Complacency is the evil that firefighters battle each day they pull on a pair of boots. Slower fire run numbers, more time between fires and constant EMS runs are some of the many excuses we use to let the small things slip through the cracks when it comes to skill proficiencies.
Whether it be a nozzle, the irons, or any other piece of equipment that we don’t have ready, these are just a few pieces of equipment that are mandatory to be functioning at 100 percent.
Your SCBA is the one tool you use on every fire, no matter the size. Just pull up any social media firefighter feed and there is little doubt that you will find a post showing the gauge of an SCBA not filled to capacity. While this is a great reminder to always have a full cylinder, it is also a time to remember that having a full cylinder is not the only thing you should check on your SCBA.
Let’s take a look at the four essential points that should be performed each time you check, service or place a SCBA back in service.