Face mask with back-up smoke inhalation protection and method of operation

A self-contained breathing apparatus for smoke inhalation protection for emergency response personnel in imminently life-threatening situations and for encouraging its limited use to imminently life-threatening situations, said apparatus comprising:

• a mask to be worn over the face of an emergency response person, and having a first port connected to a hose through which breathable air is supplied to the mask and a second port;
• a personal air filtering device for smoke inhalation protection in imminent life-threatening situations upon depletion or failure of breathable air being supplied through the hose, said personal air filtering device comprising a canister having an inlet opening through which air enters and an outlet opening communicating with the second port of said mask, and a filter medium within said canister and through which air flows between the inlet opening and the outlet opening;
• and
• a first use-evidencing mechanism sealing the inlet opening of said canister and operatively coupled to the canister to indicate use of the personal air filtering device.

A method for storing and preparing a personal air filtering device for smoke inhalation protection for a fire fighter in imminently life-threatening situations and for encouraging its limited use by the fire fighter to the imminently life-threatening situations, said method comprising the steps of:

• configuring a smoke filter with a use-evidencing mechanism so that use of the smoke filter for breathing is permanently indicated;
• providing the fire fighter with a self-contained breathing apparatus including a face mask having a first port connected by conduit to a tank of breathable air for primary use during exposure to a non-breathable environment, and a second port to which the smoke filter in connected to filter air breathed by the fire fighter when the tank of breathable air is depleted;
• said fire fighter, when in a non-breathable environment, primarily using said self-contained breathing apparatus to breathe air from said tank;
• said fire fighter, upon depletion of air in the tank, activating the smoke filter as a source of breathable air wherein the activating involves breaching said use-evidencing mechanism to access said smoke filter, whereby use of said smoke filter is evidenced;
• after exiting the non-breathable environment, a third party inspecting the use-evidencing mechanism;
• and
• said fire fighter accounting for use of said smoke filter.