Monday, April 2, 2012
THE TWO CYLINDER, BUDDY-BREATHING, "BURTONSVILLE BEAT-DOWN"
Start with a one mile run in your PPE without SCBA
Enter the circuit area, don your SCBA, and begin breathing air; then perform:
30 tire strikes [10 to the left / 10 to the right / 10 between your legs]
10 large tire flips [Pierce All Steer Tire or Tractor Tire preferred]
30 push ups
30 Hose Burners [10 slaps, 10 clockwise and 10 counter-clockwise]
100 Feet of 4" Hose Deployment and Retrieval
Dummy Drag / Sled Drag
Elbows and Toes 30 count
Weighted lunges (50’)
Run around the fire station, and return to the circuit
Continue the Burtonsville Beat-Down circuit until the first participant is out of air. That person shall activate their PASS device alerting their partner to render assistance. Both persons in the team doff their SCBA harnesses and continue breathing air. While using your EBSS equipment, have the participant with the depleted cylinder "buddy breathe" with the participant with more air. The depleted cylinder participant will change out their cylinder and return their low-pressure regulator back to their own system. The original "more air" participant then "buddy breathes" with the original Mayday participant and changes out their cylinder.
Both participants get up and don their SCBA. They will then complete the circuit that they were performing before the buddy breathing exercise (i.e if you were both partly through your second circuit when your partner ran out of air, complete the rest of the stations of the circuit).
To finish the Burtonsville Beat-Down, there are three options:
Option 1.) Less than four people: The participants will all pick up one straight ladder and carry it around the fire station holding it in the air as long as possible
Option 2.) Four or more people: The participants will place a drag dummy in a stokes basket and lash the basket. Follow this by carrying the basket around the fire station
Option 3.) Perform Option 1 or 2 and doff your SCBA and complete another 1/2 to 1 mile run
Performing a cylinder exchange during the exercise is instrumental because:
1.) It keeps you familiar with your PASS and EBSS devices
2.) It is great SCBA cylinder switch out training
3.) It adds the reality of being exerted and under stress to the drill. Doing this drill while winded and mentally spent could save your life in the unforgiving world of fire! Many have done this drill but many more haven’t done this while fully exerted!
Note: When your vibra-alert stops, count your breaths until your cylinder is dry. This will give you an idea of how much air will be remaining in your system if you are ever caught in an IDLH with limited air and your vibra-alert has discontinued. Our average while exerted has been roughly 20 breaths.
