SCBA is an acronym for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. It is a device worn by rescue workers, firefighters, and others to provide breathable air in a hostile environment. SCBA devices are filled with filtered compressed air, the same air we breathe normally. It is sometimes confused with SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus). See Scuba diving for their history and more information on how they work.
Swimmer Canoeist's Breathing Apparatus: a type of combat frogman's rebreather.
Submerged Chamber Breathing Apparatus: to keep the air breathable in submerged chambers.
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Commonly an SCBA will be of the "positive pressure" type, which supplies a slight steady stream of air to stop toxic fumes or smoke from leaking into the mask.
As SCBA technology has evolved, different models have evolved for firefighting, versus those designed for where the set does not need to be heat resistant, such as in mining.
The closed-circuit type is a special SCBA which recirculates exhaled gas: (see rebreather for more information), used when a longer-duration supply of air is needed such as in mine rescue.
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