Building Lifesaving Readiness: Fort Ann Volunteer Fire Company Conducts Intensive SCBA Training

FORT ANN, NY — Volunteer firefighters gathered for an intensive, practical training session Tuesday evening, focusing on respiratory protection protocols, firefighter survival, and hands-on operation of the department's frontline self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

On the evening of September 15, members of the Fort Ann Volunteer Fire Company participated in a comprehensive SCBA review aimed at reinforcing proficiency with one of the most critical personal protective systems on the fireground.

The evolutions were led by guest instructors Brian Myers and Adam Norton of Firefighter Training LLC, who guided personnel through the department’s formal respiratory protection program and Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs). Firefighters engaged in rigorous physical drills utilizing the department's MSA G1 SCBA units, emphasizing rapid donning, proper mask seal and facepiece fit, and tactical dexterity while operating bypasses and regulators with gloved hands.

The curriculum placed a heavy emphasis on personal safety and emergency management, including the early recognition and calling of fireground MAYDAYs, managing air supply while understanding physiological limitations under stress, and executing both standard and emergency SCBA survival maneuvers. Following the operational drills, personnel practiced post-incident decontamination procedures to mitigate chemical and particulate exposure.

Department leadership praised both the guest instructors and the participating volunteer members, underscoring that routine, rigorous breathing apparatus evolutions build the tactical confidence and muscle memory required during interior structural fire attacks.