’98 Seconds with Naomi Lynn’ – Trying On a Firefighter’s Air Tank

We all know firefighters have a lot of gear they have to put on before they head out to an emergency. But did you ever wonder how heavy some of that gear is?

First of all, a big thank you to Jim Scoones over at the Clinton Fire Department and his sons for showing us around the station, letting us check out the emergency vehicles, and teaching us more about firefighting in general. While we were there, Naomi Lynn got to see first-hand, what it's like to have an air tank on. And we decided to show you the experience for this week's "98 Seconds with Naomi Lynn" video.

At first they put the air tank on me and I thought, "okay, this isn't that bad," but I didn't realize they were still holding it up. Once they let go, my back and shoulders went back a little bit from the weight. It was definitely heavier than I expected. The crazy part is that these air tanks used to be made out of steel and were heavier.

After I tried on the air tank, I tried on the mask as well. That gave me a very claustrophobic-feeling, and was pretty freaky. I can't imagine wearing all that gear and then having that mask strapped to my face. Definitely something I never thought about when it comes to things firefighters have to do. And this is just second-nature to a lot of them.

Jim and his son David also showed us how the new air tanks and masks make it easier for firefighters to speak and be heard. Before it was a pretty muffled, but now with this new equipment, it's extremely easy to make out what they're saying.

Check out the video at the top of this page and see how heavy the tank was for Naomi, and see (and hear) the new improvements to the air tanks and masks.

BONUS VIDEO: