Firefighter air Vs Scuba Air

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Modern firefighter compressors will put out grade E air even though OSHA only requires grade D. Fill adapters are easy to make. Just use a SCBA fill fitting and slap a yoke or DIN scuba on it. And, if you are going to the fire department for air, make sure you get permission from the station chief and not just one of the fire fighters. I know of a fire fighter that lost his job for allowing his friends to get scuba fills.

Since most, if not all, fire departments are funded thru government taxes, using that equipment to fill tanks for non-official uses is technically stealing from taxpayers.

It may be only cents worth of electricity and wear on the compressor, but as a government employee even taking a 50 cent stamp from work is stealing.

(While volunteer firefighters are not government employees, their equipment is still paid for by taxpayers of one sort or another: County, State and Federal.)

Most people don’t think about these things, but as a government supervisor I had to get involved in things like this on occasion. I once had to investigate when one of the employees I supervised was accused of stealing toilet paper from the restroom. So don’t think no one cares or no one is watching.

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Divers show some integrity and don’t ask friends to put themselves at risk to save a couple bucks.

 

[Bowers]

Since most, if not all, fire departments are funded thru government taxes, using that equipment to fill tanks for non-official uses is technically stealing from taxpayers.

It may be only cents worth of electricity and wear on the compressor, but as a government employee even taking a 50 cent stamp from work is stealing.

(While volunteer firefighters are not government employees, their equipment is still paid for by taxpayers of one sort or another: County, State and Federal.)

Most people don’t think about these things, but as a government supervisor I had to get involved in things like this on occasion. I once had to investigate when one of the employees I supervised was accused of stealing toilet paper from the restroom. So don’t think no one cares or no one is watching.

—————

Divers show some integrity and don’t ask friends to put themselves at risk to save a couple bucks.

I am curious, though we do have grants as well, a VERY large portion of our dept revenue comes from billing for ems runs (including non emergent and interfacility transports). How does that effect ethics of using air fills? Also if a chief gives permission then couldn’t it be considered public relations? Many departments use fire apparatus to spray water of kids on hot days or to fill swimming pools and that is considered PR.. now if we started charging $5 a fill for public to fill tanks, that i could see someone getting in trouble for.

 

[tbone1004]

@DeepSeaExplorer getting permission from the Chief has been good enough for me. How they deal with it is not something I'm going to worry about and it's not like he's giving permission out willy nilly and someone is going to rat him out. Fire Departments have also been giving air fills to locals for decades and were one of the predominant ways of getting fills back in the day

 

[kelemvor]

one of the employees I supervised was accused of stealing toilet paper from the restroom. So don’t think no one cares or no one is watching.

That's a sad state of affairs. Apparently government employees are paid so little that they might have to steal toilet paper, and other government employees are so petty as to accuse that poor slob of stealing TP.


Personally, I think if we (taxpayers) own a compressor at an FD then it should be required that the FD allow taxpayers to use it.

 

[Stoo]

Up here, I believe FD air is typically even more dry than SCUBA air. Fighting a fire in -30° and having the regulator freeze up wouldn't be good I don't imagine.