According to NFPA, rehab should be required after _____ minutes of intense work without SCBA.

• A. 20
• B. 30
• C. 40
• D. 60

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is when to move a firefighter to rehab during or after intense work without an SCBA, as advised by NFPA guidelines. Rehab is a structured break area where hot, fatigued crews get rest, hydration, cooling, and medical monitoring to prevent heat illness and overexertion.

Forty minutes of sustained, intense work without an SCBA is the point at which the body’s heat production, fluid loss, and fatigue can accumulate to a level where performance declines and the risk of heat-related problems rises. Initiating rehab at this threshold helps normalize heart rate and core temperature, restore fluids and electrolytes, and allow medical assessment before continuing duties. In practice, rehab can start sooner if signs of heat stress or dehydration appear, or be adjusted based on environmental conditions and PPE, but the forty-minute mark is the standard cue for initiating rehab after prolonged strenuous effort without an SCBA.