Safety Officer

1.         Safety Officer Definition: an appointed person in charge of monitoring and assessing hazards of unsafe situations and developing measures for ensuring personal safety.

 2.         The Safety Officer position is an appointed Line Officers position acting under the chain of command. The Fire Chief is responsible to appoint a Safety Officer by the January business meeting each calendar year and the appointed member shall serve a one-year term. The person appointed to the Safety Officer position may serve more than one year if re- appointed by the Fire Chief.

 3.         The Safety Officer SHALL wear a blue colored helmet with Safety Officer decals/crescents on the front and sides of the helmet.  The Safety Officer SHALL also wear an orange vest overtop his turnout gear that has Safety Officer's letters across the vest.  The Safety Officer is permitted to wear a blue-colored Gerber brand 911 jacket with green-colored trim and Safety Officer's letters across the back of the jacket.  This jacket may only be worn when the Safety Officer is not in a hazardous environment that warrants turnout gear.  The Safety Officer SHALL be issued a portable radio that has the capability of receiving and transmitting messages to the Incident Commander and monitoring fire ground operations.  Any transmissions over the portable radio by the Safety Officer should be brief and to the point so they do not interfere with fire ground operations.

 4.         The PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY of the Safety Officer is to protect the safety of the responders. The Safety Officer should ensure that responders follow safe practices at all times. See list below:

 ·        Responders need to be in gear appropriate for the activities at all times

·        Crews need to work in teams when they are in hazardous areas

·        Accountability system needs to be in place and be used to track personnel

·        Crews need to follow departmental and recognized safety practices during all fire company events including training

 5.         The Safety Officer should have an overall background in building construction, fire behavior, flame spread, etc.

 6.         The Safety Officer is expected to prevent injuries to crewmembers by halting unsafe acts or removing members from unsafe environments

 7.         The Safety Officer is to act as a role model and set an example for others in hopes that others will follow safe practices and procedures.

 8.         The Safety Officer should always be aware of indicators at the scene of emergencies or training that pose a potential hazard, such as, but not limited to:

    ·        Puffing smoke through the mortar of a brick building.

·        Learning walls or a sagging roof.

·        Temperatures outside and workloads of each crewmember.

·        Leaking fluids at the scene of an accident.

 9.         SAFETY OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE SCENE OF AN EMERGENCY

    ·        Arrive at the scene in a safe an orderly manner and park your vehicle in a location that does not interfere with the fire ground operations.

·        Provide the responding Chief Officers with a short brief size up of the scene if you are first arriving during major incident. A major incident may include: building, dwelling, and barn fires; Haz-mat incidents; rescues; etc.  There is no need to provide size up information over the fire radio to responding Chief Officers on routine calls.

·        Investigate the scene for potential hazards and egress points.

·        If crews that are arriving are sent inside ANY building or structure for a fire attack or rescue operation your role and PRIORITY as Safety Officer WILL change to include the responsibilities of an Accountability Officer for the interior crewmembers.  You SHALL remain stationary at the entrance point where the interior crew entered and maintain the accountability log for the interior crew.  You SHALL resume the Accountability Officer responsibilities for that crew and remain at the entrance point until: the incident is under control; the entire crew exists the structure and no one else re-enters; you re-assign the accountability responsibility to another competent member; or you are relieved by the Incident Commander. You are also REQUIRED as a PRIORITY to log the accountability environment, such as, but not limited to, ventilation crews on the roof to a structure.

·        In the event that accountability is not needed or has been re-assigned, you are then expected to monitor the scene for potential hazards and keep the Fire Chief or Incident Commander informed of hazards or potential hazards that may exist until the completion of the incident.

·        Advise the Fire Chief to implement Rehab as needed and provide the Rehab Officer with the Rehab boxes from the apparatus

·        Oversee that the Incident Commander activities a Rapid Intervention Team anytime that crewmembers are working inside a structure or hazardous environment. Oversee that the R.I.T. has deployed when they are requested to do so by the Incident Commander during an emergency situation.

 10.       Overall Roles and Responsibilities of the Safety Officer

·        Prevent injuries by halting unsafe acts at training events or emergency incidents.

·        Track personnel and constantly monitor the emergency scene or training grounds for hazards or potential hazards.

·        Oversee that the Rehab site is established and in operation if the Incident Commander activates rehab during an incident or training event. Oversee that the Rehab boxes stored in our apparatus are delivered to the Rehab Officer.

·        Oversee that the R.I.T. team is in position and ready for deployment if established by the Incident Commander. Oversee that the R.I.T. team has deployed if given the order to do so by the Incident Command.

·        Keep the Incident Commander abreast of potential hazards or changing conditions in the fire ground operations at the scene of an incident.

·        Maintain and record accountability of personnel as outlined on the Accountability Log during major incidents.

·        Report any hazards within the fire station to the board of Trustees to maintain fire house safety.

·        All first aid kits stored in the apparatus and the fire station SHALL be checked periodically and the proper authority notified in the event that items are out of stock.

·        Assume the role of the Accountability Officer and adhere to the material outlined in the Accountability Guideline. 

·        Maintain the Rehab boxes stored on our apparatus.  Make sure that the boxes all contain the same information.  You SHALL annually schedule a date and time for all members to update or to fill out the Emergency Personnel Medical History Cards for new members.  This can be accomplished with the assistance from Leola Ambulance Association.

·        Maintain the Safety Officer board in the engine bay.

·        Attend Tuesday night training secessions to ensure fire fighter safety

11.       SAFETY OFFICER QUALIFICATIONS

     ·        Must be 18 years of age.

·        Must have a valid PA Drivers License.

·        Should have a minimum of 3 years of fire fighting experience.

·        Should have certification of completion for the following courses: Incident Command, NIMS 100, Essentials of fire fighting or Basic and Advanced fire fighting, Safety Officer course, Hazmat operations course, etc.

·        Should be a member of good standing that works well with others especially with the company Chief Officers and Line Officers.

·        Should have an overall knowledge of the following: standard operating guidelines, R.I.T. team policy, Accountability policy, and the Rehab policy.

·        Should have good communication skills.

·        Should be able to attend Tuesday night in house training secessions.

·        Must be able to make decisions that require a high degree of specialized knowledge under stressful situations with a strong emphasis on safety and reducing loss.

12.     The Safety Officer has the authority to alter, suspend, or terminate operations that present an IMMINENT SAFETY HAZARD to emergency responders (NFPA 1521 paragraph 2-3.3). The Safety Officer is REQUIRED to IMMEDIATELY notify the Incident Commander of any actions taken to correct imminent hazards at the emergency scene.

13.       The Safety Officer will provide any documentation generated during major incidents to a Chief Officer at the conclusion of the incident.

Personnel Accountability Guideline

1.                  This procedure describes the steps and responsibilities necessary for maintaining accountability for all personnel operating at emergency incidents.

2.                  Accountability is directly related to supervision. It is the responsibility of ALL Company Officers, Sector Officers, and Command to maintain a level of supervision that accounts for the location and functions of all personnel at every incident.

3.                  Company Officers will keep their crew intact, maintain a constant awareness of crew member's welfare, and maintain a means to communicate with Command.

4.                  It will be the responsibility of individual fire fighters and other personnel at the incident site to keep their supervisors informed of their activities and whereabouts. Freelancing of activities will NOT be permitted and can lead to injury and death. Freelancing is defined as individual activities carried out independently of direct or indirect orders from the Incident Command or Sector Officers.

5.                  All crews and crewmembers will remain intact and under supervision by a company or Command officer.

6.                  All crews or other personnel assigned to the incident duties must have a radio for communication with Command.

7.                  All crews working within a hazardous area must utilize at least a two-person buddy system.

8.                  All PASS devices must be activated prior to entry into a hazardous environment.  Should a fire fighter become lost or injured, he/she shall immediately activate the "distress" alarm on the PASS device.

9.                  EMERGENCY EVACUATION - the "Air Horn System" will be used to alert all Firefighters to exit a structure or area immediately. THIS ALERT SYSTEM WILL BE IDENTIFIED BY AN EXTENDED BLAST OF THE AIR-HORNS ON EQUIPMENT AT THE INCIDENT.  County Communications will announce that, while using an alert tone on the fire ground frequency, all fire fighters are to evacuate a building or other area immediately. When evacuating a situation under "emergency" conditions, the Company Officer will conduct an immediate roll call for all personnel assigned to his/her supervision. The Company Officer will report the roll call results (i.e. "accounted for" or "Firefighter missing") to the appropriate Sector Officer or Command.

10.             The Incident Commander shall designate a specific frequency/channel for communications between the Command Post and Sectors. All members operating on this channel/frequency shall immediately cease communications upon transmission of "MAYDAY" or "URGENT" or any other language indicating an emergency condition. Immediately following the "emergency" evacuation order, Command will confirm with each Sector that all Sectors copied the evacuation order.

11.             Sector Officers will contact each company within the hazard area to confirm that the company copied the order to evacuate and are indeed with drawing.

12.             Upon reaching a safe area, Sector Officers will contact ALL Company Officers to confirm the roll call results. Each Sector Officer will advise Command of roll call results.

13.             Command will be responsible for confirming that all personnel that have been assign to incident duties are accounted for.

14.             The Incident Commander will record the results of the "Roll Call" and status of any missing fire fighter.  The Command will immediately request an additional alarm for manpower upon receipt of "Firefighter Missing".  Command shall notify County Communications to mark the time of such notification and will notify County Communications with any further changes in the situation of the missing fire fighter (such as FIRE FIGHTER LOCATED, ADDITIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS MISSING, FIRE FIGHTERS REMOVED, NOTIFY CORNER, ETC.).

15.             UNIT COLLECTOR RING

·        Each piece of apparatus shall carry one Unit Collector Ring, which SHALL consist of a large metal ring with a 4" fluorescent orange vehicle I.D. tag attached to it (i.e.:E3-11-1).

16.       ACCOUNTABILITY BINDER

·        An accountability binder or board SHALL be used by the Incident Commander or his designated Accountability Officer to display the I.D. tags in a well-organized manner.

  17.     LEVEL-1 ACCOUNTABILITY

The purpose of Level-1 accountability is to establish a primary method of accounting for all personnel on a fire ground. A level-1 accountability system SHALL be implemented on every incident, regardless of its size or nature.

LEVEL-1 ACCOUNTABILITY CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING

Upon boarding the apparatus ALL personnel shall remove his/her laminated ID tag and place it on the apparatus in the position determined by his/her company. A Leve-1 accountability remains in effect until the apparatus is released and returning to station or until the Incident Commander determines that Level-2 accountability is necessary.

  18.     LEVEL-2 ACCOUNTABILITY

The purpose of Level 2 Accountability is to establish a comprehensive method of accounting for all the personnel on the fire ground. The Level-2 accountability organizes personnel in "Companies" and discourages "free lancing".

            LEVEL-2 ACCOUNTABILITY CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING

The Incident Commander initiates a Level-2 accountability when he/she determines that hazardous conditions exist at the incident scene or that hazardous conditions are imminent. Hazardous conditions SHALL be defined as, but not limited to: severe fire conditions, possible building collapse, hazardous materials, confined space emergencies, water rescue, explosions, etc.

A.  Upon activation of a Level-2 accountability, the Line Officer or person ridding the officer’s seat on each piece of apparatus SHALL adhere to our Two-Tag Accountability guideline.

B.  The Incident Commander shall assign an Accountability Officer to gather all collector rings with ID tags from each unit at the scene and in staging. The collector rings with ID tags shall be placed in the Accountability Binder or board. Next to each clip, the Accountability Officer shall log the Unit ID Number, Unit Location, and Unit Function.

C.  Upon the arrival on-scene of any mutual aid apparatus supplying personnel to operate in the hazardous area of the incident, the officer will report with the collection ring to the designated accountability area. (i.e. Incident Commander, Accountability Officer, Staging Officer, First Arriving Unit)

                        D.  Personnel reporting to the scene in private vehicles shall report to the Command Post for an assignment and shall be "checked in" to the accountability system. This process will discourage "freelancing", improve safety, and aid in tracking and identification of all personnel operating at the scene and staging.

                        E.  Firefighting accountability is an ongoing process. Sector Officers SHALL keep the Accountability Officer appraised of any and all personnel changes as well as changes in unit status or assignment. The Accountability Officer SHALL be brief the Incident Commander periodically on personnel status. Upon leaving the hazardous conditions area, the Unit Officer will ensure that ALL crewmember tags are collected from the Accountability Officer and that the Unit is cleared from the binder. EMS will take the ID tags to the Rehabilitation area for use.

19.       TWO TAG SYSTEM

Upon arrival at the scene of an incident requiring immediate entry into hazardous areas, the first in Officer will ensure that the Unit Crewmember's tags are dropped at the entry point to the fire or hazardous area. The Accountability Binder may be used. A bucket or any other device that will hold the tags will work until the appointment of an Accountability Officer, who then will activate the Accountability Binder by logging the Unit ID Number, Unit Location. If more than one entry point exists, an additional Accountability Officer may be needed to insure proper tracking units.

20.             The Fire Chief will appoint an individual every new calendar year by Jan. 1st to serve as the Accountability Officer. The Accountability Officer is responsible to see that all new responders obtain an accountability tag within 60 days of being approved as a member. The Accountability Officer will also be responsible to assist members who have lost or damaged their ID tags. The individual appointed as the Accountability Officer is NOT responsible for accountability at a fire call scene or training event. 

21.             The first arriving Safety Officer is responsible for accountability of ALL members at the scene of a fire call or training event in which a Level-1 or Level-2 accountability has been initiated. This SHALL be a PRIORITY of the first arriving Safety Officer. In the event that a Safety Officer is not present, the Incident Commander may elect a Chief Officer or other company member to serve as the incident Accountability Officer.

22.             The individual serving as the Accountability Officer is responsible to fill out all accountability worksheets during a Level-2 accountability situation and is REQUIRED to know and document which members have entered a hazardous environment. All documentation SHALL be given to the Incident Commander upon completion of the incident.

23.             ALL members are REQUIRED to notify the Safety Officer or Accountability Officer prior to entering a hazardous environment. Notification is also REQUIRED when those members exit the hazardous environment.

24.             NO member is permitted to enter a hazardous environment alone UNLESS the Incident Commander approves the action.

25.             At least one member of an entry crew SHALL be equipped with a portable radio anytime that a crew enters a hazardous environment so that they have communication with the Incident Commander.

26.             ALL members are REQUIRED to furnish their accountability ID tags to the individual in the officer's seat during responses to fire calls or training events.  It SHALL be the responsibility of the individual obtaining the accountability ID tags to ensure that the collected ID tags are placed in the assigned location during a Level-1 or Level-2 accountability situation. It SHALL be the responsibility of the Officer of each crew to ensure that all accountability tags have been collected and returned to his/her crew upon returning from an incident or training event.

27.             Any member that loses or accidentally destroys accountability tag is required to immediately report it a Chief Officer or Accountability Officer.

28.             ALL ID tags SHALL be visibly displayed on each members gear (i.e. fire helmet, bunker coat) when not in use.

Approved by membership vote on:   __________________

President:      ____________________

                              Ted Burkhart

Secretary:      ____________________

                              Pam Huber