In this firefighter spouse rescue training video, instructor Valerie Solano demonstrates how fire service members put the firefighter SCBA pack on and explains the correct placement of the straps and pack on the back and shoulders.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION:

The easiest way to put this SCBA on is to put it opposite of you. Like this. Okay. And just like you would put on a coat or a back is you’re going to do that. So, for me that looks like this. It goes up. Lift with your legs. Okay. Up and over. Watch your heads. Put your shoulders in. Okay.

The first thing I would do is to find your chest straps. So, when you go down, you’re going to do a booty pop is the best way I can describe it. Where you get it up on your back. Okay. Where it rests on your lower back or on your tailbone, not on your butt. It needs to be above your butt. You pull down on these straps. Okay. Once this is done, I just come down and reach to my waist straps. This goes over next into here. Pull. Hold on to this. Okay. Because you want this at your belly button, you pull here. Hold here. Move your hand. Pull here. You’re really, really tiny waist people. You’re probably not going to be able to get it tight enough. Just the nature of the game. Because your puck’s going to stop it.