Embodiments of a storage compartment for self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA) are provided. The storage compartment includes a deployment mechanism to facilitate efficient and ergonomic donning of the SCBA. Advantageously, the storage compartment is closed off from the cabin of a firetruck and is accessed from the exterior of the firetruck so that any chemicals that off-gas from the SCBA are contained in their own compartment separate from the interior of the firetruck's cabin. The SCBA are able to be deployed from the storage compartment in a variety of different ways. Each embodiment of the deployment mechanism is configured to deploy the SCBA from an elevated position within the storage compartment to an exterior position that is roughly at the level of a firefighter's back.