This week, the Chelsea Fire Department received 43 new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units from Scott Technologies. These Scott Safety Air-Pak AP-75 units will serve as replacements for the department’s current SCBA equipment, which has been in use for over 10 years.
A $200,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security Urban Areas Security Initiative program enabled the purchase of this new equipment.
According to Acting Chief of Department Robert Houghton, “The new SCBA units will allow the department to meet the 2013 NFPA safety standards,” “The new units are equipped with an integrated Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) which will sound a loud audible alert if a firefighter is in distress.”
When firefighters activate their air supply before entering a hazardous environment, these devices will automatically engage. Should the device fail to register motion for approximately 15–30 seconds, an alert will sound to signal that a firefighter may be injured or incapacitated.
The new units feature advanced face pieces designed to protect firefighters across nearly all respiratory scenarios, including those involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents.
Personnel training on the new equipment is currently underway, with the department anticipating the units will be operational within the next couple of weeks.