There have been several well-documented incidents during the past 10 years where SCBA failure may have been a contributing factor in the deaths or injuries of firefighters¹. These incidents, coupled with a recognition of the importance of self-contained breathing apparatus to firefighter safety, prompted the United States Fire Administration to undertake this study to address any operations trends associated with SCBA failure incidents, and to identify potential problems requiring correction or further study.
1 Several of these incidents have been investigated and published as part of the United States Fire Administration’s Major Fires Technical Report Series. Of particular note are the reports entitled: Three Firefighter Fatalities in Training Exercise Milford, MI; Three Firefighters Die in Pittsburgh House Fire; and Sodium Explosion Critically Burns Firefighters Newton, MA.