Members of the ACT Rural Fire Service will be provided a personnel issue, half-faced respiratory mask ahead of the next bushfire season, putting the volunteers instep with their paid counterparts.
The rollout follows a review into the ACT emergency services response to the 2019-20 bushfires. It recommended updating masks, in line with information available since 2006 "that P2 particulate filtering is not adequate for firefighters".
After trialling full-faced masks ahead of the Black Summer bushfires, stations have been issued with sizing kits for half-faced masks in addition to the P2 disposables.
ACT Rural Fire Service Chief Officer Rohan Scott said 132 had already been issued to brigades and more orders were coming in.
"We've conducted some significant trials of masks and some testing with other jurisdictions around Australia and I'm pleased to say that every station now has a sizing kit of three different mask sizes, so that members can get the best fit for them," he said.
"By the start of the next bushfire season I'm very confident the majority of members would have taken up this offer."
Chief Officer Scott said members could continue to wear the P2 disposable mask, which also met the Australian standard.
"The half face masks are a better individual fit which gives our members that better protection they were looking for," he said.
In NSW, paid firefighters and rural fire service members choose from half-faced or full-face respirators, with the state also in the process of upgrading masks.
Amelia Maria lost her husband Michael Maria to Leukemia after almost a decade of service as a volunteer firefighter out of Queanbeyan.
His 2013 death was recognised by the NSW Rural Fire Service as a direct result of his efforts. Ms Maria has since become a staunch advocate for better protection for volunteers.
Ms Maria said any improvement in the options available for firefighters to keep them safe was a win.
"I truly hope that not only will the new equipment keep firefighters safer, but these changes also show a shift in our understanding of the risks faced by firefighters and how important it is to invest in the best available safety equipment," she said.
Collaborative work is underway with the University of Wollongong to better understand the smoke hazards and impacts to our members on the fireground, a NSW RFS spokesman said.
"There is very little existing research in this area and so this study will further inform and continue to identify the best methods of protecting our members from respiratory harm," he said.
ACT Chief Officer Scott said if anything positive had come out of COVID, it was people were used to wearing masks.
"Nothing's really comfortable for a long period of time fighting fires, to be honest, but it does allow them to breathe better," he said.
