After doffing your SCBA, the priority sequence is: decontaminate yourself and your gear on scene, inspect the equipment, clean and sanitize the facepiece, log the exposure, and get the cylinder refilled with tested breathing air. Each step protects both your health and the reliability of the equipment for next use.
Decontaminate Before You Remove Anything Else
The SCBA should be the last piece of gear you remove. Before taking off your facepiece, perform gross decontamination on scene using a brush, or warm water and soap with a brush, to scrub down your turnout gear and the SCBA exterior. This step removes soot, particulates, and combustion byproducts while you’re still protected from inhaling or absorbing them through your skin.
Once gross decon is complete, doff the facepiece and immediately wipe down exposed skin, especially your neck, jaw, and face. A 2022 study of 88 firefighters found that detergent and water was the only method that significantly reduced cancer-linked combustion byproducts on the skin, cutting surface levels roughly in half. Commercial skin wipes did not perform as well in that study, though they’re still better than nothing if soap and water aren’t available on scene. Shower as soon as possible after returning to the station.
Bag Contaminated Gear Properly
After doffing, seal all contaminated PPE, including the SCBA, in a leak-proof bag. Place bagged gear in an exterior compartment on the apparatus, not inside the cab. Contaminated equipment left on cab seats transfers residue to the next person who sits there. If your apparatus lacks exterior storage space, cleaned and decontaminated SCBA can ride in the cab if covered by a plastic bag. This “clean cab” approach is one of the simplest ways to reduce secondhand exposure across your crew.
Inspect the SCBA Before Placing It Back in Service
Every use demands a post-use inspection. Run through these checks before the unit goes back on the rig:
- Harness and straps: Look for heat damage, fraying, or melted spots on webbing. Check that all buckles latch and release properly.
- Backplate: Inspect for cracks, warping, or stress marks.
- O-ring: Confirm the cylinder O-ring is in place and undamaged. A missing or cracked O-ring means a potential air leak under pressure.
- PASS device: Verify it activates, sounds correctly, and resets. Replace the battery if the low-battery indicator has triggered.
- Facepiece lens: Check for crazing, cracks, or deep scratches that could compromise visibility or the seal.
- Regulator and valves: Confirm the regulator seats properly, the bypass valve operates, and connections are tight with no audible leaks when pressurized.
Any component that fails inspection pulls the entire unit from service until it’s repaired or replaced.
Clean and Sanitize the Facepiece
The facepiece collects sweat, saliva, soot, and bacteria during every use. Proper cleaning involves two stages: washing and then sanitizing.
Start by disassembling the facepiece. Remove the regulator, exhalation valve, head straps, and speaking diaphragm. Wash all parts in warm soapy water, scrubbing gently with a soft brush. Keep the water temperature at or below 110°F (43°C), as hotter water can warp the lens or degrade the silicone seal.
Rinse everything thoroughly in clean water (again, no hotter than 110°F) to remove all detergent. Then sanitize by immersing the parts for two minutes in a dilute bleach solution: roughly two teaspoons of standard household bleach per gallon of warm water. Rinse again after sanitizing to remove any bleach residue. Air dry the components in a clean area or wipe them with a lint-free cloth, then reassemble.
Some departments use commercial respirator cleaning products that combine washing and sanitizing into one step. If you use one of these, follow the manufacturer’s directions for concentration and soak time.
Log the Exposure
Every SCBA use represents a potential toxic exposure, and tracking those exposures over a career matters for long-term health. Record the incident number, address, type of event (structure fire, hazmat, rescue), and your approximate time on air. The IAFF’s exposure tracking app lets you log these details directly to a personal career diary, which can be critical years later if you develop an occupational illness and need documentation.
Even if your department doesn’t require formal tracking, keeping your own record of fire ground exposures is worth the two minutes it takes.
Refill the Cylinder With Tested Air
A used cylinder needs to be refilled before the SCBA goes back in service. The air that goes into SCBA cylinders must meet CGA Grade D standards: oxygen between 19.5% and 23.5%, carbon monoxide at 10 ppm or less, carbon dioxide at 1,000 ppm or less, oil mist at 5 milligrams per cubic meter or less, and no noticeable odor. Departments that operate their own compressors need to test air quality regularly to confirm these thresholds are being met.
Beyond refilling, cylinders themselves have mandatory requalification schedules. Composite cylinders (the most common type in modern fire service) require hydrostatic testing every five years. Aluminum and steel cylinders follow similar intervals, though some configurations allow longer periods depending on the specification. The hydrostatic test pressurizes the cylinder and measures how much it expands, catching metal fatigue or composite degradation before it becomes a failure risk. Check the date stamp on each cylinder and pull any that are overdue.
Store the SCBA Ready for Next Use
Once the unit is inspected, cleaned, refilled, and reassembled, store it in a way that keeps it ready for immediate deployment. The facepiece should be protected from dust and UV light. Straps should be fully extended so the next user can don quickly without fighting tightened webbing. The cylinder valve should be closed with the system depressurized, and the PASS device should be in standby mode, not left activated.
If the unit is mounted in an apparatus seat bracket, confirm it clicks securely into the bracket and that the seatbelt or retention strap holds it in place during transit. A loose SCBA in a moving rig is both a damage risk and a safety hazard.