This research was undertaken in order to determine if there was a significant difference between various factors affecting air consumption rates and air management in the fire service. The purpose was to develop a better understanding of what had the most significant effect on air consumption rates in order to develop a point of focus so that fire departments could concentrate their efforts on an area of improvement that would give them the most return for their effort. An air management obstacle course was utilized to simulate work any firefighter could be reasonable expected to perform at a structure fire. All of the volunteer participants were members of the fire service in some capacity. In order to participate, the individual had to be a member of a career, part-time, or volunteer fire department. Measurements were taken of the air that was contained in their self-contained breathing apparatus prior to beginning the obstacle course and a second measurement was taken once the participant had completed the obstacle course. The two measurements were used to calculate air consumption rates in psi per minute and cubic feet per minute.
It was concluded that the sample size (59) of volunteer participants was too small to produce significant results in this type of study. Further research should be undertaken in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of what affects air consumption rates and air management in the fire service.
","abstract_html":"<p>This research was undertaken in order to determine if there was a significant difference between various factors affecting air consumption rates and air management in the fire service. The purpose was to develop a better understanding of what had the most significant effect on air consumption rates in order to develop a point of focus so that fire departments could concentrate their efforts on an area of improvement that would give them the most return for their effort. An air management obstacle course was utilized to simulate work any firefighter could be reasonable expected to perform at a structure fire. All of the volunteer participants were members of the fire service in some capacity. In order to participate, the individual had to be a member of a career, part-time, or volunteer fire department. Measurements were taken of the air that was contained in their self-contained breathing apparatus prior to beginning the obstacle course and a second measurement was taken once the participant had completed the obstacle course. The two measurements were used to calculate air consumption rates in psi per minute and cubic feet per minute. </p> <p>It was concluded that the sample size (59) of volunteer participants was too small to produce significant results in this type of study. Further research should be undertaken in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of what affects air consumption rates and air management in the fire service. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Broderick, Otis Wesley"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Safety, Security, and Emergency Management","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:39Z","subjects":["Air Consumption","Air Management","firefighters","Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2017 Otis Wesley Broderick"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/477","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Broderick, Otis Wesley"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Safety, Security, and Emergency Management"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Air Consumption","Air Management","firefighters","Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2017 Otis Wesley Broderick"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/477"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research was undertaken in order to determine if there was a significant difference between various factors affecting air consumption rates and air management in the fire service. The purpose was to develop a better understanding of what had the most significant effect on air consumption rates in order to develop a point of focus so that fire departments could concentrate their efforts on an area of improvement that would give them the most return for their effort. An air management obstacle course was utilized to simulate work any firefighter could be reasonable expected to perform at a structure fire. All of the volunteer participants were members of the fire service in some capacity. In order to participate, the individual had to be a member of a career, part-time, or volunteer fire department. Measurements were taken of the air that was contained in their self-contained breathing apparatus prior to beginning the obstacle course and a second measurement was taken once the participant had completed the obstacle course. The two measurements were used to calculate air consumption rates in psi per minute and cubic feet per minute.
It was concluded that the sample size (59) of volunteer participants was too small to produce significant results in this type of study. Further research should be undertaken in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of what affects air consumption rates and air management in the fire service.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Air Consumption and Air Management in the Fire Service"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Broderick, Otis Wesley"],"dc:description.abstract":["This research was undertaken in order to determine if there was a significant difference between various factors affecting air consumption rates and air management in the fire service. The purpose was to develop a better understanding of what had the most significant effect on air consumption rates in order to develop a point of focus so that fire departments could concentrate their efforts on an area of improvement that would give them the most return for their effort. An air management obstacle course was utilized to simulate work any firefighter could be reasonable expected to perform at a structure fire. All of the volunteer participants were members of the fire service in some capacity. In order to participate, the individual had to be a member of a career, part-time, or volunteer fire department. Measurements were taken of the air that was contained in their self-contained breathing apparatus prior to beginning the obstacle course and a second measurement was taken once the participant had completed the obstacle course. The two measurements were used to calculate air consumption rates in psi per minute and cubic feet per minute.
It was concluded that the sample size (59) of volunteer participants was too small to produce significant results in this type of study. Further research should be undertaken in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of what affects air consumption rates and air management in the fire service.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/477"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2017 Otis Wesley Broderick"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Air Consumption","Air Management","firefighters","Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene"],"dc:title":["Air Consumption and Air Management in the Fire Service"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Safety, Security, and Emergency Management"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:39Z"}