SCBAs can be a very useful tool in the right situation. However, they are very impractical for most situations, a SAR or Supplied Air Respirators (referred to as an SABA in a previous post) are even less practical.

While an SCBA works great for escape from a toxic environment, you have to have it with you for it to be useful. While a new top of the line model can weigh a mere 25lbs or so, this same model cost around $5000 (complete with face piece, and extra cylinder)… a bare bones model would cost and weigh less. Although older ones are available for sale used for cheap, many of these may require hundreds of dollars to make them safe and useable. I can remember the first SCBA I used on the job must have weight at least 50 pounds… these are the ones that are available cheap today.

If you were able to keep an SCBA with you, you have a limited amount of time to escape to safety. Depending on the volume and pressure of your SCBA’s cylinder, you can expect your air supply to last 30 – 60 minutes in ideal conditions at rest. Now, add stress and exertion to the scenario and you can cut that time in half or more. I can get my SCBA to last over an hour when at rest, however my low pressure alarm will ring out approximately after 35 minutes of work (at a house fire) in 110+ heat… and my pack will be the last to start alarming (the benefits of training for Ironman distance triathlons and having a high VO2 Max and hematocrit). An SAR can theoretically give you an unlimited supply of fresh air but you are tethered to either a breathing air compressor or to an external air supply that requires an attendant to keep flowing. SARs are impractical for most emergency operations, they work well for some confined space scenarios etc, but an escape bottle is required.

An APR (Air purifying respirator) would be a better choice. Commonly called a gas mask, these use specific filters to remove toxins from inhaled air. These are light, easy to use, and the cartridge filters can last for much longer than an SCBA’s air supply. The disadvantages of an APR is that they are useless in an oxygen deficient or super heated atmosphere. An APR also requires that you know the toxins you’ll be exposed to, there are general purpose filter sets, especially cartridges designed to protect the user against common chemical and biological weapons.

Now, there are some escape hoods available on the market, I am not familiar with any of these and can only assume that the popular ones work as advertised since they have been on the market for years.

My advice, be aware of where you are at all times, notice where you exits are, in an emergency… stay low, breath through your dry shirt, look for an exit sign (they should stay lit, some even have lighted indicators at floor level) or follow a wall and keep yelling that why someone can find you.