Protection to enter a fire
- The fireman's outfit: protective clothing, boots, gloves, helmet, a lifeline and a safety lamp.
- Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA): a compressed-air set that lets the wearer breathe in smoke.
- Know how to don, check and use the breathing apparatus, and to read the cylinder pressure.
- Work under BA control, logging pressure and time, and never enter smoke alone or without air.
Smoke is what kills in most fires, so entering a fire to fight it or to search demands self-contained breathing apparatus and protective clothing. The wearer dons and checks the set, notes the cylinder pressure, and works under BA control, which logs each wearer's air and time so they can be withdrawn before their air runs low. Nobody enters smoke alone or without breathing apparatus, and a backup team stands ready. The discipline around breathing apparatus — the checks, the control, the withdrawal in time — is what keeps firefighters alive.
WARNING — Never enter smoke without breathing apparatus Smoke and the toxic gases of a fire kill quickly and can overcome a person in seconds. Never enter smoke to fight a fire or search without self-contained breathing apparatus, and never enter alone.
TIP — Check the set and watch the air Don and check the breathing apparatus properly, note the cylinder pressure, and work under BA control so your air and time are logged. Start to withdraw while you still have air to get out.