Name two safety features commonly found on SCBA.

• A. Low-air alert and PASS device integration.
• B. Thermal cutoff and auto-venting.
• C. Internal GPS and satellite link.
• D. Built-in respirator.

Answer: (A)

When thinking about safety features on SCBA, two of the most essential protections are a low-air warning and a Personal Alert Safety System (PASS). The low-air alert monitors the cylinder and alerts the wearer and the team when remaining air is running low, giving advance notice to exit or switch to a fresh supply. The PASS device continuously monitors the wearer’s motion and, if no motion is detected for a set time or if the wearer triggers an emergency, it emits a loud alarm and can help responders locate the firefighter. Many modern SCBA units integrate these two protections, pairing the air-level warning with the automatic safety alert in one system for quicker, more reliable protection. The other options aren’t standard safety features on SCBA: thermal cutoff and auto-venting aren’t typical protections built into most SCBA, GPS/satellite links aren’t common safety features for firefighting breathing apparatus, and a built-in respirator is redundant since the SCBA itself is the respirator.