Group Forums >> Firehouse Issues >> Facepiece seal
Facepiece seal
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Posted 2 months ago Ok so, according to our book, NFPA 1500 states that every member of a dept. SHALL (meaning absolutely has to) be fitted for a facepiece, and must be re-fitted annually because people's faces change, and people gain or loose weight so on and so forth, What I am asking is, well, I am in the fire academy, my facepiece (mask) does not seal well, we use the old MSA masks and packs, with the low pressure hose attached to the mask that looks like snuffeluffagus from sesamie street, well I am sure you all know what I am talking about, but my point it, as tight as it goes, it does not fit, it is a small, and I loose all my air around the cheeckbone and jaw area, and chin area, when I first put on my facepiece, it is not so bad, but after I begin to sweat, and as soon as I put on my helmet, the whole darn facepiece (mask) slides down my face, and all my air from my bottle runs out so fast cause it is just freeblowin past my face! you can stand right there and feel it, as soon as I turn my head slightly to the side, shshshshshshsh, there goes all my air, I don't know what to do, I have told everyone at the academy about it from day one, now we did live fire excercises today, nothing big, just using extinguishers, but the one instructor told me, go back over there, it doesnt work right, well, the other instructor took my facepiece and never gave it back, I dunno if they are gonna try to find me one that fits properly the next class, but seriously, I think it is a bit rediculous that I have told them again and again and again, and it seems to be all a big joke, I am hurt by their laughter about the situation, and frustrated about the fact they wont listen, and from what small bit I have learned thus far in the academy, according to NFPA 1500, we are supposed to be fitted for facepieces, not ohh hey kid, com'ere, get you one of these here old facepieces outta this box and see if ya can't find one that fits, see my point here? I am worried for my safety, and I am tired of getting a new hole torn in my backside for trying to get a facepiece(mask) that actually fits right and doesn't let all my air freeblow past my face and waste my bottle. when your tired... i mean tired... and you think you have given everything, dig deep, you have more.... it comes from within |
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| Posted 2 months ago i used to have the same problem. maybe i still do, just hasn't happend in a while. anyways, i would go to the facility director and express your concerns about how the instructors are handleing this. not to get them in trouble, but to maybe find a resolution to the problem. unfortunately, mask sizes usually run in small, med, large, and extra-large. most co's won't custom make masks just for a few people. without having looked at your profile, i don't want to sound sexists here, but i assume you're a guy ( judging by your screen name). do you have any facial hair in the areas you are leaking air? this could cause some leaking. if you do, you might want to try and shave. the only other option you have is to put on some weight (j.k.!) i don't think there will be too much more you can do. other than maybe seeing if the scba co would be willing to custom make a mask ( which i'll doubt they will, due to it being low pressure, but you never know) |
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| Posted 2 months ago I myself WOULD NOT let you cotinue that type of training untill I (instructor) Fixed the problem. I do understand bugets.But my students SAFETY is my number one issue. No if's and or Butt's. Those instructors are not doing their jobs.And are not looking at safety issues. I wish I could help. Try to stay safe.And keep pushing that safety STANDARD! |
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| Posted 2 months ago Jim has it rite, I'm not a state instructor, but I teach classes at my FD. If theres an equipment issue i address it rite away. We do mandatory mask fittings evey year. |
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| Posted 2 months ago I'd like to see some kind of help or answer for this problem . Thanks for earlier replies. Any instructors with some weight to be able to do something , would be very helpful . They should be raising the bar or at least being at the set standard for safety according to the rules and regulations. This really concerns me ! Help someone is some way everyday. Standing at the ready, Tail wagging; ready to run !! |
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| Posted 2 months ago I used to have an issue with the facepiece not sealing because it was too big. After I proved to them that I was serious about firefighting and taking every class I could to do the job they bought a small mask that fits. Now that we have switched over to MSA they automatically purchased smalls and med. for others that have now joined our department. Safety is not to be overlooked! We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give. |
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| Posted 2 months ago Well, yesterday the director gave me another mask, it is another small, it is slightly better, it actually feels harder to breathe out of, these masks are so old and nasty, with junk built up on the valve where you breathe in through, if you looked at it you would see what I mean, it is hard for me to describe, anyways, whatever, I give up, I will use it and if I can't breathe well, or the mask leaks, so be it, I am not going to open my mouth anymore, I want to get through this program, not get kicked out, I am just frustrated and I needed to vent this, I can't see a damn thing anyways, it has no nose cup so it takes me forever just to read off my regulator pressure, I know this is just probably trainee bullshit that they don't really care about, so from now on, I am not saying anything to the instructors, if I don't do something fast enough, well, I guess I'll just have to do those 25 pushups in full gear, I am gonna be really really strong by the end of fire school, because I forsee an assload of pushups in my near future. when your tired... i mean tired... and you think you have given everything, dig deep, you have more.... it comes from within |
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| Posted 2 months ago Yeah, it's training now but what are you going to do when it's the real deal? There is good equipment out there and there is no reason anyone should be just settling for what they have to. I hope it never comes down to being in a fire trying to do your job the save lives and property and you have to worry about your seal on the facepiece. I've been there, done that and had the damn thing actually moving while I'm trying like hell to get a good breath and drag the hose line at the same time. That's not the time to have that kind of worry on your mind! I don't understand the instructors allowing this either???? We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give. |
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| Posted 2 months ago I am assuming that you are using the same mask so my suggestion would be to get the manual on it and clean it properly if it is all gummed up. There is a level of safety that is on the instructor but care and proper cleaning of equipment is on the individual. |
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| Posted 2 months ago clyoung says ...
There is no manual, and we are not allowed to take the masks off of the property, they are given to us to use while we are in the academy, and after we are done for the day, the instructors have us dunk our masks in one bucket of water with a capfull of bleach in it, then dunk it in the next bucket of plain water. when your tired... i mean tired... and you think you have given everything, dig deep, you have more.... it comes from within |
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| Posted 2 months ago Whats the mask who makes ir do they have a web site ? If so email or mail them to give you instructions on how to maintain and clean your facepiece. This is a very importnat part of your firefighting equipment that is important in you staying alive and also performing your job to save a life. Thats my 2 cents !!!!!! |
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| Posted 2 months ago I actually hate to say this but, when it comes to training facilities you are not really going to find new equipment (unless somebody decided to donate them). Used equipment is perfectly acceptable for training purposes so long as it is still in good working condition. Even in my dept. we have the generic S, M, LG & XLG masks; they are not custom fitted. If the equipment is not in good working condition then that becomes a safety issue to the trainee & you should NEVER keep quiet about that. The masks (especially at a training facility) should be well maintained; when you're out there in the "real world" it is essential to keep it clean & in proper working order or it could fail on you or other things. I know you don't want to push the issue or get kicked out but this is a "SAFETY' matter. If there is a time when FF's shouldn't get hurt its during training. Keep up the good work, stick to your guns & train hard. |
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| Posted 2 months ago Thanks for all the input guys, I think I know what I am gonna do, I am gonna try to find an instructor that I trust, one that seems kind to me, and ask them sometime when there not busy, if they could show me how to clean this gunk out of my mask the proper way, I don't see how they could argue with that. when your tired... i mean tired... and you think you have given everything, dig deep, you have more.... it comes from within |
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| Posted 2 months ago as far a the seal goes, I said in an earlier post, they gave me another mask, same size but it seems to be less stretched out, It is a little better, I was told by a friend in another dept, that everything will work itself out eventually, I am trying to believe that. when your tired... i mean tired... and you think you have given everything, dig deep, you have more.... it comes from within |
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| Posted about 1 month ago Im sorry to hear ur in that situation. It sounds frustrating and i can see why. Well all i can tell u is talk to the safety officer. I mean we had one wen I went thru the academy and there should be one. Hes usually a battalion chief designated as safety officer. As far as budgets go, i dont think that is the problem. If budgets were that low that u cant buy ur trainees safe equipment to train with, they maybe u shouldnt have opened up an academy. Then again i dont know all the details of whats going on. I would do that, if you dont have chief, go thru ur chain of command.
Best wishes |
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| Posted about 1 month ago I'm not there so I can't say for sure but that academy seems to be run like your in the military. Just hearing the activities and the attitudes , I would think they were in boot camp. The mask this recruit has now seals better but it looked like someone took a dump in it and left it that way. If you complain or ask for help or mention safety ,they chew your butt off to put it nicely. If I ever go into an academy , I would like to go there and let them try that junk on me. Even in boot camp they wood back off your butt a little after the first 3 weeks. Help someone is some way everyday. Standing at the ready, Tail wagging; ready to run !! |
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| Posted about 1 month ago David007 says ...
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