SCBA will save firefighters' lives

Phoenix firefighters have new, self-contained breathing gear, billed as the next generation of life-saving technology, to train with and phase into use in the coming months.

The high-tech oxygen systems - self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA - include alerts that indicate low air levels and other signals that help locate distressed firefighters amid the smoke and flames of chaotic emergency scenes.

Early reports from supervisors, who are preparing to train firefighters on the new technology, described the Draeger Safety units as more comfortable to wear than current models.

Frank Salomon, deputy chief of public affairs, said firefighters would be trained on the new equipment over the next three or four months.

"There's a lot of equipment out there to help us do our jobs," he said. "This is the one piece of equipment that will save our lives."

This summer, Phoenix selected Draeger, a German company with U.S. headquarters in Pittsburgh, through a competitive bid process and ordered more than 800 units for the new breathing units.

Phoenix City Council approved a five-year contract with Draeger this summer. The first year of the contract is estimated to be worth around $4 million.