BY ALAN M. PETRILLO
Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and the breathing air contained in its cylinders are critical equipment used in fighting fires. And, the quality of the air inside those bottles is equally important.
While many departments have fill stations in their firehouses, others carry mobile systems on rescues, trailers, air/light rigs, or other apparatus to provide quality air at a fire scene. And when on a rescue, breathing air systems often are also found supplying air-powered tools.
BAUER COMPRESSORS INC.
William Dickson, vice president of sales for breathing air products at BAUER Compressors Inc., says BAUER designs its breathing air systems to meet specific customer requirements. “Each department has its own unique needs,” Dickson says. “We have a BAUER staff person or a distributor with a BAUER factory person sit down with the fire department to find out exactly what they want and then design the system to fit their needs.”
1 This Bauer Compressors Inc. breathing air system includes a cascade system, air management, and fill station. (Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Bauer Compressors Inc.) 2 This fire vehicle has a complete breathing air system onboard, including a Bauer compressor.
He says there are three basic components to a breathing air system: the compression component, the management component that directs air into the storage vessels, and the cascade and fill station system. “The size of all those components, the discharge capacity and pressure of the compressor, the number of storage cylinders, and the size of the fill station are all dictated by the department,” Dickson says.
Dickson notes that, for a mobile application, BAUER personnel determine the discharge capacity needed for the system, the size of the compressor, the size of the onboard generator to power the compressor, and the peak load of the system—that is, the number and size of SCBA cylinders to be filled through the onboard storage system.
If a department puts breathing air on a pumper, it typically is only a cascade system and fill station, Dickson points out, because there often is not room for anymore equipment. However, on rescues and air/light trucks, a generator, compressor, cascade system, and fill station usually are carried. Dickson adds that BAUER offers single-, two-, and three-position fill stations. “Typically, the compressor and storage system are located in an air-cooled transverse compartment over the rear wheels,” Dickson says, “while the fill station often is put in a side or rear compartment.”
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