BioPak 240R Refresher

Members from two of the Boston Fire Department’s seven technical rescue companies attend Biomarine BioPak 240 Revolution closed circuit SCBA refresher training for tunnel rescue. The firefighters must breathe the SCBA for a minimum of one hour. According to OSHA 1910.800, Underground Construction, rescue teams must review the use and limitations of breathing apparatus not less than annually.

1st WMD CST RIT Operations

The Boston Fire Department’s Special Operations Command (SOC) Technical Rescue Section collaborated with the Massachusetts 1st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (1st WMD CST) on Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) operations. The 1st WMD CST was interested in sending some of its members through our training props and we were happy to accommodate them.

The 1st WMD CST members navigated through our wire entanglement and low profile props. In addition, we set up a basic rescue scenario for them in our 2-story 40’ x 20’ maze building and our duplex collapse building.

Though the 1st WMD CST does not operate its RITs the same way as the Boston Fire Department, the fundamental principle is the same – have a RIT standing by at an incident ready to rescue one of its members should the need arise.