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Fire Department Breathing Air Purity Sampling

NFPA released a new standard in April 2003 titled "Standard on Breathing Air Quality for Fire and Emergency Services Respiratory Protection". This standard was developed to provide consistency between NFPA 1404, 1500, and 1981 documents.

This standard replaces the breathing air quality component of the NFPA 1500 standard. It was designed to ensure the quality of the air fire fighters breathe from their SCBA's. As a fire fighter myself for the past fourteen years, I know that fire fighter fighters expect that the air in our SCBA tanks is of the highest quality. Like a lot of things on the fire scene, we take our SCBA's for granted. This standard was created to give fire fighter that peace of mind.

This standard now calls out the minimum air quality levels. The test shall include oxygen content, carbon monoxide content, carbon dioxide content, condensed oil and particulate content, water content, hydrocarbon content, and an odor test. It further requires the air test samples to be submitted to an accredited analytical laboratory at least quarterly.

Medical Gas Systems, Inc., along with TRI/Environmental (an accredited analytical laboratory) are pleased to offer this quarterly test to your department. We have developed two methods to draw a breathing air sample:
1. We can send your department a test kit, via ground shipment, allowing your personnel to take an air sample, following our easy to follow step by step instructions. After the sample is taken, the test kit and sample media are sent back to our office to be analyzed. After the sample is analyzed, we will send you the results for your records.
2. We can have a technician from our staff visit your station to draw the sample for you.

With either test method, we will provide to you all required documents to meet the requirements of this new standard.

Click Here to Request a Fire Department Breathing Air Purity Sampling test