SCBA Mounting Brackets??

[ehs7554]

Over the last year we have purchased some new rigs and the old way of monting the SCBA's in the brackets seem to be gone. Now the new rigs do not have the clips that hold the scba in place. They are now (I will call them half brackets) designed, in order for the scba to stay in the seat, so that they must be strapped in. Is this an NFPA thing or trend going on? Are your new rigs comming this way? Are you changing them back to the old way so that they do not have to be strapped in? BTW the new rigs include a Seagrave and a couple HME/Ferrara's.

[MemphisE34a]

I have been told by our shop that these new brackets are mandated by NFPA. They designed a bracket that required a strap to hold the bottle because the straps were not being used with the clip style brackets like we are used to.

They in a word------SUCK.

Another example of NFPA claiming to make something better, but making it worse.

Honestly, most companies with the new brackets here are still not using the strap. Now the bottle just barely rests in the bracket and is not being held in place by a strap or a bracket.

[FFFRED]

Thank you Desk Commandos!

EHS...tried going to the local large truck salvage lot and finding a few old fire appratus and take the old brackets out for a nominal fee and install them back in your rig?

Hell if this agrivating situation is going to become more common...I'm going to find all the brackets I can and start selling them on ebay! $$$

FTM-PTB

[Bones42]

Anyone interested, I have about a dozen of the old brackets sitting on my floor. We have no problems with the new style.

[Lewiston2FF]

Try here: http://www.ziamatic.com/1000-springclip.html

Just did some retrofitting in our older engine, had aluminum bottles, went to carbon fiber. The retrofit was quick and easy and relatively cheap.

[quint1officer]

If it keeps people from getting smashed in the face with them, whats the problem? Smarter than the equipment, people.......

[FFFRED]

If it keeps people from getting smashed in the face with them, whats the problem? Smarter than the equipment, people.......

How many men do you know have been smashed by these flying SCBAs?

I work with guys who have 20-25-30 and even a few with 35+ years and most have been involved in an accident before and NONE can remember ever being hit by a flying SCBA or knowing anyone who has. And this comes from making 1000s of runs every year for all those years.

By the same reasoning we should all be wearing 5 point harnesses and helmets with neck rolls just like in Nascar...if it keeps people from getting tossed around the cab, whats the problem?

Some of you have really lost sight of the important issues of this job.

Keep worshiping those dopes in the NFPA if you like.

FTM-PTB

[quint1officer]

How many men do you know have been smashed by these flying SCBAs?

I work with guys who have 20-25-30 and even a few with 35+ years and most have been involved in an accident before and NONE can remember ever being hit by a flying SCBA or knowing anyone who has. And this comes from making 1000s of runs every year for all those years.

By the same reasoning we should all be wearing 5 point harnesses and helmets with neck rolls just like in Nascar...if it keeps people from getting tossed around the cab, whats the problem?

Some of you have really lost sight of the important issues of this job.

Keep worshiping those dopes in the NFPA if you like.

FTM-PTB

I know of 5 people, personally, who were tossed about a cab, and 2 people, again personally, who suffered life changing injuries due to being smacked with a scba. Good enough?

[FFFRED]

I know of 5 people, personally, who were tossed about a cab, and 2 people, again personally, who suffered life changing injuries due to being smacked with a scba. Good enough?

Then if you choose you should be able to choose this option. Having a mandate forced on the rest of us seems a bit much don't you think?

FTM-PTB

[jlcooke3]

Ah another fine example of legislation over discipline. If your dept has a policy that all scba's must be secured then secure them. If your ff's don't follow policy then discipline them. Don't create legislation (or in this case a NFPA standard) because you can't do your job and enforce your own dept's rules.

[Steeda83]

you can still order the full bracket as long as the straps are still there..when we ordered new brackets they came in with the "half" brackets and we called back anded changed out the 2 pieces which made them that way with the older style yet we still use the straps

[Bones42]

We had to switch to the "half" bracket when we went down to Scott's. Their big regulator block on the side makes it so they can't sit in the full bracket well. The straps then became required because the packs would fall out of the half bracket setup. In our recessed seats, there was not enough room on top of the bracket for the "top flap" that helps hold them in. Not worried about NFPA standards for this so that is NOT why we got the straps.

And I'll agree, I don't like getting things "mandated" for me either. Fill all your seats with seat belted FF's and there is no room for the SCBA's to come loose.

[Steeda83]

We had to switch to the "half" bracket when we went down to Scott's. Their big regulator block on the side makes it so they can't sit in the full bracket well. The straps then became required because the packs would fall out of the half bracket setup. In our recessed seats, there was not enough room on top of the bracket for the "top flap" that helps hold them in. Not worried about NFPA standards for this so that is NOT why we got the straps.

And I'll agree, I don't like getting things "mandated" for me either. Fill all your seats with seat belted FF's and there is no room for the SCBA's to come loose.

what kind of scott's? we've got the NxG2's in them and they're working fine

[FyredUp]

We recently received a new engine with these "safety" scba brackets installed. Almost immediately plans were made to modify the brackets. We took one of the goofy brackets off and put an older style bracket in it's place. THEN, we followed it up with an SOG that says anytime an scba seat is unoccupied the safety strap will be in place. Guess what? 2 months later and no problems with following the SOG.

Yet another example of a standard having to be written to inconvvenience the masses because FD's and line officers neither have the will nor the knowledge to enforce the rule about safety straps on the old brackets. IF your FD chose to use them.

Like Vinnie I have NEVER heard of anyone having been involved in an accident where an scba flew around the cab after coming out of the bracket. I have just shy of 30 years on the job and instruct as well so it is not like I haven't been around and seen some things. It would seem to me that if this was an issue the answer would be to use the safety strap that has come with the scba brackets for years instead of forcing another piece of crap down on the rest of us.

Bones I am curious as to the brand of bracket you were using that your Scotts would work in. We have had Scott 2.2's and now AP-50's and never had a problem.

FyredUp[

[grains]

We have an engine that was purchased new about 2 years ago. It came with the ZICO brand SCBA Bracket as seen above. We also retro fit two of our ladder trucks with them. We have found that although they are easy to deploy, restoring them can be quite a chore.

For our new fleet we are looking at a mechanical style SCBA bracket offered by Bostrom seen here:

http://www.hobostrom.com/en/addition/accessories.htm#acc_mid2

Anybody used these? Do you like/hate them, and if so, why?