i found a free source of air.

[mksmith713]

That's all well and good in Ohio where maybe 2 in 10,000 people dive regularly, but here in S. Fla I would say 2 out of 10 people dive regularly.
I go through 5-10 tanks a week myself depending on my work schedule.
I doubt the local fire station is willing to accomodate filling tanks for that many local divers and EANx (which everyone here dives) would definately not be an option.
Besides....there are many local dive shops here that rely on the fill business to stay afloat.

 

[11x]

well i hate to say it but if i have to pay 12$ a fill i wont be doing nearly as much diving as i would be at a lower price. seems to me if he lowered the price a bit more people wouldent be looking for free air. and he would make twice as much money.

 

[ibj40]

I guess I'll take a different angle on this, as my background is in municipal government. If I were the Mayor or City Administrator and found out that my fire department was giving away the service of a governmental entity to a private individual, without my knowledge, heads would roll.

Plus, the assumed liability of performing something for someone outside of the organization is huge.

Plus, "free" is in the eye of the beholder. Governments are consumers, just like you and me. We pay electric bills, we pay salaries, we pay overhead; in other words, nothing is "free".

If the practice becomes pervasive, don't be surprised if you show up someday for a "free" fill, and your buddy no longer works there.

 

[11x]

well those of us in public saftey tend to stick togather and take care of each other. i doubt anyone in the local government is looking to chop a few heads over a few tanks of air. especialy when we are a tight knit community like we are. i guess we have gotten off topic here alittle. my origional questions were answered and i am satasfied. thank you to all who contrubited to make me a little less scuba igornant. i appreciate all the input, this contunies to be a great place to get info and help other divers out.

 

[CamG]

Greetings 11x and I to have a close friend on a FD. We both have filled from their compressors from time to time. The filtering system they use is very adequate if they have the regulatory air analysis that is required.
There is a fitting required to make the fill whip work but as others have mentioned it is very reasonable.

There are several things of which you need to be careful of. The rate of fill cubic feet per minute of the compressor and maximum pressure.
Most of the current SVA bottles are 4500 psi so be very careful to maintain a watchful eye on your tank pressure. There could still be some older non-carbon wrapped AL tanks out there but most departments have been updating.

Keep a watchful eye on your tanks make certain your visuals are current and that your tanks are not filled to fast. Why am I cautioning you well I am just going to say that I have witnessed 5 tanks fail visual in the last two weeks. One of which was my own that I fill primarily myself but loaned out only once. Sustained load cracks are the things that horrify anyone who fills cylinders. Be very careful.

I like to fill my own tanks but these last two weeks have made me feel very uncomfortable filling anything I have not peered into myself.
The bottom line is that as a diver you need to understand that cylinders AL or steel have strengths and weaknesses. These need to be examined very carefully in the visual process. If you have a AL cylinder made on or before 1988 out of 6351 alloy you need to do a eddie current test along with visual. I am convinced that you can not be to careful when you are the guy filling your tank.

Good luck and enjoy the air fills. I know that I have appreciated them.
CamG Keep diving....Keep training....keep learning!

 

[Can't swim]

11X, A monetary donation to the FD would be a good idea at the end of the year! Just a way to show your appreciation..... Or you could join them and "work" off your fills.

 

[ibj40]

well those of us in public saftey tend to stick togather and take care of each other. i doubt anyone in the local government is looking to chop a few heads over a few tanks of air. especialy when we are a tight knit community like we are. i guess we have gotten off topic here alittle. my origional questions were answered and i am satasfied. thank you to all who contrubited to make me a little less scuba igornant. i appreciate all the input, this contunies to be a great place to get info and help other divers out.

And having been on the management side of this issue, I can assure you that even though you tend to stick together, the defense of a liability claim due to misappropriation of governmental property and a death or serious injury due to same is significant, costly, and potentially a serious breach of the public's trust of the assets and resources that are entrusted to governments, and an expectation that those assets will be used for the purpose for which they were intended.

There is thin ice being trod here, regardless of the fraternal order of public safety. If you are not a member of that agency, and do not have official purpose to acquire their assets, and an issue arises, then the normal immunities allowed governments are waived, and personal assets are placed in jeopardy.

Caveat Emptor

 

[ktomlinson]

It's a shame that free air is such a liability!

 

[11x]

camg thanks for the tips. my tanks were hydro and vis inspected last week. i agree with you compleatly, you cant put a price on safety.

cant swim. you have a great idea, i realy apreciate what thay have offered me. the plan is to get all the traning i need and hopefully dive for this firedepartment some day. i am the kind of person who dosent forget wich side his bread is buttered on. you scratch my back and i scratch yours right?

ktomlinson. lol i couldent agree more, the problem is our world has become so full of people that are looking to get rich by burning them selfs with hot coffee that it has scared the hell out of the some people that might hold some authority. i can agree that there is a liability issue here for the fd but thankfully there are a few people like us that still have alittle faith in people and doing un to other as i would have done to me.

 

[Andy077]

An AL 100 will fit most containment systems, if you take the boot off. Alot of compressors have "remote" outlet that takes a fill whip for filling truck mounted cascade systems, get youself a short whip with a DIN fitting and you are in buisness for doubles.

Just my opinion, but dropping a FOI request is a great way to get the compressor report, AND lose your free fills. They are doing you a favor, try not to piss them off. Sounds like you have an "in" at the FD, he can find a air quality report, if one has not been done, then don't fill there. Chances the FD is not supposed to be filling your tanks, so try to keep it on the down low and not jam the guy doing your fills for you.

Exactly, if someone came by demanding air reports with a FOI request, he'd get them, and never get a fill again. If, he asked the air supply officer politely, things would be different.
Also, it would be a good thing to perhaps show gratitude for using their equipment and time, firemen like beer and food.