Twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Mondays, we hold regular training drills for our firefighting personnel. On Monday, February 10, the drill provided us the opportunity to review and practice "Buddy Breathing". This is a critical skill that may save a firefighter's life.

While it's thankfully rare, occasionally something goes sideways on a real incident. For whatever reason, a firefighter may run low on compressed breathing air, or even run-out completely. A variety of potential scenarios come to mind. If we're operating in an IDLH atmosphere, this could have fatal consequences. IDLH stands for "Immediately Dangerous to Life & Health". Our SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) or "air paks" for short, are equipped with a feature that allows a second firefighter the ability to provide breathing air to the affected firefighter while they safely exit the IDLH atmosphere.

The process involves some manual dexterity, as small hose connections need to be quickly and efficiently disconnected, then reconnected to reestablish a reliable source of breathing air. This operation is most likely going to be required in circumstances that are decidedly uncertain and confusing, and usually in zero visibility conditions. We practice the operation while wearing our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) fire gloves. In most IDLH atmospheres, in addition to poisonous gases, heat from a fire may cause burn injuries to the hands should our protective gloves be removed. After practicing this evolution in light, where we can see what we're doing, often we replicate the training to reflect zero visibility conditions. This is the environment we'll most like be operating in. In that case, the entire operation must be completed entirely by sense of touch and feel only.

Once the switchover to a reliable source of breathing air has been completed, both firefighters then proceed to exit the IDLH atmosphere in tandem. In the oft chance the firefighter has become trapped and unable to immediately leave, this procedure buys time. A "Mayday" is called and the "RIT" Team, short for Rapid Intervention Team, goes in. They bring an adjunct tank of breathing air to augment the supply of air the affected firefighter is receiving. The RIT Team then works to free the firefighter and safely remove them from the situation their in.