How do you take an existing SCBA like the MSA G1 and enhance its features to meet new NFPA requirements? MSA Safety has undertaken a multiyear project to answer that very question and has delivered to us the MSA G1 SCBA XR Edition, with features based on fire service feedback and lessons learned from firefighters on the line. This new G1 SCBA debuted at FDIC this past April – and while it looks like the original G1 SCBA, its new features reveal that it is something different and better.
What makes the MSA G1 SCBA XR Edition so different? MSA teams consult directly with firefighters on the ground to hear our concerns and provide solutions to our needs. Development of the MSA G1 XR has involved 2 to 3 years of active feedback over the 10 years the G1 has been on the market and in use.
“We had more than 100 participants over the last two or so years that have been involved in this project,” said Kate McGraw, senior product line manager, respiratory protection for MSA Safety. “We sent out over 120 components to various departments to ensure we received good feedback from a wide range of participants. We’ve had these in field with training academies for over 12 months and we’ve done full in-service field trials.”
The result is a number of enhancements to the G1 SCBA based on direct feedback from users across departments large and small, career and volunteer.
The evolution of the MSA G1 SBCA
To understand the development and features of the MSA G1 SCBA XR Edition, we must also review the development of the MSA G1. According to Dom Berardinelli, fire service segment manager, US and Canada for MSA Safety, MSA performed a five-year, $50 million research and development project – the largest of its kind within MSA – 10 years ago to create the G1 SCBA based on firefighter input and touted it as the “platform of the future.”
When that SCBA platform debuted, it featured a thick lumbar pad for increased comfort, secure straps that didn’t slip and slide off the firefighter’s shoulders and a facepiece that provided enhanced vision and clarity. The mask-mounted regulator (MMR) was vastly improved over previous SCBAs, with the heads-up display integrated into the MMR and shown into the facepiece through fiberoptic tubes. This allowed for a cleanly designed facepiece with no electronics integrated into it – no clip-on or add-on features.
The G1 SCBA also debuted with improved communication, a major issue identified by firefighters and incident commanders on the fireground, with an integrated noise-canceling voice amplifier and integrated Bluetooth radio communications.
Building on a successful platform
Fast forward to today, the MSA G1 XR encompasses the same facepiece as the original G1 platform, which continues to provide a wide field of vision with little to no fog. The facepiece can be decontaminated without destroying electronics or other components. There are no add-on features such as voice amplifiers or radio/communication components. The heads-up display continues to be shown through the same fiberoptic tubes in the facepiece.
Quick-donning MMR
The mask-mounted regulator of the new MSA G1 XR has been redesigned and retooled. MSA has listened to the firefighters on the front line and re-engineered the bypass. It features a “click-to-close” function where the bypass, when closed, has an audible “click” similar to a gas cap. It has also been “beefed up” so that it is easier to grab and operate with a gloved hand – all features that we, as firefighters, asked for.
Adjustable backframe and removable soft goods also improve comfort
The G1 XR exists on the same backframe as the G1.
A major improvement to the G1 XR involves the soft goods. For one, the straps have been lengthened. A common complaint from us on the line is that the straps were too short, especially when converting the SCBA harness for firefighter rescue and removal. The waist strap on the G1 XR is now four inches longer, making conversion much easier when moving a firefighter up or down flights of stairs.
The G1 XR’s shoulder straps are also two inches longer than the original G1 SCBA for the comfort of a wider range of firefighters. MSA realized the advantage of longer straps, especially for wearability of different-size members, but also for donning the SCBA while responding and in the seat of the apparatus.
The MSA G1 XR is certified to the NFPA 1981 2018 standard. It features removable soft goods for decontamination and reduction of toxic substances. The padding also features a durable snap system, so even though the pads are removable for cleaning, they remain rugged and durable during performance of fire operations. The removability of the padding assists in cleanliness of the SCBA, apparatus cabs, firehouses and storage areas.
“Personally, I’m very excited about the soft goods because there was a ton of firefighter feedback that really drove even the most minute details in terms of how we can make cleanability better,” said McGraw.
The G1 XR also has a pull-tab installed on the universal emergency breathing safety system (UEBSS) for faster deployment. The pouch for the UEBSS is also removable for cleaning and positioned for easier access for those users to employ a UEBSS on their systems.
The lumbar pad support initially enjoyed from the original G1 has been retooled as well.
“When we look at the smaller lumbar pad, that’s not a direct requirement of the next standard,” said Berardinelli. “We made that decision based on hundreds of firefighter feedback sessions to improve the overall fit and profile of the SCBA.”
The G1’s lumbar pad has been tailored down to a smaller profile.
The result is that now the lumbar pad fits closer to the lower back, even with turnout gear on, providing increased stability and comfort for users. The lumbar pad also swivels to further improve comfort while working. A feature that can be installed on the G1 XR is the adjustable lumbar support, which allows the lumbar pad to move up or down depending upon the firefighters’ height and where they want their lumbar pad to ride.
“This new low-profile swivel that we are introducing gives us a half pound in weight reduction,” said McGraw. “It’s about 25% lighter. What we hear consistently in the field is that weight savings are critical. So the shorter pad plus that weight savings allows you to really get it in nice and tight, and we’re getting a lot of positive feedback in terms of how that feels for the user.”
The platform of the future
Final features of the MSA G1 XR include its certification to the NFPA 1981 2018 standard. While the new NFPA 1970 standard has been released and this SCBA meets the spirit of, but is not yet certified to, the new standard (as of the date this article is published), MSA remains dedicated to establishing the G1 XR as the platform of the future.
For instance, a new requirement of the 2025 standard is a visual indicator on the SCBA that the firefighters’ radio is connected via Bluetooth. The original G1 and the G1 XR have a Bluetooth indicator and can link radios. The Bluetooth indicator for non-NFPA 1802 radios is located on the PASS device screen.
Another 2025 standard requirement involves the removable soft goods that the G1 XR already includes. The standard also calls for an accessible UEBSS for all systems – the G1 XR has this as well. The end of service time indicator (EOSTI) in the new 2025 standard has been reduced from 35% to 31% because of the relationship between cylinder volume and pressure – essentially a new calculation algorithm. Because the G1 XR is certified to the previous edition, it is designed to alarm at the existing 35%.
Because the enhancements of the MSA G1 XR are an evolution of the original G1 platform, the same options you can add are still available. Items such as the thermal imaging camera integrated onto the PASS device are still available for purchase and installation onto the MSA G1 XR.
My final take: The G1 SCBA XR Edition was built with firefighters for firefighters
MSA has a proven track record of taking care of firefighters. It is a core company principle, and the company’s mission is to support the fire service through safe and durable safety equipment. It is integral to everything MSA does – from the sales team to the production workers to the product development teams who go to firefighters for ideas, suggestions and to solve their problems.
As an original user of the MSA G1 SCBA, including having been able to demo the product, I can personally say that MSA took our suggestions and ideas and integrated them into the G1 platform we have grown to know. This same process has played out in the development of the G1 XR, enhancing the features and improving the platform of the future from direct user feedback over 10 years.
The MSA G1 XR is more than an improved G1 SCBA – it is a certified and durable SCBA built with several features the new 2025 standard now requires, including removable soft goods, Bluetooth linking of radios and a UEBSS that can be quickly and easily deployed. It has an improved MMR, with a click-to-close bypass that is easily opened and operated with a gloved hand. The backframe of the SCBA remains durable, with elongated straps for waist strap conversion and comfort of various-size firefighters.
The bottom line is that the MSA G1 SCBA XR Edition is here, on the market and ready to serve.
To learn more, visit MSA Safety.
