DaFireMedic:
I don't mean to imply that you have egg on your face, my friend, but wouldn't that be "yoke"?
Rob
Free fills at the Fire Dept????
- Thread starter 1969ivan1
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I don't mean to imply that you have egg on your face, my friend, but wouldn't that be "yoke"?
Rob
DaFireMedic
Contributor
BigJetDriver69:I don't mean to imply that you have egg on your face, my friend, but wouldn't that be "yoke"?
Rob
No...You see a "Yolk" is a different type of fitting than a "Yoke". It is just that.......
Oh never mind...You have revealed my poor attention span.
Thats why you drive the jets and I play with big squirt guns...
As others have said - ask a few questions first.
The quality standards for SCBA air are less stringent than SCUBA air. Just 'cause the FD has a dive team and fills their SCUBA bottles off the SCBA compressor does not mean they filter or test the air to meet Grade E qualifications. Especially of concern are oil, CO, CO2 and moisture. As someone else said - not a problem at one ATM. May not even be a problem if the dive team doesn't go beyond 2 or even up to 3 ATM.
That said - the FD I work for has 2 compressors. Both are tested at least every 3 months. One is an older compressor with a CO monitor on it that will alarm @ 10ppm - WAY too high for SCUBA air :11:
The other is a newer compressor with much more sensitive monitors on it. That stinkin' thing goes out of service due to quality alarms (CO, methane, moisture) at least once a month. When this happens, the filters get changed and the air gets retested before it's put back in service.... guess which one I prefer to fill my own tanks from
The quality standards for SCBA air are less stringent than SCUBA air. Just 'cause the FD has a dive team and fills their SCUBA bottles off the SCBA compressor does not mean they filter or test the air to meet Grade E qualifications. Especially of concern are oil, CO, CO2 and moisture. As someone else said - not a problem at one ATM. May not even be a problem if the dive team doesn't go beyond 2 or even up to 3 ATM.
That said - the FD I work for has 2 compressors. Both are tested at least every 3 months. One is an older compressor with a CO monitor on it that will alarm @ 10ppm - WAY too high for SCUBA air :11:
The other is a newer compressor with much more sensitive monitors on it. That stinkin' thing goes out of service due to quality alarms (CO, methane, moisture) at least once a month. When this happens, the filters get changed and the air gets retested before it's put back in service.... guess which one I prefer to fill my own tanks from
On the subject of CO, where is the filter and air intake for the air compressor, generally SCBA tanks tend to get filled when the fire engine gets pulled into the apparatus room. So the exhaust tends to get sucked into the H tanks. Yes we do have a very good compressor with filtration system. I have had my tank filled at our fire department, a friend has an adaptor. Since learning a lot more about dive theory, I have thought better of getting my tank filled at our fire department.
...so my Dept. charges $5.00 for a scuba fill, IF the duty Captain permits the fill ( depends on whats going on at the moment; ie: training, lunch, big problems @ the nuke plant... ). Such fills are irregular, as the City's policy is to not have it's member departments taking business away from tax-paying shopkeepers, & that includes the dive stores.
Since I look after our air, I can tell you it's top-of-the-line, tested every 6 months, dry as a popcorn fart, far below min. ppm's for every category & real tasty too! I've quaffed our air in the abyss where temps. hover around -273 degrees kelvin without a HINT of trouble!
Honest!
Best,
D.S.D.
Since I look after our air, I can tell you it's top-of-the-line, tested every 6 months, dry as a popcorn fart, far below min. ppm's for every category & real tasty too! I've quaffed our air in the abyss where temps. hover around -273 degrees kelvin without a HINT of trouble!
Honest!
Best,
D.S.D.
Hoosier
Contributor
- Messages
- 5,974
- Reaction score
- 9
Ok, I am curious. How can you get the air from the FD? I know some locals don't have a dive shop, so some divers might ask an air fill instead of a long driving.
But, even though there is a LDS in your area, can you still get the air from the FD?
I am just curious how it happens?
The FD is located at the right after my place. So, if I can get the air from them, I don't mind pay more $ for the air compared to LDS because it is more convenient and I can save a gasoline charge.
But, even though there is a LDS in your area, can you still get the air from the FD?
I am just curious how it happens?
The FD is located at the right after my place. So, if I can get the air from them, I don't mind pay more $ for the air compared to LDS because it is more convenient and I can save a gasoline charge.
Stop by and ask. Firefighters are in general really nice guys and seem to spend most of their time hanging out at the station.
FreeFloat
Contributor
- Messages
- 1,862
- Reaction score
- 3
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
Where are you located? (PM me if you like)DeepSeaDan:
-273 degrees kelvin must be pretty cold. 
airsix
Contributor
hoosier:
In my case I lived in a rural area and it was an "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" deal. There were 4 active divers in town (two of which were in my household) and we got free fills at the FD. In exchange we were on call with the Sheriff for (volunteer) S&R dives. (I got called out twice but dives were not required). One day the Fire Chief decided we weren't getting fills any more. He got a phone call from the Sheriff that cleared that right up.
-Ben M.
Similar threads
