Firefighters get their 'Last Chance'

October 04, 2007
By Marla Hoffman

Hamden firefighters participated in an experiment to test a new piece of equipment, called the Last Chance Rescue Filter, that's of nationwide interest to fire professionals.

The testing took place on Putnam Avenue in cooperation with firefighters from New Haven and around the country. The experiment generated considerable excitement on the part of Fire Chief David Berardesca and the rest of the department.
"We were honored to be the host site," Berardesca said.
The experiment began early in the morning on Sept. 27 and continued through the afternoon. Its purpose was to test the filter and how well it worked in a real life situation.
This was the first field test for the state-of-the art equipment, according to Berardesca. The information it generates will determine how to better protect firefighters from damage caused by smoke inhalation.
The filter, conceived of by New Haven firefighter Eric George, is a mask that converts carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. It is intended to give the firefighter an extra 15 minutes of breathable air in a last-minute situation through what is called a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
"If you run out of air in a fire, you're basically suffocating," said Berardesca. "It could happen fairly quickly, and that's why equipment like this is important."
Frank Ricci, coordinator of the event and director of fire services for the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health, said the filter also cleans out any breathable matter the firefighter encounters.
"Two thousand firefighters a year are treated for smoke inhalation," said Ricci. "It is the leading cause of death in structure fires."
Firefighters are encouraged to find other options and points of refuge before using the device, said Ricci. "It is designed as a last option if a firefighter is in trouble."
An old repair shop and the second floor of a house were used as the sites for the experiment. The Hamden firefighters handled the coordination of setting and putting out the fire, primarily by measuring smoke levels, so the fire was made to produce as much smoke as possible.
"There were 15 test subjects, and each tested a filter," said Berardesca. "They climbed in through a window with two other backup firefighters in the room with them, with air on hand. They needed to stay in the room with the filter at least five minutes for the test to be valid.
"If the test subject was in any real danger, they'd be removed right away," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, the tests were successful."
The temperature of the fire was also controlled, said Berardesca. They had gauges on site to measure the levels. "The firefighters were instructed to stay as low as possible because it is coolest on the floor," he said.
"Every fire is a real danger," said Ricci. "We built in as many safety controls as possible."
The complete test results for a study like this usually take at least a year to compile, Ricci said. Apossible preliminary report may be released.
"If all goes well, we are expecting every Hamden firefighter, as well as firefighters across the country, to be using the filter in the future," said Berardesca. "We were ecstatic they were here, that no one got hurt, and that we were a part of this study."
"Things like this take time in the beginning," said Ricci. "Eventually these will be a standard for every firefighter. This experiment was possible because of the efforts of Mayor Craig Henrici, Chief Berardesca, and the Fire Fighters Union."