Mask fogging while on RIT standby

[DeputyMarshal]

You can call BS all you want cappy but yes we have them for the larger buildings. The security at the front desk brings them out as soon as we get there.

As long as you realize that's not the way it works for most buildings in most places.

[Boreas]

My department's SOG's also doesn't have our RIT masked up while on standby. Tools are laid out on a tarp and 1 hour cylinders are switched to.

If this is your departmental SOG then you have to work around it.

When I swam competitively once upon a time we used either commercial lens defogger or baby shampoo works just as well. Check swimming, snowboarding, scuba diving shops for commercial defogger.

[JohnVBFD]

lol, in VA when I was observing they kept their truck doors open in the bay to minimize response time. Really if it takes you ten seconds to open a door, then you don't need to be a driver. Saving time isn't that necessary, but you should be confident in your speed and skills that you shouldn't have to worry about those extra five second. Kind of like the CPAT.

And here I thought we kept the doors open to encourage the public we serve to come in and talk to us. Silly me.

[6Duron1]

you keep the truck doors open to let them come in?
I've never seen a fire dept. in VA that kept their bay doors open.

[Jonnee]

You don't need the face piece on your face standing by as a member of the RIT.

Have it handy so it can be in place on your face, in less than a minute.

About the station doors, I guess you haven't been all over Virginia. I don't where you have been but a lot of career fire stations across the Commonwealth will have the overhead doors in the open position during the days when the weather permits it.

The truck door usually will remain open as well, while the company in quarters. What would the purpose be to keep them closed?

[BoxAlarm187]

you keep the truck doors open to let them come in?
I've never seen a fire dept. in VA that kept their bay doors open.

Not sure how few firehouses you visited in our Commonwealth, but it's routine to leave the bay doors open while in quarters...across the state, both career and volunteer. Ours (both work and volly) are open as much as practically possible.

[Spencer534]

Same here.

[6Duron1]

Williams, New Kent, JCC, York, Newport News, Norfolk, Hampton, Henrico, VB, Richmond, just to name a few.

But we're not getting off topic today.

[BoxAlarm187]

Williams, New Kent, JCC, York, Newport News, Norfolk, Hampton, Henrico, VB, Richmond, just to name a few.

That's odd, since Spencer534, CaptOldTimer, VBFDJohn, and I either are (or have been) associtated with several of the departments you listed above. In fact, our chief instructs us to leave the doors open at all times possible. I find it really hard to believe that unless you were visiting at night or during a rainstorm, you "never" found any bay doors open.

OK, enough of that, carry on with the mask & RIT discussion.

[CaptOldTimer]

Williams, New Kent, JCC, York, Newport News, Norfolk, Hampton, Henrico, VB, Richmond, just to name a few.

But we're not getting off topic today.

You are the one who got off the topic!


As far as the bay doors, some fire houses leave them close, due to the area they are in. Too many unscrupulous people walking around may slip in and steal some gear. Therefore the houses where this may present a problem keep the door closed, the doors locked.


In fact when they turn out for a call of service, they make sure the doors are down before heading up or down the street. I have seen a lot of items stolen from fire houses in these areas by leaving the doors open day or night and when they are out on a run.


Years back, in the summer, we seldom closed the bay doors. Of course we had a watch man awake all night on a rotating watch.


Of course they are some houses that keep the doors down, to keep the trolls away too!

[TRUCK61]

IMO, for RIT leave the masks off till you get the call, then keep them off till you're where you need to be ie: in the back of the building or wherever. RIT companies need to be set up early and that company needs to stay RIT till it is determined that RIT's not needed anymore. That company gets to watch the incident progress and can kind of keep track of who's where. Also by having your mask on it makes it hard to communicate with the rest of the team because you have to speak loud enough to over come wearing the mask. Every incident is different, in a fire in a SFD you may be out front where as in an apartment you may be on the floor below the fire with your equipment.

[THEENGINEGOES]

lol, in VA when I was observing they kept their truck doors open in the bay to minimize response time. Really if it takes you ten seconds to open a door, then you don't need to be a driver. Saving time isn't that necessary, but you should be confident in your speed and skills that you shouldn't have to worry about those extra five second. Kind of like the CPAT.

Sorry, i disagree. Save time where ever you can. Leaving the doors open saves time. Saving 5 or 10 seconds here and there adds up. Just my opinion.

[FIREguy2011]

It's not like BPFD1 is going to make entry any time soon.

[johnsb]

Good idea- rub a flammable liquid into your mask.

Is it a flammable liquid after it's dried and wiped off??

[FWDbuff]

Is it a flammable liquid after it's dried and wiped off??

Do you want to find out using YOUR mask?

[LaFireEducator]

It's not like BPFD1 is going to make entry any time soon.

Oh really ...

[6Duron1]

Is it a flammable liquid after it's dried and wiped off??

isn't the stuff that you clean the masks with flammable?

Oh really ...

don't listen to him, he sold his soul to the devil himself.

[PFDSquad47]

While we dont carry actual blueprints of buildings, we do carry what we call VBIs. These are forms generated by the companies that give valuable information pertaining to locations of standpipes, stairwells, elevators, utilities and other pertinant information. They may contain an actual drawing of the building with floor layouts and such. They are carried on all engines in the city. Each engine carries a copy of their first and second due VBIs in a binder broken down by address. They should be updated yearly or as often as changes need to be made. A copy is forwarded to the second due engine when a change is made in the VBI. The VBI for the building is retrieved by the IC when he feels its warranted. This generally means and all hands fire or multiple alarm.

[Beach Head]

Upon arrival our dept. has the RIT team fully geared up with the exception of going on air. Of course our masks fog up extremely quickly in this situation and before you know it we can barely see a thing. Obviously, this makes it very difficult to see exactly what is going on with the fire. Of course you can give it a few shots of air every now and again, but that depletes the amount you actually have available if you have to go to work.

Other than just not masking up, any ideas on how to maintain situational awareness under these circumstances?

Thanks.

About the best way to combat this occurring is doing exactly what you said-Taking some shots of air.
The nose piece in the mask serves a purpose, which is to decrease the lens fogging but as we all know it doesn't do enough. I have noticed that if I am off air and am concentrating on my breathing I can control it enough to where the fogging is minimal, but that all goes out the window once I go to work. But since you are on the RIT team, I'm sure the SOP is to stay in one place and be on alert at all times while there are crew(s) inside the structure. I would use this as an advantage to concentrate on your breathing, while staying alert at the same time. Just takes practice.

[ChiefKN]

About the best way to combat this occurring is doing exactly what you said-Taking some shots of air.

I go back to my other posts... the best way is to put the mask on when you need it.