DeepSeaExplorer
Contributor
Modern firefighter compressors will put out grade E air even though OSHA only requires grade D. Fill adapters are easy to make. Just use a SCBA fill fitting and slap a yoke or DIN scuba on it. And, if you are going to the fire department for air, make sure you get permission from the station chief and not just one of the fire fighters. I know of a fire fighter that lost his job for allowing his friends to get scuba fills.
Since most, if not all, fire departments are funded thru government taxes, using that equipment to fill tanks for non-official uses is technically stealing from taxpayers.
It may be only cents worth of electricity and wear on the compressor, but as a government employee even taking a 50 cent stamp from work is stealing.
(While volunteer firefighters are not government employees, their equipment is still paid for by taxpayers of one sort or another: County, State and Federal.)
Most people don’t think about these things, but as a government supervisor I had to get involved in things like this on occasion. I once had to investigate when one of the employees I supervised was accused of stealing toilet paper from the restroom. So don’t think no one cares or no one is watching.
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Divers show some integrity and don’t ask friends to put themselves at risk to save a couple bucks.