Fire department readiness guide
What records would you produce for a breathing-air review?
Could your department find its SCBA inspections, breathing-air certificates, compressor service and cylinder history when asked? Use these questions to organize the evidence, identify missing records and plan follow-up with your service providers.
A recordkeeping guide, not legal advice or a complete inspection procedure. Confirm requirements, editions and intervals with the responsible authority and qualified personnel.
We know the breathing-air business.
Breathing-air, SCBA and cylinder records are part of our team’s everyday work with fire departments.
Start with local applicability
Your jurisdiction sets the context.
OSHA State Plans differ in who they cover, and federal OSHA does not cover state and local government workers in states without an approved State Plan. Check your employer status and state program before treating a federal citation as a requirement for your department.
| Start with | What to confirm | What to keep with the record |
|---|---|---|
| Employer and jurisdiction | Which workplace-safety program covers your department and which local rules apply | Agency, official source and the person who confirmed applicability |
| Adopted standards | Which NFPA edition and equipment-care provisions your department follows | Citation, edition and adoption basis |
| Manufacturer instructions | The care, parts and service instructions for the exact equipment | Manual version, model and relevant service documentation |
| Cylinders and air storage | Cylinder specifications or special permits, and applicable pressure-vessel requirements | Equipment identity, qualified provider and supporting certificates |
29 CFR 1910.134(h) · inspection and repair
Questions about SCBA inspection and repair.
Review department-owned inspection, cleaning and repair records alongside your providers’ reports. These questions draw on 29 CFR 1910.134; confirm how that standard and your adopted procedures apply locally.
- Can you show the inspection record for every emergency-use SCBA, with the date, the inspector, the findings, any remedial action and the serial number?
- When an SCBA failed inspection, can you show it was taken out of service and repaired by trained personnel with approved parts?
- Can you show cylinders are kept charged, as checked during inspection?
- Are cleaning and storage covered by your procedures?
29 CFR 1910.134(i) · breathing air and compressors
Questions about your air and your compressor.
These records usually come from your compressor service provider and an accredited laboratory.
- Can you produce the most recent breathing-air analysis showing at least Grade D quality, and the one before it?
- Is there a moisture result for the air in your cylinders?
- When were the compressor’s filters and sorbent last changed, and does the tag at the compressor show the date and who signed for it?
- For an oil-lubricated compressor, is the high-temperature or carbon-monoxide alarm documented as working?
Cylinders and the written program
Questions about cylinders and your program.
Cylinder rules depend on each cylinder’s specification and special permit, so this guide does not state a blanket interval.
- For each cylinder, can you show when it was last requalified, by which requalifier, and when the next requalification or end of service life falls under its specification or special permit?
- Is your written respiratory protection program current?
- Are medical evaluations, fit tests and training documented for the members who wear SCBA?
Use the interval and life limit applicable to each cylinder; a single default interval is not a substitute for reviewing its specification and special permit.
Where FD Maintain fits
Answer these from one record.
FD Maintain ties each of these records to the equipment and the citation it answers, shows what is missing, and builds a packet organized by agency. It records evidence; it does not certify compliance.
Find the missing records before an inspector doesLet’s make the work easier
Find the missing records before an inspector does.
Bring your equipment list and the records you have. We’ll show you which of these questions you can already answer.