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PHOTOS: A dodge ball game gave the host Fair Lawn firefighters and their guests from Glen Rock, Hawthorne and Saddle Brook a chance to practice air management in full gear at Memorial Park.
Firefighters at Monday night’s event wore full SCBA and turnout gear, which weighs around 50 lbs.
The idea is to get the firefighters’ heart rate up while they try to control their breathing — a critical skill in battling blazes.
By playing dodge ball, they “simulate the stress on the body of working in a structure fire and see just how much air you consume in a 12-minute period,” Saddle Brook Firefighter Anthony Halko explained.
“Was interesting to see how much air you actually use, even for the guys who are in really good shape,” Halko added. “In about 12 minutes, at least for me, I went through half my air already.
“We have 45-minute bottles in Saddle Brook,” he said, “but those really only last between 18-24 minutes depending, on how in shape you are and how much effort you’re actually putting into fighting the fire.
“If you’re sitting on a hose line for a while, it may not be that quick. But if you’re doing a search or ripping walls/ceilings, air goes very quickly.”
PHOTOS: Courtesy FAIR LAWN FD
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