Emergency Operations Personnel Accountability

Emergency Operations Personnel Accountability

• Purpose: Track and control incident personnel for accountability and safety.
• Procedure: Utilizes tactical worksheets for incident resource management.

Tactical Worksheets

• Content: Resource status (staged, assigned), assignment (division/group/task), accountability tracking (companies report completion/area changes), organizational chart, incident area drawing, tactical priority checklist, time tracking (10-minute intervals for evaluations), and strategy.

Accountability Responsibilities

• Incident Commander (IC): Responsible for strategic accountability, tracking all crews/divisions/groups by location and function on the tactical worksheet. Knows who's in charge of each, crew assignments, locations, and tasks. Considers air supply in assignments, including crew rotation. Obtains Personnel Accountability Reports (PARs) from supervisors and crews.

• Division/Group Supervisor: Responsible for tactical accountability, tracking assigned crews' locations and functions. Maintains close supervision in assigned area and obtains PARs for all crew members. Uses the PASSPORT system for personnel accountability.

• Company Officer: Responsible for task-level accountability, knowing each firefighter's location and actions. Maintains up-to-date PASSPORT for personnel on apparatus (Primary and Secondary). Obtains crew PARs confirming accountability and adequate exit air supply, and informs command of assignment completion/area changes.

• Simplified Accountability: Company officers and Division/Group supervisors verbally communicate the number of personnel under their supervision when inside/on top/underneath structures or in unknown/IDLH atmospheres or when exiting. 

• Expanded Division/Group: During escalated operations with expanded Division/Groups (3+ crews), PARs are reported within the Division/Group and don't need immediate IC notification.

Examples of IDLH or Special Hazards

• Offensive/Defensive Fire Operations
• Hazardous Materials Incidents
• Trench Rescue
• Confined Space Rescue

Personnel Accountability Report (PAR)

• Purpose: Confirmation that crew members are accounted for and have adequate exit air supply.

• Content: Reports of "all clear," "knock down," offensive-to-defensive changes, every 20 minutes, missing/trapped firefighters, sudden hazardous events (flashover, backdraft, collapse), or Command necessity

• Reporting: Face-to-face within the division or company whenever possible. Reports to Command include: Present assignment/designation, unit name(s), and confirmation of PAR. (e.g., "Fire Attack, E55 has PAR.")

• Requirements: Essential for all of the criteria listed under content reporting

This quiz explores the procedures and responsibilities associated with incident personnel accountability in emergency operations. It covers the use of tactical worksheets for resource management and the roles of the Incident Commander and Division Supervisors in maintaining accountability and safety during incidents.