Ryan Carini

Mrs. Hensel
English IV Honors
12 February 2015
Annotated Bibliography: Self Contained Breathing Apparatus
Long, Merritt. "History of the SCBA." Editorial. My Firefighter Nation. Firefighter Nation
WebChief., 12 Aug. 2007. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
This article summarizes the birth of the SCBA or Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. In the
fire service firemen would grow long beards and dip them in buckets of water and clench them in
their teeth for respitory protection. One of the earliest recorded attempts of the scba was in
France. The proto type called for a thick screen of asbestos to be put over the head and face. A
man who was part of the England fire brigade one of the members came up with a mask with a
hose that was attached to an air compressor to help the firefighters breathe in the dangerous
environments thus jumpstarting the invention of the modern day SCBA.
This article is a credible source. This article was posted by a firefighter on a firefighters page.
All firefighters have advanced knowledge in the use as well as the history of the Self Contained
Breathing apparatus in the fire service. This article is up to date as well as teaches the history of
the SCBA from its humble beginnings to the modern day technology used by firefighters today
in 2015.
This article is a great source because it helps me tell the story of the SCBA from the beginning.
It also will allow me to present my project and show the changes from older model SCBA and a
newer model to show the evolution and change with time as well as with the new model I will be
creating how that will be different from ones that were created 10 months ago to ten plus years
ago.

"SCBA Information." Grainger (2014): 1. Grainger. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.

My second source summarizes all of the different types of SCBA. Different types of SCBA are
used for different applications in the fire service. Not all of the self-contained breathing
apparatus are designated for fighting structure fires. Some are used for hazmat operations
because they allow you more clean air. This article also summarizes NFPA 1981. This stands for

National Fire protection agency and 1981 is the regulations that SCBA must conform to in order
for use in the fire service.
This source is credible for my research topic. It is from a firefighting equipment sight that
specializes in SCBA. Whether it be the regulations through the NFPA or the different types this
article has all of the information that is needed to determine what can be changed and what needs
to be changed in the SCBA to make it easier for operation in the fire service. It helps clarify
which SCBA are used for which jobs and how they work which are very important to know
when you are studying the fire service or when you are expected to use these in a life threatening
environment.
This article I have chosen is a good source for research because it gives information about all
types of SCBA weather it be an open circuit SCBA or just an air purifying respirator commonly
known as a gas mask. We only have two types of SCBA that are standard issue in Horry
County. These two SCBA are the Open Circuit self-contained breathing apparatus and the air
purifying respirator for medical calls to protect against diseases such as hepittious. This article
gives me a broader view of all breathing apparatus in the fire service even though Horry County
only uses two types. This allows me to learn about new designs and see problems with different
models and not only the two SCBA that we use in Horry County.

O, Jeffery. "The Next Generation of SCBA." Http://www.firerescue1.com/. Globe, 19 Oct.

2008. Web. 19 Feb. 2015
Throughout firefighting the SCBA has changed different looks and functions. This article is
about the grant by homeland security to improve the breathing technology. They have coated the
cylinders in a Kevlar fiberglass and carbon these wrappers can handle 5,000 psi or pounds per
square inch of pressure. They have also helped to design a new inside of the scba cylinder to
handle more pressure than the standard 4,500 psi that is currently in the cylinders now. They are
as far along in the process to where they have made prototypes to be used in the field for testing.
This article written by Jeffery O is a reliable source. I know this because it was published on a
very well-known firefighting website. This website has lots of insight into the world of the fire
service as well as selling good quality products that are very valuable in the fire service such as
PPE or our personal protective equipment. This article is sponsored by Globe which is another
trusted dealer of PPE and they will not back anything in the fire service unless it is a reliable and
true source. Another reason I know that the article is because Jeffery is the president of the
International personal protection agency so he understands how important life safety is to
firefighters so he would be one of the best people to tell you factual information about the
advancement of SCBA systems.
This article will be good for my project for many different reasons. One specific reason it will be
good for my paper is that it shows me the advancements already being made in the field. This
will help me to see what experts are saying needs to be improved and it will tell me which
improvements I can build upon. I also will find new stuff like the slimming of the air pack itself
to improve on. These are devices that every firefighter depends on for life. The SCBA has to be
perfect for the firefighter so they can keep themselves and those that they are rescuing safe and
alive.