cab and get to the CABA locker to don (set on you back) and start-up (mask on, ready to go). Unfortunately we are forced to take in the environment upon arrival, however I definitely agree that it's important to have your senses exposed to take in the scene.
Our time from opening the locker to mask, flash hood, helmet and gloves on is 1 minute but for just the start up I would expect around the 20 sec mark tops.
I think an important point is to always put you mask on in fresh air, don't leave it too late. The time of start-up can be use to briefly observe the fire and assess the smoke behaviour.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Selement on -
We come off the rig with our SCBA's donned. By we I mean the firefighters/tailgunners. The officer is usually masking up after his 360 and while we are pulling a line, and we rendezvous at the entry point. As for being a master of the quick donning, we don in the apperatus and normally know how long a ride we have. But we have been challenged on some short runs and have done very well. Its a good topic and one I will take to my officers. Another element is that your mask takes some visiability away and may cause trip accidents, as well as the size up senses.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Walker on -
I timed everyone in my district today. Shortest time was 13.7 seconds. That was with hood on correctly, facepiece on correctly, chin strap under the chin, gloves on, breathing air.
Average time was 22 seconds.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Arnold on -
Facepiece attached to the regulator, hanging by my side. All personnel that will be entering the structure should be able to get a good size up without the facepiece before going on air. Size up complete, mask goes on the head without ever taking it off the regulator, air is already on, pull on newbie, place lid on melon to look like a rock star, get busy with the fire. Never longer than 25 seconds.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Schwering on -
I don my facepiece before entry. Regulator is already on my mask, do my 360, put my mask on, lock in, check my firefighter to make they got off the engine. Tops 20 to 25 seconds to don gear properly, 30 seconds to have water on the fire, I hope.
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Permalink Reply by Eric DePoto on -
I see some firemen donning their mask while en route and I tried it once. I did not find a significant time difference between the two. Furthermore I find that I get to tunneled in and don't get a good size up (which everyone on the rig should do, not just the boss). To be more proficient in putting my gear on quickly I would do this every morning 4 to 5 times. I have an average time of 17 seconds and have gotten as low as 11 seconds. I also do this because you need to be prepared to do so under the gun and get it right the first time. Some will say that they will put it all on en route so they can get in faster or no one can steal their line or even "They will put out my fire." All of it is BS. We are better than that and should be more disciplined. Get off the rig, get a good size up, pull your line, get all of your equipment ready to go (ppe and hose) and get in there and go to work.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Walker on
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well said depotepoo
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Permalink Reply by Todd Trudeau on -
I agree!!
Mike Walker said:well said depotepoo
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Permalink Reply by Ian Tenney on -
In the Recruit Firefighter Program here, we start with basic skills, including the '45-second' drill (an echo of getting the SCBA out of the carrying case) and students eventually evolve to a 25-second drill. The 25-second drill is much more applicable to how most firefighters work; the student starts off with their PPE on, including gloves donned and helmet on the head. The SCBA is on the back with the air supply on. The student starts by taking a knee, then either removes their helmet (chinstrap is secured but loose) or knocking it back off their head. The mask goes on and in the case of a Scott or other mask-mounted regulator SCBA, the regulator comes off. The hood is pulled into position next, then the helmet is replaced, chinstrap tightened and regulator locked in to start air flow.
Over the course of the 15 weeks of training, the majority of students get this down to well below 25 seconds. While wearing the gloves is initially a little more challenging, it saves a ton of time later, eliminates the possibility of another member inadvertently kicking the fire gloves on their way by and also keeps the hands protected and ready to work from the time a firefighter dismounts the apparatus.
Though I realize it isn't straight out of the book, I've taken to putting my hood up en route if it sounds like we're going to work. When we reach a point where we need to put our masks on, I simply knock my helmet back, with the chinstrap catching on my neck and keeping the helmet handy. I pull my mask on, put the helmet back into position and tighten the chinstrap. It literally takes a couple of seconds and in the four years or so that I've been doing it this way, I haven't had an issue with a bad seal or exposed skin.
Be safe.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Walker on
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Ian,
I love it. It should be in "the book."
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Permalink Reply by Mark Wadsworth on -
A little late to the discussion but here's my thoughts. No requirements in my department about having the facepiece in place in the rig but we do require 60 seconds out of the cab on air, ready to go as a performance standard. I prefer to have my mask hooked up to the regulator already and I do not don the facepiece until I am just about to make entry (which shouldn't take more than 20-30sec). I strongly believe that having the facepiece in place any earlier severely limits your ability to evaluate the environment you are about to enter. I place the mask up to my face with helmet on, slide the helmet and strap on to the arm I just place the mask with, secure the mask/hood and then slide the helmet back in place. Quick and easy with a little practice.
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