I, the undersigned, acknowledge that I
have read and understand the attached copies of the Sayre Fire Department
Safety Guidelines and the Sayre Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines
and further agree to abide by them as required during the operation of the
duties to which I respond as a firefighter.
I also understand that I have 30 days from the date received below to
return this signed cover sheet to the Captain of my company. If I do not return this signed within 30
days, I may not respond to any alarm.
Date Received ___________________________________________
Full Name ___________________________________________
(PLEASE PRINT)
Signed ___________________________________________
Captain ___________________________________________
Company ___________________________________________
Date Returned ___________________________________________
Table of Contents
SAFETY GUIDELINES
Introduction
SCBA
Protective Clothing
Driver Safety
Operating Power Saws
Fire ground Safety
STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES
Introduction
Structural Fire Response
Trash Fire Response
Vehicle Fire Response/MVA
Hazard Material Response
Mutual-Aid Response
Public Service Calls
Apparatus Riding Positions (Attack Engine)
Apparatus Riding Positions (Second Due Engine)
Apparatus Riding Positions (Truck Company)
Use of Communications Equipment
Cleaning, Maintaining, and Inspecting Portable Equip.
LDH System Forward Layout Evolution
LDH System Reverse Layout Evolution
3" Forward Layout Evolution
3" Reverse Layout Evolution
FF/Fire Officer's Responsibility for Arson Detection
Pre-Fire Planning Guidelines
Reporting of Accident or Injury
TAG System, Personnel Accountability
SAYRE
FIRE DEPARTMENT SAFETY GUIDELINES
INTRODUCTION
It is the intent of the
Sayre Fire Department to establish a list of safety guidelines to prevent
injury to its firefighters. The
firefighter frequently encounters a hostile environment where potentially
life-threatening situations occur. It is necessary, therefore, that these
safety guidelines be followed in order to prevent injuries or, at the very
least, to reduce the severity of an injury.
While the Incident
Commander is responsible for the safety of his men on the fire ground, this in
no way releases the individual firefighter from his responsibility for his own
safety and the safety of his fellow firefighters.
It would be impossible to
establish a comprehensive list of safety guidelines, one that would cover every
situation that is likely to occur. When situations arise which are not covered
by these safety guidelines, the best rule of thumb is to use common sense.
These safety guidelines
shall coincide with the Sayre Fire Dept. Inc. By‑laws and not conflict
with the Sayre Borough Safety Guidelines.
These safety guidelines
include but are not limited to the use of SCBA, fire ground safety, driver
safety, station safety, and the use of power saws.
Adopted by Sayre Fire Board 10/80
Revised & Adopted 3/3/92
Revised & Adopted 5/4/93
Committee Members:
Robert Repasky
Gary Mullen
Thomas McCutcheon II
Richard Wolcott
Scott Nobles
Wayne Lantz
David Haines
Nicholas Shamot
Bill Soltis
Cy Morris
SELF‑CONTAINED
BREATHING APPARATUS
It is the intent of the
Sayre Fire Department that all personnel expected or likely to respond to, and
function in, areas of atmospheric contamination, shall be equipped with, and
trained in, the proper use and maintenance of the self‑contained
breathing apparatus. (SCBA) Company
officers are responsible for the maintenance of SCBA assigned to their
apparatus. If an SCBA is found to be functioning improperly, it shall be taken
out of service, tagged, and reported to the company air officer as soon as
possible.
Company air officer shall
be appointed by the Captain of each company and should have completed a
certified Scott SCBA maintenance class.
A Department air officer
shall be appointed by the Chief of the Department, holding the same
qualifications as the company air officer.
The department air officer shall be responsible for all repairs done to
any SCBA and maintain the replacement parts and scheduled yearly maintenance.
All personnel shall use
SCBA when encountering the following emergencies:
1. Above ground level
2. Below ground level
3. Contaminated atmosphere
4. Situation where the atmosphere is
likely to become contaminated
Do
not remove your SCBA until the atmosphere has been determined to be safe to
operate in. Either use your SCBA or change the atmosphere.
Resist
the tendency to prematurely remove breathing apparatus during routine fire
situations. We all must be aware of the respiratory hazards, which exist in
ordinary as well as the extraordinary fire situation. It is generally true that
carbon monoxide levels increase during overhaul, due to incomplete combustion
of smoldering materials. The
determination as to removal of breathing apparatus will be made by company or
sector officers in routing situations.
In complex situations, particularly when toxic materials are involved,
the safety officer and or the fire ground commander will make this decision.
Ordinarily
a firefighter should use no more than two successive cylinders of air during
the course of a structure fire.
However, a third cylinder may be used if the firefighter requests and
receives permission from the department officer. Permission will be denied if the firefighter shows any of the
following symptoms:
a. Light‑headed or dizziness
b. Disorientation
c. Rapid breathing for which there is
no apparent reason
d. Flushed skin
e. Incoherently however slight
The
department officer can reserve the right to have a firefighter checked by
ambulance corps. personnel.
No
member of the Fire Department, with a beard, or mustache that would impede the
seal of the face piece is authorized to use SCBA in fire ground operations.
PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING
The
following are the Sayre Fire Department guidelines for wearing protective
clothing. These policies apply to all members.
DEFINITION‑Full
protective clothing: helmet with face shield or goggles, turnout coat, truck
boots or bunker boots with turnout pants, gloves. Turnout coats less than
40" in length will not be worn with truck boots. Truck boots shall not be worn for interior firefighting.
Members
purchasing their own turnout gear should ensure that it meets or exceeds the
current NFPA Standard.
·
The Sayre Fire Department will not endorse the
purchase of personal protective equipment (bunker suit) by an individual member
of the Sayre FD.
·
Any personal equipment bought by an individual
prior to November 1, 1998, must be inspected by the Sayre Fire Board by
2/1/99. All equipment shall be
determined to depreciate in value at a rate of 20% of the total purchase price
each year for a period of 5 years from the date of purchase.
·
The Captains of each Company will do a yearly
inspection by February 1st
of each year. This inspection
shall check for any wear on the gear.
It shall also check for any abuse of the equipment. A written report shall be submitted to the
Fireboard listing all serial numbers, names, and findings of such.
·
Any personal protective equipment found to be
damaged, shall be reported to the respective Captain and be presented at the
next Fireboard meeting. At that time,
the Board shall determine what action to take to have the gear repaired or
replaced.
·
Any personal protective equipment that is
individually owned, that has been damaged, shall be reported to the Captain and
presented at the next Fireboard meeting.
At that time, the Board will determine what action to take to have the
gear repaired or replaced. If the gear
has been determined beyond repair, the gear will be replaced with department
owned gear.
·
Any personal equipment that is damaged at an
incident shall be reported immediately to the Company Officer in Charge and
noted on the fire report.
Full
protective clothing shall be worn on the fire ground by all firefighting
personnel.
It is the intent
of these guidelines that no member shall cause a delay in any firefighting operation
by not being fully prepared to engage in firefighting activities in a safe
manner.
It
is recommended that members riding in an open cab apparatus wear a helmet.
When
truck boots are being worn during firefighting operations, they must be pulled
up to full extension.
Members
riding fire apparatus in an exposed position shall wear their helmet with the
face shield or goggles in position to provide eye protection.
No
member shall ride the tailboard of any apparatus at any time.
All
members shall wear full protective clothing to afford complete protection while
operating at EMS incidents.
When
operating forcible entry equipment and tools, full protective clothing shall be
worn.
Helmets
shall be worn when operating near moving vehicles, such as EMS incidents in the
street.
The
Commander may use his discretion to regulate this in those situations where
exemptions to the above policy appear necessary, such as when the use of
protective clothing may compromise patient care, or when it is necessary to
operate in close quarters where full protective clothing cannot be worn.
The
face shield shall be used at any time the need for eye protection seems
apparent, such as during overhaul, when operating, hand or power tools, or any
fires where the SCBA is not being worn.
Gloves
shall be worn when engaged in firefighting, overhaul, training with hose or
ladders, when using power or hand tools, and any other situation where injuries
to the hand are likely to occur.
In
specific situations for which no guidelines have been provided, the proper
protective clothing to protect against all unforeseeable hazards shall be worn.
DRIVER
SAFETY
When
responding to emergency calls with red lights and siren, Fire Department
vehicles will not exceed 35 mph, and will be regulated AT ALL TIMES by existing
road and traffic conditions. The only exception to the 35 mph rule is when the
apparatus is responding to a mutual aid call outside the Borough, which will
necessitate the use of a major highway. At that time the apparatus will observe
the posted speed limit, unless conditions warrant a lower speed.
Under
wet, foggy, snow, ice, sleet, or any other hazardous weather or road
conditions, Fire Department apparatus should react Pessimistically to the
conditions encountered, and in no case exceed the 35mph limit.
Unless
all lanes can be accounted for by the driver during an emergency response, Fire
Department apparatus shall slow down and proceed with EXTREME CAUTION at all
red light intersections and negative right‑of‑way situations. Rule
of thumb: "IF YOU CAN'T SEE, STOP."
Avoid backing
where possible, where backing is unavoidable, use guides; where guides are
unavailable, dismount and walk completely around the apparatus before backing.
Members
must ride in seats and use seat belts where they are provided. Members may ride in exposed positions when
there are not enough available seats, provided the member maintains a
three-point contact with the apparatus. (one hand, two feet). During an emergency response, apparatus
should avoid passing other emergency vehicles. If this is unavoidable, the
passing arrangement should be conducted through radio communications.
We
must respond and react according to the conditions encountered; neither poor
road conditions, nor inclement weather, nor the actions of others relieves the
driver in the slightest degree of his responsibility to drive safely. These are
situations likely to be encountered at any time and we must drive
accordingly. The unique hazards of
driving on or adjacent to the fire ground requires the driver to use extreme
caution and alertness, and also requires that he utilize a prudent speed for
the conditions encountered, in order that he may react to the unexpected. When driving apparatus on the fire ground,
drivers must resist the tendency to drive hastily or imprudent. This tendency
is mostly due to the urgent nature of fire ground operations. Drivers must consider the danger their
moving vehicle poses to fire ground personnel and spectators who may be
preoccupied with the emergency, and inadvertently step in front of or behind a
moving vehicle.
Before
any apparatus moves, the Driver shall sound an audible alarm to signal his
intent. All drivers should use extreme
caution at all railroad crossings.
Drivers must also be aware of the potential that exists for vehicle
accidents on or near the fire ground due to the distractions caused by the
emergency.
Company
officers may designate spots at which their apparatus will stop to pick up
firefighters. Firefighters to be picked up will wait until the apparatus has
come to a complete stop before boarding and will then personally signal the
driver when they are in a safe position to ride the apparatus. The apparatus
assigned to the Central Station will not stop to pick up firefighters unless
the situation warrants. In any case it is up to the discretion of this driver
whether he stops.
Members
are allowed to respond to the scene of an emergency in their privately owned
vehicles (POV). Such members are subject to the same safety requirements as
drivers of fire apparatus. IN NO CASE is a member responding to an emergency in
his POV authorized to violate any traffic law or regulation. All members should first attempt to respond
to the station and resist going to the scene in their POV.
Members
responding to the scene of an emergency in their POV's will park in such a
manner that their vehicle will not interfere with the initial response of
emergency vehicles or with future response of such apparatus. If Fire Police
are on duty at the scene, members will park their vehicles in accordance with
their instructions. Fire Police should attempt to allow parking of POV's as
close to the scene as practicable. Such parking will be regulated by a desire
to keep open avenues of response for emergency vehicles including ambulances
transporting patients to the hospital.
The
highest-ranking company officer shall ride in the officers seat of the
apparatus. Officers should resist
driving the apparatus to alarms unless there are no other drivers. If no officers are present, senior
firefighters shall ride in the officers seat.
The
driver is responsible for driving the apparatus to the alarm using defensive
driving, and signaling lane changes and turns being made. Officers or senior firefighters shall
operate all audio warning devices as well as the radio. Drivers shall resist the urge to operate
everything while driving.
OPERATING
POWER SAWS
When
operating power equipment under emergency conditions, accident potential is
high due to adverse operational conditions. A slight miscalculation or sudden
unplanned move can result in a serious accident. Performance skill and proper
instruction by a company officer, coupled with the use of common sense and the
strict adherence to safety guidelines can prevent accidents.
PERSONNEL
PROTECTION
Full
protective clothing shall be worn by those members operating, and by those
members in close proximity to the operation of power saws.
Face
shield or goggles, will be in position to provide eye protection.
To
prevent accidents caused by moving belts, gears, chains, blades, etc., it is
imperative that the operator and the guide have their clothing completely
buttoned up and close fitting.
Carry
the rescue saw with the engine stopped, the blade frontward, and the muffler
away from your body.
Always
carry the chain saw with the engine stopped, the guide bar and saw chain to the
rear and the muffler away from your body.
Keep
both hands on the control handles when operating the saw. Use a firm grip with thumbs and fingers
encircling the saw handles.
Make
sure of your footing before operating the saw.
There
shall always be a team of two men to perform cutting operations. The man
operating the saw(operator) will be assisted and/or guided by the second
man(guide).
The
saw will always be shut down when unattended.
Have
a plan of action before putting the saw into operation; your plan should
include:
1. Location
and sequence of cuts and openings.
2. Wind
direction. Consider its effect on exposures and personnel.
3. Preplanned
escape routes. You should provide for at least two(2) means of egress.
Whenever
possible, an officer should be present to supervise cutting operations and to
assure compliance with safety guidelines.
Always
place the safety guard in the proper position to provide protection for the use
intended before operating the saw.
Power
saw operations are safest when cutting on horizontal surfaces near ground level
or vertical surfaces at waist level or below.
Operating a power
saw above the chest height is extremely hazardous and should not be attempted
as a normal course of action. This type
of operation shall be conducted only under the direct supervision of an
experienced officer and at his direct order. The officer ordering this
operation shall weigh heavily the value gained against the extreme hazard to
personnel.
The
use of a power saw from ladders is not recommended if there are alternatives.
When
operating close to highly combustible or flammable materials there shall always
be a fire suppression device in close proximity of the situation.
Do
not operate saws in suspected flammable/explosive atmospheres!
Side
pressure or twisting of the blade when operating a rescue saw should be
avoided. The saw should never be forced.
If too much pressure is applied to the blade, the hazard of blade
breakage (carbide tipped) or blade shattering is increased. A blade, which
breaks or shatters during cutting operations may cause serious injury to the
operator, or to others in the area.
The
saw cut should be only as deep as necessary. Deep cuts may weaken supporting
beams and lead to collapse. The experienced operator will know when he has
reached a beam by the sound and feel of the saw. This is particularly important in the use of a chain saw.
If
condition permit, scrape gravel and debris from the path to be cut, in order to
reduce the danger of injury from flying chips and loose materials.
When
using the rescue saw to open metal buildings, doors, etc., where conditions
permit, utilize methods to eliminate the hazards of sharp edges. Consider
making the cut in either an X design or a triangular design with the points
bent inward.
TACTICAL
POSITIONING
Positioning of operating companies can severely affect the safety/survival
of such companies. Personnel must use extreme caution when placed in the
following positions:
A. Above
the fire (floors/roofs)
B. Where
fire can move in behind them.
C. When
involved with opposing fire streams.
D. Combining
interior and exterior attack.
E. Where
a sector officer cannot control position or retreat.
F. With
limited access: one-way in/out
G. Operating
under involved roof structures.
H. In
areas containing hazardous materials.
I. Below
ground fires (basements, manholes, etc.)
J. In
areas where a backdraft potential exists
The
safety of firefighting personnel represents the major reason for an effective
and well‑timed offensive/defensive decision and the associate write‑off
by the IC. When the rescue of savable victims has been completed, the IC must
ask himself: "Is the risk to my personnel worth the property I can
save?" When operating in a
defensive mode, your operating position should be as far from the involved area
as possible and still remain effective. Position and operate from behind
barriers if available (fences, walls, etc.)
The
intent is for personnel to utilize safe positioning where possible or
available, in an effort to safeguard against sudden hazardous development such
as backdraft explosion, structural collapse, etc. When operating in an offensive mode, be aggressively offensive.
An effective interior attack operation directed toward knocking down the fire
eliminates most eventual safety problems.
Due
to the inherent hazards of the immediate fire or incident scene, efforts will
be made by the IC to limit the number of personnel on the fire ground to those
assigned to a necessary function.
All
personnel shall either:
A.
Be positioned in staging.
B.
Be assigned to a task or a
sector.
C. Having completed an assignment and no other
assignment is available within that sector‑crews should be assigned to a
resource, Staging, or Rehabilitation Sector until such time as they can be
either reassigned to an operating sector or released to quarters.
The
intent of this guideline is to minimize fire ground confusion/congestion and
limit the number of personnel exposed to fire ground hazards to only those
necessary to successfully control the operation. Individuals or crews shall be
restricted from wandering about the fire ground or congregating in non‑functional
groups. If you have not been assigned to a sector or you do not have a
necessary staff function to perform, report back to your assigned apparatus.
In
any hazardous material situation, the IC will engage only an absolute minimum
number of properly trained personnel within the fire ground perimeter. Self‑standing
master streams will be utilized wherever possible. In situation where crews are operating from opposing or
conflicting positions, such as front vs. rear attack streams, interior vs.
exterior streams, roof crews vs. interior crews, etc., use radio or face to
face communications to coordinate your actions with those of the opposing crew
in an effort to prevent needless injury.
Ground
crews and interior crews must be notified before ladder pipes go into
operation.
Do
not operate exterior streams, whether hand lines, master streams, ladder pipes,
etc., into an area where interior crews are operating. This guideline is
intended to prevent injuries to personnel due to steam blast and the driving of
fire and/or heavy heat and smoke onto interior crews.
When
laddering a roof, the ladder selected shall be one that will extend 2 to 3
rungs above the roofline. This shall be
done in an effort to provide personnel operating on the roof with a visible
means of egress.
If
possible, when laddering buildings under fire conditions, place ladders near
building corners or firewalls as these areas are generally more stable in the
event of structural collapse.
When
operating above or below ground level, establish at least two separate escape
routes where possible, such as stairways, ladders, exits, etc., preferably at
opposite ends of the building or separated by considerable distance.
Many
safety principle revolve around action that takes place on the fire ground.
For
the purpose of the Sayre Fire Department operations, the fire ground is defined
as: The area inside an imaginary boundary that has been determined by safety
considerations according to the foreseeable hazards of the particular incident.
The
flexibility boundary that determines the fire ground can be altered by various
safety factors. The boundary may
include but is not limited to:
A. the
center of the street
B. 30'
to 50' from a building
C. the
area of possible explosion
D. the
area of structural collapse
E. the
area of smoke
All personnel
entering the fire ground perimeter shall:
*
wear full protective clothing
* notify the driver or an officer of their company
* have crew intact
*
be assigned to a sector
All others stay outside.
Pylons shall be
position around the fire apparatus for personnel safety.
EVACUATION
Interior
firefighting operations should be abandoned when the extent of the fire
prohibits effective operations or the structure becomes unsafe to operate
within. When conditions are such that interior firefighting positions become
untenable, regroup, re‑communicate, and redeploy. Our primary concern when a hazard, which may
affect the safety of fire personnel, becomes apparent is the welfare of those
personnel. In an effort to protect
personnel which may suffer the adverse effects of such hazards such as
structural collapse, explosion, backdraft, etc., a structured method of area
evacuation must be used, one which will provide for the rapid/effective
notification of those personnel involved, and one which will be able to
accurately account for those personnel.
The
method of evacuation selected will vary depending on the following
circumstances:
A.
Imminence of the hazard
B.
Type and extent of the hazard
C.
Perception of the area
affected by the hazard
A steady blast of
air horns as well as radio communication should be used when a total and
immediate evacuation of the structure or area is required.
EMERGENCY
TRAFFIC
The
term "Emergency Traffic" will be used by any unit encountering an
immediately perilous situation and will receive the highest communications
priority from base stations and all operating units.
When
a unit has a critical message they will establish contact with the IC. For
example: Sayre 21 to Sayre 1. "Emergency Traffic." The IC will
acknowledge by repeating the term "Emergency Traffic." THE AIR
ABSOLUTELY BELONGS TO ANY UNIT GIVING THE "EMERGENCY TRAFFIC"
CALL. The emergency traffic
announcement is designed to provide immediate notification for all fire ground
personnel of a notable hazard that is either about to occur or has occurred.
The
use of "Emergency Traffic" should be initiated only when the hazard
appears imminent.