The G1 was designed to reduce the risk of cross-contamination by SCBA well before COVID-19 was on anyone’s mind. It’s a produce built with the future in mind.
Cross-contamination is a common concern for firefighters because it can easily occur during the course of normal activities. Cross-contamination occurs when one person receives infectious materials—respiratory secretions, for instance—from another person by touching a contaminated surface or breathing contaminated air.
Many fire departments are providing individual-issue facepieces to firefighters in order to mitigate cross-contamination from one user to another; however, that alone does not provide complete protection. Second stage regulators that are shared among individuals may also serve as a source for cross-contamination.
To reduce that potential, the G1’s facepiece and second stage regulator were designed with the following features:
- The facepiece incorporates a separate ambient air port used for both inhalation and exhalation when the facepiece is worn without the second stage regulator connected.
- When the second stage regulator is connected, the ambient air port is sealed and separated by an O-ring, which prevents airflow supplied by the second stage regulator from contacting the ambient air port.
- The facepiece utilizes an inhalation check valve when the second stage regulator is connected, while the exhalation valve diverts air outside of the facepiece, directing potentially-contaminated exhaled air away from the second stage regulator.
If you suspect that the G1 second stage regulator may have been exposed to COVID-19 while disconnected from the G1 facepiece, you can find cleaning instructions based on CDC guidance for COVID-19 here.
