Forest fires are long and dangerous ordeals that are made worse by the contaminants that can affect your crew. Your crew is exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulates, soot, smoke, and a variety of other contaminants during and after the fire.
Looking for more information on air contamination? View our Guide to Understanding Air Decontamination here!
A CrewProtect can help mitigate these concerns for your crew. You may be wondering which one you need, if you have the room, and if installing one will interrupt your workflow. Let’s examine each of these questions.
Which CrewProtect do You Need?
All CrewProtect units:
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Mount inside your apparatus
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Connect to your truck’s power
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Run automatically when your vehicle is powered on
The CrewProtect model number correlates with the cubic feet per minute (CFM) that the unit decontaminates. This means the CrewProtect 20 is a 20 CFM unit, or that it decontaminates 20 cubic feet every minute. These are ideal for a Chief’s vehicle, tiller cab, or wildland truck. The CrewProtect 100 is a 100 CFM unit, commonly installed in larger firefighter apparatus.
You can determine the cubic footage of your vehicle using this equation:
Cab length X Cab Width X Cab Height = Cab Cubic Footage
This can help you determine which CrewProtect is right for your vehicle.
For Type 3 vehicles, we recommend a CrewProtect 20 because it is a more compact model.
Installing Your CrewProtect 20:
Installation of your CrewProtect 20 is easy:
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Find where you want to put it
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Drill holes for your mounting bracket
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Install the CrewProtect 20 unit with supplied screws
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Take the wires on the side of the unit and wire them to the truck’s breaker box
Cartridges
For a wildland vehicle that may work for hours on end, you may need to replace your decontamination cartridge more regularly. You can order additional cartridges with your unit to ensure the best protection.
What if it Doesn’t Fit in Our Vehicle?
If a CrewProtect doesn’t fit in your vehicle, you still have options for protecting your crew. You can get a StationProtect to place in station near your gear room or living spaces to decontaminate the air.
You can also contact us directly to work with us on a wiring solution that fits your specific needs.