Station 15 Volunteers

Fire Equipment

Turn-out Gear

Once Volunteers have completed their mandatory probationary period and the Fire Fighter One Course, they are issued with Structural Fire Fighting Turnout gear.

This consists of:

Helmet
Flash Hood
Tunic
Gloves
Bunker pants
Boots

The basic turn-out kit weighs approximately 12 kilograms, is bulky, hot, restrictive but will save your life if are accidentally exposed to flame (up to 1300ºC) for limited periods.

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

The SCBA provides a fire fighter with breathable air in an environment that is unable to sustain life. A fire not only burns up available oxygen essential for life, but also releases large amounts of highly toxic gases, including, inter alia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and cyanide.

The SCBA, depending on the fire fighter and activities performed, provides breathable air from a compressed air cylinder (300 bar) for approximately 20 minutes.

The SCBA weighs approximately 19 kilograms.

The SCBA requires special training.

Picture coming soon!

The Jaws of Life
(also refered to as spreaders)

Force Exerted - 18,000 kilograms
Operating Pressure - 720 bar
Weight - 20 kilograms

The jaws are used to free patients trapped inside car wrecks. The Jaws are used primarily to open jammed doors. Rescuers are often required to hold this piece of machinery for up to an hour at a time.

Hydraulic Shears

Force Exerted - 8,000 kilograms
Operating Pressure - 720 bar
Weight - 8 kilograms

The shears are effectively a large and extremely powerful pair of scissors. The shears are used to cut through car door posts and steering wheels.