SCBA masks worn by Rogers (Arkansas) Firefighters will be under scrutiny after one failed during a house fire yesterday. Firefighters responded to a fire at 1630 East New Hope at 4:56 p.m. Sunday. The homeowner was gone and the fire had been burning for 15 to 30 minutes before a passerby called it in, said Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins.
The fire likely started in an oven set to self-clean while the owners were gone, Jenkins said. The home sustained severe damage. The fire was hot and the nearest hydrant was several blocks away, Jenkins said.
Capt. Mike Cerasale was briefly hospitalized for respiratory irritation after his self-contained breathing apparatus quit working while he was in the home.
“Clearly something went wrong,” Jenkins said.
Cerasale and his partner exited the burning home and he was treated at Mercy Medical Center.
While the department always review procedures following a fire, this incident will receive special attention, Jenkins said.
“We don’t want to get in the habit of underreacting,” Jenkins said.
All Rogers firefighters use the same high pressure Scott Safety self-contained breathing apparatus. The equipment is about five or six years old, Jenkins said and Cerasale is assigned to one of the busiest engine companies in the city. Equipment is inspected weekly and Jenkins said he is confident the equipment is safe.
“This is the first failure of that particular air pack that I’ve ever heard of,” Jenkins said.
Still, there will be a departmental review and the faulty equipment will be sent to Scott for evaluation.
