It’s no secret to anyone in law enforcement how dangerous fentanyl is. While the pharmaceutical version of the drug is an effective analgesic, illicit fentanyl – produced in clandestine labs and consumed directly or used to adulterate other illegal drugs – simply kills people. It was implicated in nearly 70,000 U.S. deaths in 2021.
Enforcing the laws against fentanyl brings police into frequent contact with not only the drug but facilities that manufacture it and locations where it’s packaged and used. They typically have appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for that – or at least some of it. Especially in smaller and less-funded departments, though, they may lack the full range of respiratory protection choices recommended by medical experts for law enforcement-vs.-fentanyl situations.
Spelled out by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), those recommendations are based on the potential level of exposure anticipated. In situations where that expectation is high – for instance, in production labs and storage or distribution facilities – NIOSH advises those who collect evidence and conduct investigations to use a range of options. These include both a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) if an evaluation of the scene’s risk level allows it, and a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) if gas, vapor or particulate levels are above IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) limits. It also endorses other respiratory PPE for other situations.
So how many alternatives per tactical officer is a department supposed to carry? With the ST54 Enhanced Multi-Mission Tactical Operator SCBA from Avon Protection, the answer can be one.
“The ST54 is one mask for all operations,” said Jamie Snyder, senior director of business development and sales at Avon Protection. “If you need your CS [combination system]-PAPR and the SCBA at the same time, you’ll be in a situation where you can ramp up and ramp down.”
NFPA 1986 COMPLIANCE IS UNIQUE
Developed for tactical users who may respond to changing conditions, the ST54 incorporates the key protective qualities of earlier Avon respirators – which effectively shield wearers from threats such as chemical and biological agents, select toxic industrial substances and more – and adds new modular breathing apparatus technology to provide both positive-pressure SCBA and/or PAPR capability.
While its incorporated products all have variations of APR, PAPR and SCBA functionality, the ST54 has an important distinction: It’s the only SCBA currently available that complies with the latest requirements of NFPA’s 1986 Standard on Respiratory Protection Equipment for Tactical and Technical Operations.
While NFPA standards are often associated with the fire service, NFPA 1986 isn’t just for firefighters – it applies more broadly to any emergency personnel operating in IDLH environments. It specifies the design, testing and certification of SCBAs used for activities other than structural firefighting, and its areas of focus include performance requirements, cold-temperature operations and upgraded testing methods.
That’s all especially relevant to law enforcement, which can face an unpredictable array of dangerous conditions beyond flames and hazmat.
“Fentanyl is a big one, although you don’t necessarily always need an SCBA for that,” said Snyder. “But we still see meth labs. We still see acts of terrorism – there may be scenarios like dirty bombs where you’d want to be suited up. It’s really an application for going into the unknown. The ST54 can provide the highest level of protection, and then you can dial it down depending on what you’re walking into.”
That’s done via simple dial on the mask suitable for gloved use. The NFPA certification, though, applies to the ST54’s standalone SCBA function.
Hand in hand with the NFPA compliance comes a joint certification by NIOSH against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. This means the ST54 will protect wearers against the airborne release of harmful chemicals, pathogens and radioactive materials in situations like terror attacks and industrial accidents. Its upgraded FM54 mask holds a separate NIOSH CBRN approval as a stand-alone negative-pressure APR.
The ST54’s back frame accommodates a variety of 4,500-psi carbon cylinders, and quick-release buckles ensure fast and easy cylinder exchange. It comes with a remotely accessible chest-mounted pressure gauge that simplifies monitoring and an end-of-service whistle alarm for when supplies dwindle. Constant positive pressure comes from the world’s smallest compact demand valve, which can be mounted on either side to accommodate weapons and tactical gear. The ST54 also comes in standard and industrial variants.
Beyond those operational basics, additional features are geared to support the specific needs of law enforcement. One is for discreet tactical operations, with nonreflective black components and an alarm that can be silenced for stealth work.
A digital voice-amplification system permits clear, crisp communications with a volume that automatically adjusts – “You can whisper through it, or you can yell through it,” noted Snyder, “and it’ll elevate up and down with your voice.” Through a port in the masks, the ST54 also connects directly to department radio for secure internal communications.
There are several safety mechanisms if a user runs low on air while on scene. A rapid-intervention fitting at the cylinder valve allows emergency refills of operating cylinders, and a “lightning fill” capability on the waist belt lets cylinders be quickly filled by unassisted operators so work can continue. An emergency breathing safety system lets two users share cylinder air without disconnecting if they must hastily evacuate an IDLH atmosphere, and, perhaps most uniquely, a remote dual trans fill feature lets colleagues on a scene quickly transfer air back and forth if one is in need. “I can come out, get filled up and go back in – it’s faster than taking the cylinder off, refilling it and putting it back on,” said Snyder.
‘WE BUILD SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM’
Based in England but with a cutting-edge U.S. manufacturing facility in Michigan, Avon Protection has a long history of supplying respiratory protection to the military and others facing chemical and biological threats. The company was founded in 1885 as a rubber manufacturer, then pivoted around World War I in response to battlefield needs. It was fully engaged in respiratory protection by World War II, ultimately growing into the equipping of special forces and police tactical teams. The company’s S10 respirators were used by the British Special Air Service when it ended a six-day hostage standoff at London’s Iranian Embassy in 1980. Now Avon products are used in more than 70 countries globally.
With the ST54 purpose-built solution for tactical law enforcement operators, that number of users can be expected to grow.
“This isn’t built for firefighting; it’s built for law enforcement. We focus primarily on law enforcement and the military, and I think that’s a big driver for us,” said Snyder. “When Avon walks in the door, people understand we’re not just going to take an NFPA SCBA from the fire service and say, ‘Here, use this.’ We build specifically for them, and that’s key.”
For agencies with competing priorities, the modular nature of the ST54 facilitates starting with basic protection and adding capacity over time. “A lot of people will go out and buy just the SCBA today, then add masks and the CS-PAPR and filter covers and things like that as they go,” added Snyder. “You can take it from the simplest system to the most complex, and that’s a unique approach.
“It’s more cost-effective, because when you buy the unit, you don’t have to buy a separate basket like you do with 90% of the other manufacturers. So there’s a cost benefit, there’s a benefit to simplified training on one device, and there’s a benefit to maintenance because you’re only maintaining one system rather than many.”
For more information, visit Avon Protection.
