Compliance of SCBA Training in the Lexington Fire Department

<p>From 2010 through 2013, an average of 90 firefighters died in the line of duty each year (USFA, 2014). Firefighters who are off-duty continue to die as well, however, it is extremely difficult to determine whether their deaths are a result of on-duty-related exposures or not. Medical and field research has consistently found associations between smoke inhalation and acute and chronic illnesses that highlight the dangers of on-duty exposure to smoke. This study investigates the early removal of the SCBA by firefighters in one fire department while operating at fire incidents. The findings indicate that firefighters are mostly aware of the dangers that smoke inhalation and exposure presents; however, they continue to remove their SCBA prematurely, particularly during overhaul operations. This points to a need for written policies and procedures that clearly define when and for how long the SCBA must be worn on fire incidents, more frequent training on the benefits and consequences of wearing or not wearing the SCBA in a contaminated environment, and a change in mentality of current firefighters who still think breathing smoke is acceptable fire ground behavior. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Safety, Security, and Emergency Management

Grantor dc:publisher

Eastern Kentucky University

Year

2014

Author dc:creator

• Saas, Jordan Peter

• Compliance
• Firefighter
• Fire Safety
• Fire Science
• SCBA
• Smoke Inhalation
• Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2014 Jordan Peter Saas

Repository record dc:identifier

https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/214

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1212