Pushing the Limits: Endwell Firefighters Complete Intensive SCBA Air Consumption Drill

ENDWELL, NY — Firefighters geared up in full structural personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) on Saturday, completing rigorous physical training designed to test and track individual air consumption rates under realistic fireground stress.

On August 29, the Endwell Fire Department in Broome County conducted an intensive air consumption evolution, requiring members to execute demanding physical tasks while operating entirely on cylinder air.

The practical drills focused on helping firefighters understand how heavy physical exertion, elevated heart rates, and operational stress impact their breathing rates and deplete air supplies in real-time. By pushing through simulated work evolutions, personnel reinforced vital situational awareness, developed breathing control techniques, and practiced the strict rule of air management to ensure safe interior operating times and timely egress during structure fires.