Comment from Gordon Sletmoe

“Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Remaining Service-Life Indicator Performance Requirements, RIN 0920-AA38,” I support the NFPA 1981 committee's recommendation of 33 percent as the lower service life alarm limit on SCBA devices. Recent fire-ground air quality studies, coupled with the increase in firefighter injuries, illnesses, and fatalities caused buy the products of combustion leave little latitude toward properly evacuating a structure when clean SCBA air is depleted. The current standard of 25 percent as the lower service life alarm limit often does not leave enough time for firefighters to evacuate from an IDLH environment; even in the smallest of structures. I also support giving a user the option of setting the lower service life limit at any percent between 33 percent and 50 percent, based on their individual needs. History has proven that it is difficult to write one standard that meets all applications so providing a range (33% - 50%) will help mitigate that fact. Gordon Sletmoe, Deputy Chief Medford Fire-Rescue (OR) Member NFPA Electronic Safety Equipment Technical Committee