CFA firefighters from across West and South Gippsland participated in a mass training day using breathing apparatus (BA) equipment in Warragul on Sunday, 24 June.
Firefighters use breathing apparatus equipment to fight a simulated industrial fire. Photo by David Edney.
Firefighters must wear BA masks and oxygen cylinders while completing strenuous tasks every six months to retain competency.
In addition, new BA operators go through stringent testing to ensure they are ready and able in an emergency.
These strict conditions can be difficult for some smaller brigades to achieve, so Noojee Fire Brigade Training Officer Dave Blacker organised a mass training day in Warragul.
"We decided to run a mass training exercise for a number of reasons," said Lt Blacker. "One, we could organise to have training equipment and expertise in one location; two, it logistically makes sense to have the BA cylinders in one place and able to be easily refilled in a timely manner; three, Warragul Fire Brigade hosted the industry training prop, where firefighters can wear BA and fight a fire; and four, we could fill a building with simulated smoke for a search and rescue component."
Lt Blacker said the day was well received with 19 brigades and 66 firefighters participating.
"Of these, 38 firefighters were out of qualification and will now be requalified; 15 were assessed and remain ‘competent’ and, pleasingly, 13 firefighters tried it out.
"After firefighters completed the tasks (don BA, Industrial Fire Prop, Search and Rescue dummies, doff BA/clean) members had biometric data taken by the Yallourn North Rehabilitation Unit and CFA Health Monitoring. The cylinders were refilled by the Traralgon BA van.
"CFA Health Monitoring will use the biometric data to analyse how well participants used BA. This was a new initiative and will be used to inform future BA training."
Lt Blacker thanked brigade members for participating and said particular thanks were due to Noojee and Warragul volunteers for running the activities, Deputy Group Officer Alan Richardson for testing participants, the Traralgon BA van team, Yallourn North Rehabilitation Unit team, Inverloch brigade and operators of the Forward Operations Vehicle which captured bodycam video), Warren Turner, CFA staff from the Health Monitoring Unit, District 27 and District 9.
Brigades interested in completing a similar mass BA training day are encouraged to contact Lt Blacker, who is generously providing his planning and running sheets to other brigade and group training officers.