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Services
Air Bag Testing
  As the high-pressure air bag is an important component of the emergency services' equipment arsenal and may have helped in saving
many lives, the need for adequately maintaining and regularly testing this equipment is imperative for making sure that they still will be
able to save lives in their next mission.
The service life expectancy of high pressure air bags is from 10 to 12 years,
depending on various factors. The chief component of all high pressure air bags is
elastic rubber, which is a "living" material, subject to the aging process. The actual
speed of the process depends on factors such as the frequency and uses of the
product, storage conditions, exposure to light, heat and humidity. Therefore, regular
testing is imperative to safeguard the safety of the user(s) and all who may be
affected by the bag's use and ability to perform as intended. Safety should always be
the highest priority.
As one of many services offered to our customers, Maryland Fire Equipment will come to your fire station to inspect and test your air
bag system!
Some general guidelines for when to test are as follows:
- Testing intervals - It is recommended by the manufacturer that high pressure bags should be pressure tested every five
years.
- Testing procedure - Air bags must be tested "free" (unconfined by a load or other bracing) with water.
- Testing purpose - The purposes of the test are to determine if the bags are capable of resisting 1.3 times their maximum
working pressure and to identify any deformation.
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