San Antonio Having Trouble With Firefighter Breathing Apparatus

From WOAI TV, January 5

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Four firefighters in three days were risking their lives when their breathing gear failed them. The latest happened Tuesday morning. News 4 WOAI's Natalia Zea dug up more on the equipment failures and asked the City of San Antonio what it's going to do about it.

News 4 WOAI has confirmed at least 10 breathing devices wouldn't work in the last two months, including one at an apartment fire Tuesday morning. We've learned the problems range from air leaks to exploding parts. The city blames the manufacturer, Interspiro.

City Manager Sheryl Sculley told us, "This is a problem they created, not something we in the city of San Antonio created." She's demanding that Interspiro fix the breathing devices. "We are addressing it, taking care of the situation, get it corrected and hold the company accountable to pay for any replacement that's necessary."

Neither the fire department or fire union would have a spokesperson talk on camera, but some firefighters tell me they're fed up. They say they feel like their lives are in danger.

"We don't have alternative equipment for them to use," Sculley explains. Until the problem is fixed, the city's given firefighters "buddy breathing devices" which let them tap into each other's air supplies if they need to. They're also sending more firefighters to every fire for back-up.

Interspiro did not return our call.