Breathing apparatus problems ‘put lives at risk’

Frontline firefighters have warned that lives will be lost unless serious problems with breathing apparatuses — first flagged in late 2012 — are finally addressed.

The warning came after the vital equipment failed for two crew members as they battled for 90 minutes to save eight people, including five children, from a burning second-floor apartment on Sunday.

During the incident, which occurred at 3.30am at Thomas St in inner city Dublin, four firefighters entered the burning building to rescue those trapped inside.

As they reached the second floor, one of the crew members suffered a “complete failure” of his breathing equipment for at least 30 seconds, narrowly making it out of the area. A second firefighter’s equipment also failed a number of times.

The rescue was initially described by Dublin Fire Brigade as a “good save” but it has since been forced to open an investigation into the incident, the seventh time a breathing apparatus has failed since they were first used in late 2011.

Last year management and the makers of the equipment, major North American firm Scott Safety drew up a report into the quality of the tools.

This document, which has never been published and did not involve an independent third party, is understood to have found there was nothing wrong with the equipment.

Dublin Fire Brigade has consistently said the issue is due to human error, with the service’s executive manager Gerry Geraghty telling RTÉ last year that crews needed more training in how to use the equipment.

However, the Irish Fire and Emergency Rescue Association has confirmed no extra training has been supplied.

A spokesperson for the group said it believes the problem is due to a fault with the maintenance of the equipment linked to the high pressurisation needed to fill breathing apparatus cylinders with the required amount of oxygen for crews.

Sources said this issue is causing the air within the cylinders to crystalise, which in turn results in crew members’ face masks collapsing.

It is alleged that when the matter has been raised with management, some staff have been told they are not suffocating but instead only feel they are suffocating.

One firefighter said this was like telling somebody “you’re not drowning, just being water-boarded”.

Dublin Fire Brigade said it was investigating Sunday morning’s incident.

A spokesperson did not respond to queries over when the investigation will be completed and if checks on whether the equipment has a maintenance flaw are part of this examination.

The spokesperson also failed to clarify whether the affected apparatus will be stood down until frontline staff can be assured of its safety, and why management claimed a year ago the issue had been resolved.

Dublin City Council declined to comment on the matter other than to repeat Dublin Fire Brigade’s position.

The Health and Safety Authority said it is helping the service’s management with its investigation.