CRBN MSA R.I.T Packs (Please Read)

[AsstEngineer292]

We recently recieved 17 MSA CRBN Packs, all of them have the R.I.T rescue on them. As I'm told from the state, we are the only station in Burlington County(NJ) to have these 1 hour packs with the R.I.T rescue attachments and we are the only company in the county to have packs that are Biologicaly resistant,chemically resistant,hazmat useable and radioactively resistant. Does anyone elses company have the CRBN MSA packs? If so im curious as to what training you do with YOUR packs. We have done:Smoke House,Repel from building, we just got them 1 month ago. Please post commments or what you do for pack training.

[Rescue101]

I've watched these "Crbn"compliant packs with interest.My question is;WHY? If I'm going to send personnel into an area I even SUSPECT is contaminated,they're going in Level A suits and the Crbn regulators are a non issue.We use Scott 1 hr packs so I can't help you with the other issues. T.C.

[Bones42]

I'll agree. Why would you get CBRN SCBA's when none of your other equipment or training will be?


Oh wait, I know the answer....cuz you could.

[jfTL41]

Watch the rappeling, those ropes are there for when you're jammed up, buy a spool and use dedicated training rope instead of the rope you'll keep in the pack.

[2ndgen]

We have the CBRN packs from MSA with the FireHawk mask, on our hazmat team. Yes you may be in a level A suit, but what happens when that suit fails? Wouldn't you want to protect your men against every situation that you can. I know you can't forsee everything, but that is one scenario that is very possible! We also got the voice amplifier that connects to a radio and the HUD. The voice amp I could live with out while I feel that the HUD is a great idea!

[Rescue101]

2gen,My thoughts are that IF the suit fails you've got a lot of problems deeper than if your pack is Cbrn approved.And where will you get this now "hot"piece of equipment deconned/approved for service? It's a whole lot of money for a real outside happening.My opinion only. T.C.

[SamsonFCDES]

How about when you get a call to the local court house for a small fire in the mens bathroom garbage can...

Your arive, take you can in, put the fire out and clear the smoke...

To find white poder scattered all over the place and being sucked into the airducts...

And the powder turns out to be Anthrax.



The CBRNE thing is basicaly just a concession to the terrorism hype, but once in a great long while it might just save your arse, so why not.

[stm4710]

I wonder why they bother includeing radiation in the CBRN. Gamma is going to sail through your gear and the steel bottle anyway. And Alpha and Beta would get stopped by your regular SCBA and TO gear anyway. Could be a marketing thing......

[sgvfccaptain]

We are a small Department in Virginia and bought the packs in October. We also went with the CBRN packs. Our feelings on going with the CBRN instead of the “regular” packs were:

1) It was the same money. It was the same price as the "regular" packs.

2) With stuff like that, after a couple of year it will probably be the standard. Go ahead and do it now instead of doing in a couple of years.

3) Why not give your Firefighters the best protection possible.

Just my thoughts, as for training I don’t think I would do any different training than normal packs. Hope this helps.

Matt

[spegram]

CBRN SCBA are now availible by almost if not all SCBA companies. CB Structural Turn Out Gear will be next, in fact at least two companies will have their versions currently in development at FDIC next month. In the near future I bet most of your PPE will be CB or CBRN compliant.