OPERATING
GUIDELINES
OF THE
MONROE
RURAL
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
PROTECTING
THE MONROE RURAL FIRE DISTRICT
HEADQUARTERS
MONROE, OREGON 97456
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0.1Introduction
0.2Department Background
0.3Organizational Chart
SECTION 1EMERGENCY CALL PROCEDURES
1.0 Accountability System
1.1 Response to Calls
1.2 Use of Turnouts & SCBA
1.3 Fire Apparatus Staffing
1.4 Life Support Units (1715, 1725, 1735) Staffing
1.5 Fire Engineer's Duties
1.6 Driving Emergency Vehicles
1.7 On Scene Paperwork
1.8 Chain of Command
1.9 Firefighter & EMT Duties
1.9.1 EMS Protocols
1.10 Radio Communications
1.11 Responding Guide
1.11.1 Hazardous Response
1.12 Out of District Response
1.13 Infectious Disease Exposure and Control Policy
1.14 Confined Space Rescue
1.15 Water Rescue
1.16 Low & High Angle Rescue
1.17 RIT
SECTION 2MAINTENANCE & EQUIPMENT
2.1Hose Maintenance
2.2Apparatus Maintenance
2.3SCBA Maintenance
2.4Departmental Equipment
2.5Written Hazard Communication Program
2.6Lockout/Tagout Program
2.7Breathing Air Compressor & Air Quality Maintenance
SECTION 3ADMINISTRATIVE & DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES
3.1New Members
3.2Drill Rules
3.3Elections
3.4Executive Committee
3.5Reimbursements for Classes & Expenditures
3.6Refreshments Policy
3.7House Rules
3.8Sexual Harassment
3.9Confidentiality of Hazardous Materials Information
3.10CPR Microshields
3.11Resident Volunteer Rules
3.12Document Research and Copying Fees
3.13A.D.A. Policy
3.14Life / Safety & Loss Prevention Policy
SECTION 4OFFICERS/OTHERS
4.1The Fire Chief
4.2Assistant Chief, Captains, & Lieutenants
4.3The Training Officer
4.4The EMS Officer
4.5Public Fire and Life Safety Educator
4.6Employee Exit Form
SECTION 1
EMERGENCY CALL PROCEDURES
0.2Department Background
Currently, the Monroe Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD) protects the area in and around Alpine, Bellfountain and Irishbend Oregon. The Monroe RFPD is bordered on the east by the WillametteRiver, on the north by unprotected area, on the west by state forestry land, and on the south by Junction City Fire Department. The Monroe RFPD is approximately one-hundred thirty-four square miles and has an Insurance Services Office rating of 4 within the Monroe city limits and ratings of 8 in the rural district. The volunteers are alerted to respond by a paging system that is activated from the 911-dispatch center located in Corvallis and operated by the Corvallis Police Department.
The equipment of the department is owned by the RFPD and funding for the department comes from property taxes and is overseen by an elected board of directors. The department is staffed entirely by volunteers, with the exception of a full-time paid chief.
The department also provides Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support and medical quick response to the District. The EMT units are an integral part of the department. The Monroe RFPD does not provide transportation of patients to medical facilities. Transportation of patients is provided primarily by the Corvallis Fire Department, and secondary ambulance service is provided by Lane Rural, Eugene Fire Department, or Springfield Fire Department.
Equipment is housed at three stations, one in Monroe (Station #1 - the main station), one in Alpine (Station #2), and one in Bellfountain (Station #3).
The equipment of the district includes four pumper trucks, two tender/pumper trucks, one van-type medical unit, one modular-type medical unit, one RAV (Rapid Attack Vehicle), one brush unit and two staff vehicles.
1.0Safety Accountability
Personnel accountability at an emergency scene is one of the most important parts of The Incident Command System. It is commonly referred to as the Passport System. The system was designed to provide the Incident Commander with information concerning the identity of individual members of a company or team and their assignment and account for the assignment of companies, teams, and units at an emergency scene. Therefore, the policy of the Monroe Fire District is that the Passport System, in some form, will be used.
1.0. A. Components of Passport System
The Passport System utilizes removable helmet shields, white, yellow and red passports, name tags, and control boards.
Helmet Shields:
A) Each apparatus shall have a reflective helmet shield for each assigned member. The purpose of the helmet shield is to clearly identify the member as to which company or team they are assigned to.
B) All helmet shields are to be kept in a designated location on the apparatus when not actually on a helmet.
C) Helmet shields must be in place on members BEFORE entrance into an emergency incident perimeter.
D) Helmet shield shall be color coded as follows:
1) Company Officers-White with Black numbers
2) FF/Eng.-Orange with White numbers
3) IC (Incident Commander) White with Green letters
E) The officer of each unit will held accountable for replacing all helmet shields.
Passports:
A) The purpose of a passport is to provide accountability of company/team members after entering an emergency incident perimeter.
B) Passports control boards contains the following information:
1. Top portion:
a) Incident location and type
b) Company/unit designator (alarm, engine, tender, rescue, time, etc.)
2. Middle portion holds team members name tags.
3. Back portion contains sectors, time, officer and location. A scene diagram and check list.
1.0.A. cont......
C) Passport color codes:
1. White-primary, engraved with unit ID (given to IC.)
2. Yellow-secondary, engraved with unit ID (given to unit Officer)
3. Red-back up, engraved with unit ID (stays in unit)
D) The White Passport (primary) provided for each company, team, or unit.
1. The primary passport shall be given to the Incident Commander or their designate before entry into an emergency incident perimeter.
2. Passports are kept in the passenger compartment of each unit when not in service.
E) The Yellow Passport (secondary) is used as follows:
1. For identification of team members and is kept by the unit Officer.
2. Secondary passports are kept in the passenger compartment of each unit when not in service.
F) The Red Passport (Backup) is used as follows:
1. For identification of team members and id kept in the unit as a backup to the primary & secondary passports.
2. Backup passports are kept in the passenger compartment of each unit when not in service.
Control Boards:
A) A plastic board with Velcro strips upon which the incident or division commander holds the passports of assigned company or teams and takes notes.
B) Used to organize initial ICS assignments and track key life safety, incident control, and property conservation bench marks.
C) Used to manage and track sector, division, group, etc. organization.
D) Used to maintain passports during incidents.
Name Tags:
A) Each member of the Fire District shall maintain a minimum of four (4) Velcro backed name tags.
B) Six (6) name tags are attached with Velcro to the underside of the rear brim of the member’s helmet.
C) Company officers and team leader name tags are the first tag on the passports, followed by the engineer (placed inverted) and firefighter name tags.
1.0.A. cont......
Procedure:
The basic policy and procedures for the use of the Passport System by the District are:
Commanders at an emergency incident shall use the Passport system to account for those commanders, companies, and teams within their direct span of control.
Commanders, team leaders, and firefighters shall maintain an awareness of each other's physical condition and shall use the command structure to request help, relief, and reassignment of fatigued or injured teams or members.
Company officers, team leaders, and firefighters are accountable for the SAFETY of themselves and other members of their team. Team members shall maintain a constant awareness of the position and function of all members working with them.
Team members must always be in contact with each other through one of the following methods: Voice, (not with a radio), sight, or touch. Radio contact is acceptable in the case of apparatus operators, chief officers, or when the location of such personnel is constant and known by the other members of the team, i.e. control sector, etc.
If a team member is in trouble, the other member(s) of the team shall take appropriate steps to: Provide direct help, call for help, or as a last resort go get help. Members will stay together as teams when in the Hazard Zone (any area where for safety reasons the public is not allowed access), when the use of SCBA’s is required and otherwise directed by the Incident Commander, until the incident is over.
When a task is completed by a teamthey are to notify the appropriate person in their chain of command, the team will retrieve their passport and report to staging until reassignment. The appropriate officer will identify the team to the Incident Commander and that their task has been completed. Incident Commanders and/or sector officers will not assign tasks to teams that do not have passports.
Company Officers and/or team leaders shall be responsible to supervise the maintenance and proper placement of Helmet Shields, Passportsand team accountability and integrity at emergency incidents.
1.0.A. cont......
ALL MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN: The correct Helmet Shield on their helmet and their name tags on the correct primary, secondary and backup passports.
Firefighter’s/EMT’s responding to calls will follow THESE GUIDELINES:
A) The company officer for the unit will:
1. Collect three (3) name tags from each member on the unit. The company officer will then issue a helmet shield to the individual when the company officer has received the 3 name tags. While enroute, a member of that company will prepare the primary, secondary and backup passports tags.
B) (Remember, if you are not assigned to the vehicle you responded on, return your helmet shield to the unit and retrieve your name tags from the passport at the conclusion of the call.)
C) Whenever a team or company is assigned with another company for a task or function, the primary passports will be piggy backed. Example: 1715 is assigned with 1711 for attack team, 1715's primary passport would be piggy backed onto 1711's primary passport.
Company officers are responsible for member under their direct control. When a team is split away from the company officer to a different Commander, that Commander and team leader are accountable for that team and all members of both teams will be made aware of whom they are to report to and commanders made aware of whom they are responsible for.
Company officers are responsible for the primary and secondary passport. The primary (White) passport shall be kept in the I.C.’s control board. The secondary passport (Yellow) shall be kept in the unit Officer’s position. The backup passport (Red) will remain on the dashboard, passenger side, of each vehicle.
When a company reports to the Incident Commander for assignment and the driver/operator is left with the apparatus, the driver/operator's name tag shall be inverted. This way the I.C. or division or sector officer will know the driver/operator is not with the company.
During an incident the I.C. or an appointee shall have the passports of the companies under their command on the control board. If command is passed to later arriving companies and/or a chief officer, that I.C. shall pass the control board to the new I.C. and await their new assignment.
1.0.A. cont......
When a company or team reports to an incident, division, sector or staging, they shall transfer their primary passport to that commander except as defined below:
The Primary passport will remain with the officer or team leader when:
They are the only unit at the incident.
They are a committed first arriving unit(s) at an incident before the establishment of a command post or have passed Command.
They are on or directed to a remote side of an emergency incident before the establishment of a sector or division.
When first arriving teams that have not transferred their passports to a command function leave a hazardous area, they will report their team status to the Incident Commander by radio or personal contact. The Commander may direct the company or team to a command function or a new assignment where they shall transfer their passport(s).
Commanders and team leaders will conduct an emergency incident roll call/PAR using their passport as a guide when:
The company or team is relieved of an assignment and transferred to a different command. Commanders will confirm that a roll call/PAR has been conducted.
If a commander presumes a firefighter or team is missing or trapped, the commander shall start rescue efforts AS SOON AS POSSIBLE at the last known location. The Incident Commander will then conduct a roll call/PAR on the emergency incident to confirm the status of missing personnel by: announcing a roll call/PAR to all Officers/team leaders and division sectors, then checking with each division or sector on their roll call status. (Division officers should try to conduct their roll call/PAR face-to-face so as not to tie up the radio channel if possible).
Changing from offensive to defensive mode, the Incident Commander will announce the change to all Officers/team leaders on the fire channel. The companies and teams will withdraw from the building and conduct a roll call/PAR. They will report their status to their sector officer who will then report to the Incident Commander.
1.0.A. cont......
A catastrophic change in the incident, such as a building collapse, explosion, backdraft, sudden flooding, release of vapor cloud or a change in the attach mode etc., or the Incident Commander warrants a roll call/PAR.
The Incident Commander or team leader determines that a need for a roll call/PAR exists. When the Incident Commander decides it is necessary that a utility worker or civilian is to go inside the Hazard Zone, that person shall be escorted by a uniformed member of the District who has a radio for emergency communication. The civilian will be outfitted in appropriate protective gear for the hazard zone they will be entering. The civilian is responsible for providing this protective equipment.
DEFINITIONS:
Company Officers: Officers and acting officers in charge of engine companies, or teams.
Control Board: A clipboard with Velcro strips upon which supervisors hold passports of assigned teams and take notes.
Emergency Incident: Any situation to which the fire district responds to deliver emergency services including: rescue, fire suppression, medical treatment, and other forms of hazard control and mitigation.
Helmet Shield: A plasticized shield backed with Velcro that attached to the front of member's helmet. The helmet shield has letter and/or numbers identifying a company unit or administrative assignment. The second number identifies the type of unit, i.e.:
1700 and 1701= Chief Officers
1715, 1725, 1723= Medic Units and Rescues
1711, 1712, 1721, 1731= Engines
1713, 1733= Tenders
1710, 1716= If used is Support Vehicles
1714= Brush Unit
PIO= Public Information Officer
SFTY= Safety Officer
SUPPORT= Support People/Coffee, Food, Pop, etc.
Incident Termination: The conclusion of Fire District operations at the scene of an incident, usually the departure of the last unit from the scene.
1.0.A. cont......
Name Tag: A Velcro-backed plastic tag with a member's last name and first name initial.
Passport: Approximately 2" x 4" boards made of Velcro and plastic used to identify and account for members and teams. Members affix name tags to passports.
A) Primary passport: White, given to the I.C.
B) Secondary passport: Yellow, flexible passport kept by the unit Officer.
C) Back up passport: kept on the dashboard of the apparatus.
Roll Call/PAR: A poll of all teams at an emergency incident to account for all personnel at that incident.
Team: A group of two (2) or more firefighters who work together and are responsible for each other's safety.
Team Leader: Usually a company officer or member assigned or selected as the team leader.
Velcro Pad: A permanently attached Velcro pad on the dashboard or helmet to which passports, helmet shields, and name tag sets are attached.
Fire Ground Commander: Officers of firefighter assigned command functions within the ICS fire ground management system. Command functions can range from the base commander to staging, sector, division, group, operations, and incident commander.
Incident Command System or ICS: A management system that
defines the responsibilities and limits the span of control of fire ground commanders. Training and use of ICS is required by Federal and State law for any firefighterand is pre-requisite knowledge to efficiently work with the passport accountability system.
Piggy Backed: The practice of attaching one passport to a second. Passports are piggy backed when a company has four or more members who can be split into two separate teams. Company officers and team leaders must account for the members within their span of control and therefore keeps both teams' passports until they are split into separate teams by an emergency incident commander. Some departments may choose to have an individual team leader responsible for a second team and the piggy back method of storage would not apply.
1.0.A. cont......
Offensive Fire Ground Strategy: The term used to describe a fire attack where firefighters enter the structure (interior fire fighting)to locate, confine and extinguish a fire.
Defensive Fire Ground Strategy: The term used to describe a fire ground operation where the fire is attacked from the perimeter/exterior. The strategy of defensive operations is to protect exposures and confine the fire to the area involved. A defensive strategy is used when there are no life safety situations and or the risk vs. benefit is too great.
Transitional Fire Ground Strategy: Use to convey that the fire is vented and there is currently not sufficient staff on scene to go offensive so an indirect attack from the outside will be done until staffing will allow two in and two out / RIT.
Investigating Fire Ground Strategy: The term used to describe a situation where there is light smoke with no IDLH environment and a team will be going inside with a hand line or fire extinguisher to find the cause of the smoke. Before entering the structure staff must read the basement, attic and the flashover potential.
Preparing Fire Ground Strategy: The term used to describe a fire that is not vented and an insufficient number of staff is on scene to ventilate or attack the fire. So preparations are being make (hoses laid, fan started and set to a 90 degree to the entry) and waiting for more staff to arrive.