BA Masks and Aids to Vision used in London

[DL129]

Hi everyone,

I'm in the application process with LFB to become a trainee firefighter and am short-sighted. Does anyone know which brand/model of BA masks and aids to vision are used and if there's a maximum vision correction they can accommodate?

[Rory-495]

Not sure why you would need to know the brand and make of the aids to vision. But the mask is for the Drager PSS7000 BA set. 

The correction will be on your job requirements 

[DL129]

Thanks Rory. I've got a high prescription and I'm a bit worried that the aids to vision may not be able to accommodate.

Trying to do a bit of research into what the max possible fitting into aids to vision might be in advance of any appointment. Guessing the aids to vision must be these

[Rory-495]

Those aren't the ones, there is a photo I posted on here a while back but I cannot find it. There is this link someone posted about their requirements that may be of use 

 

[BurtMacklin]

They are just glasses without arms and a little clip system so they sit between the visor and your eyes. if your eyes pass the medical stage with correction they will be able to make you a pair of aids to vision. 

[DL129]

14 hours ago, Rory-495 said:

Those aren't the ones, there is a photo I posted on here a while back but I cannot find it. There is this link someone posted about their requirements that may be of use 

 

Thanks Rory - I remember seeing that post with a picture a while ago but couldn't find it either. The photo is here

Thanks for your input Burt. My vision is perfect with glasses or contacts but I am very short sighted without. I know some aids to vision have an upper limit of what lenses can be fitted so would be good to know more info about brand/model/types of lenses fitted.

[JonFromTheLFB]

If I were you I would book a regular sight test and find out if you're in the unaided and aided limits for LFB. If you are you'll have nothing to worry about and your mind will be put at rest. 

[Healdav]

Lucky to have such a thing now. I couldn't even think of joining in the early 1960s because they insisted on perfect vision, and I wear specs (but that didn't stop them from letting me train with crews for the D of E.

Now I read that someone in a wheelchair wants to be a rugby referee!

Quote removed as its a direct quote of the above post. Please see FAQ

Edited March 1, 2022 by Carl

[DL129]

Thanks for the input everyone. I rang City and spoke to someone who said they can go up to at least -14 which is well above my prescription so keeping my fingers crossed

[MAdams]

Hello mate, I can't help with the BA inserts but what I can tell you from my experience with being wholetime in two different services is that I have never had to display my uncorrected vision standard. Like you, I have a high prescription, I'm -5.25 & -6.50 in contacts and -6.00 & -6.50 in my glasses prescription. I only ever wear contacts at work, I often sleep in them and put refreshing eye drops in once we get a shout in the night. I've never had a problem (touch wood) in 5 years of being on the job. I'm yet to ask for BA inserts or even safety glasses, but I think I'm going to finally bite the bullet and get a pair made for me just so that I've got a back up as I have terrible hayfever that wrecks my eyes. All the best with it all, Im sure you should be fine! 

[BurtMacklin]

slightly off topic but I’ve always found contacts provide a substantial level of protection from smoke irritation at fires if you’re unfortunate to get a face full without RPE, this does kill the pair of lenses though as they absorb or adhere the contaminants which sat on your eyeball is obviously not a great situation. 

[DL129]

18 hours ago, Madams said:

Hello mate, I can't help with the BA inserts but what I can tell you from my experience with being wholetime in two different services is that I have never had to display my uncorrected vision standard. Like you, I have a high prescription, I'm -5.25 & -6.50 in contacts and -6.00 & -6.50 in my glasses prescription. I only ever wear contacts at work, I often sleep in them and put refreshing eye drops in once we get a shout in the night. I've never had a problem (touch wood) in 5 years of being on the job. I'm yet to ask for BA inserts or even safety glasses, but I think I'm going to finally bite the bullet and get a pair made for me just so that I've got a back up as I have terrible hayfever that wrecks my eyes. All the best with it all, Im sure you should be fine! 

Thanks for this, I know that at least Kent and Surrey explicitly allow contact lenses on the fireground but London are still not confirming contacts are ok for use on the job (though from reading various threads on here, it sounds like a number of people use them anyway)

[BurtMacklin]

LFB specifically don’t allow them so if you were to suffer an eye injury at work and the finger pointing starts about liability they would obviously bring this up.

[MAdams]

If thats LFB stance that I think its a bit of a poor one. I played rugby for over 12 years in contacts and never loss a single contact, I've been eye gorged & punched in the name of sport never a problem. If something happened where I suffered enough injury that my contact got displayed then it wouldn't matter cause I'd of lost my eye at that point. 

[Messyshaw]

When I joined you had to get 6/6 vision in both eyes pretty much on entry and for the next 30 years. There was no leniancy for age related deterioration 

In the 1980s, the Home Office did an investigation after the FBU raised the issue of expensive trained personnel being lost due to tiny reductions in eyesight standard and asked, did it really matter?

I had a copy of the HO report and it was surprisingly pragmatic and full of common sense (this was decades prior to Pritti Patel's arrival)

The report compared many professions that you would expect to need good eyesight against the FFs role such as pilots and surgeons. Virtually all of these roles had a lower standard and could wear specs

I recall they looked at the SAS who need to make critical kill/don't kill decisions in theatre and often in poor light against a FF whose sharp end activities in BA are often performed completely blind

Yet the FF eyesight standard was higher than the SAS. It was ludicrous and 'aids to vision' was one result.

I am not competent in determining whether contacts are appropriate or not, but if your eyesight needs correcting and you can wear glasses to keep your job, I am not exactly sure I would call it a poor stance at all.

At least you have the option to stay in the job or get recruited. Both impossible 25/30 years ago