Ottawa firefighters will wear breathing apparatus during patient contact calls during COVID-19 pandemic

OTTAWA -- Ottawa residents will see firefighters wearing their Self Contained Breathing Apparatus more often due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ottawa Fire Service has issued a statement saying firefighters will wear the full equipment to help conserve valuable medical supplies for hospitals, doctors, nurses and frontline health care workers.

Effective immediately, Ottawa Fire says firefighters may be wearing the same Self Contained Breathing Apparatus they use while fighting fires for all calls requiring patient contact.

“This is not necessarily a new look, just a new use of our same equipment,” said the Ottawa Fire Service in a statement.

According to a video posted on YouTube, firefighters will wear their full gear, including the Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, when responding to fires, emergencies and motor vehicle collisions.

For calls requiring patient contact during the pandemic, firefighters will wear the Self Contained Breathing Apparatus and a blue gown.