SCBA Training Gallery
TRAINING
Regardless of the type of SCBA a fire department may be equipped with, training firefighters in its proper use is an absolute necessity. Giving all firefighters the experience to effectively operate with SCBA in a variety of controlled situations is the purpose of Draeger’s training maze.
Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) has become one of the firefighters’ most important pieces of equipment, both for personal safety and for allowing the user to operate in the hostile atmosphere of fire.
SCBA have come a long way since the turn of the century when firefighters would wet their beards and stuff them in their mouths to act as a filter for the smoke. The sad fact is that many fire departments today haven’t progressed much farther in their thinking on SCBA.
It is not unusual to see outdated and mismatched equipment being used with a minimum of training in many of America’s fire departments.
SCBA technology has greatly advanced in the past, and now several well-designed, reliable units are available on the market. However, what has not greatly advanced is training.
In the past, training consisted mainly of groping for the rescue dummy in a smoke-charged burn room and traversing a minimal obstacle course. Now, with better awareness of the multitude of hazardous material situations that firefighters may face daily, coupled with the increased knowledge of the complex chemical makeup of the combustion byproducts of today’s space-age materials, the fire service is realizing that in-depth SCBA training is a must for survival.
Europe, and in particular West Germany, has led the way in SCBA training. The Draeger Company was a pioneer in the SCBA field, introducing their first SCBA units in 1903 for use by the fire service and the mining industry in West Germany. The Pittsburgh, PA, Fire Department started using Draeger’s units in 1906, and Pittsburgh is now the home of National Draeger and their innovative SCBA training gallery.
Built in a compact and practical configuration, using only 1,000 square feet of space, the gallery offers a well-designed and tough series of training situations in a controlled and safe atmosphere. The Draeger training facilities, that include the gallery itself and a mobile version created in a large trailer truck, are available to fire and rescue departments for a nominal fee.
The objectives of the gallery are to have firefighters:
- understand the physiology of SCBA,
- understand the basic principles of SCBA,
- perform various tasks wearing SCBA such as:
- working with the Lat machine, which is a pulling exercise
- climbing a ladder
- maneuvering up and down the inclines of a work duct and operating the duct’s valves
- practicing rescues in confined spaces
- maneuvering through the maze area which consists of hurdles, scuttles, joists, stairs and tunnels
- demonstrate basic knowledge of search and rescue,
- identify the stressful psychological aspects of using SCBA and to overcome these in controlled situations.
The training gallery consists of three main areas: the work evaluation room; the orientation training room and target room; and the control room.
The work evaluation room is where the trainee is tested for overall physical condition to set the level of training in which he may safely participate. Testing is done by the use of a bicycle type ergometer that is controlled by a computer programmed with the trainee’s age, sex, weight and pulse. The computer calculates the target pulse rate, varies the work load to achieve target pulse, regulates stress accordingly, and calculates maximum oxygen consumption.
The trainee then confronts the Lat machine which consists of a cable, handle and 62 pounds of weights. The weight must be pulled down to the ankle level and returned to complete one cycle. The number of cycles is predetermined in the control room.
Next is the endless ladder, a vertical treadmill with a set of rungs that begin to move at 10 to 82 feet a minute when pressure is applied downward.
After this is the training tank, a horizontal cylinder consisting of two main components. The first section is an entry hatch and tank cover; the second section has a lattice window for training supervision and for use as a rescue port. The tank has a fixed ladder on the exterior and a portable ladder on the interior, making it possible to rehearse rescue efforts.
The final phase of training in the work evaluation room is the small maze that simulates fire and rescue work in an industrial environment. Cage-like individual modules are combined to form a work tunnel comprising horizontal, vertical and sloping sections. The vertical sections are provided with rigid sectional steel ladders. A pipeline with elbows, flanges, and slide valves (such as might be encountered in industrial plants) runs along the inside of the tunnel. A compressed air connection is provided and pressure can be applied for effect.
All training done in the work evaluation room is done wearing full turnout gear and SCBA.
From the work evaluation room, the trainee moves on to the orientation training room. Here is a system of cage-like modules consisting of vertical pillars and horizontal and lateral connecting elements constructed of sectional steel frames enclosed with corrugated mesh and floor panels.
The lateral elements make it possible to change the routing of the course easily and to permit instructors rapid access to the maze in an emergency. The course can be fitted with obstacles on two height levels, consisting of steps, scuttle holes, joists, hurdles, a trap door and a tube for crawling through. The configuration can be easily changed to provide varied situations.
The orientation route is followed by a target room where items of furniture are available to simulate actual room configurations. Cupboards, shelves, kitchens, chairs, couches and coffee tables, all non-combustible, are here for training use.
A generator produces smoke-like conditions by atomizing a special fluid. The mist is non-corrosive and leaves no visible trace. If necessary, the charged room can be entered without the need of respiratory protection.
The floor panels in the orientation route can be fitted with pressure contacts which, when stepped on, will indicate the position of the trainees on a luminous panel on the control desk. This enables the supervisor to monitor the location of the trainees even if the training room has visibility obstructed. On the luminous panel, each piece of flooring is assigned a square annunciator with a directional symbol. This can simply be removed and appropriately re-positioned when the orientation route is changed.
Movable lamps are another safety factor installed at the section ends of the orientation route. Should the trainee lose his bearings in the dark or “smoke,” the supervisor in the control room can briefly switch on one of the orientation lamps and thus indicate the direction to be taken without the exercise having to be interrupted.
The pushbuttons for switching the orientation lamps on and off are integrated into the luminous panel on the control desk, thus enabling the orientation lamp and corresponding pushbutton to be precisely related to the route taken by the course.
The glow of a fire can be simulated by using a cluster of spotlights which are controlled by a lighting console.
Localized increased temperatures can be generated by heat zones created with infrared dark-ray radiators. A remote temperature measuring system consisting of sensors along the course and digital displays in the control desk is designed to monitor the room or heat zone temperatures.
The control room is situated between the work evaluation room and orientation room, and is the nerve center of the operation. A large console allows the supervisor to control lighting, heat, haze, intercom and television monitoring systems.
The supervisor communicates with the trainees via a microphone. Horntype loudspeakers are placed at various points along the course, and the trainees use these to communicate with the supervisor.
The television monitoring system consists of the latest in daylight/infrared cameras, monitors and video recorders.
In summary, the Draeger training gallery is a compact, safe and well-designed facility that offers maximum training benefits with a minimum of space, risk and time.
