Firefighter Mayday Readiness & Response

• In Phoenix Regional Standard Operating Procedures, M.P. 201.01B, is a document that describes Mayday Readiness and Response.

Definition of a Mayday Situation

• A Mayday situation happens when a firefighter is unable to safely exit a hazard zone.
• It also applies to any event the firefighter can't resolve within 30 seconds.
• Any on-duty member can call a Mayday if the conditions exist.
• This applies during response, on scene or any time a member runs into a trouble and has a portable radio.
• Early Mayday identification is critical because delayed declarations can reduce the chance of a successful resolution.
• A Mayday is initiated by communicating "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" via portable radio.
• Ideally Tactical Radio Operators in dispatch will hear and respond.

The Rule of Mayday Readiness

• Every firefighter must maintain a high level of Mayday readiness, which includes everyday preparation and practiced ability to communicate and respond.
• Mayday procedures are relevant for all levels of an incident organization.
• Strategic, tactical, and task levels of hazard zone management should regularly practice Mayday procedures.
• This includes the dispatch/tactical radio component.
• Preparation should be integrated into everyday activities and practiced at the company level.

Definition of Mayday Readiness

• Mayday readiness involves adopting an attitude to consider "what if I or another firefighter gets in trouble" before a bad scenario develops.
• The NFPA 1500 standard defines mayday readiness as the ability to don, doff, and manipulate the SCBA in zero visibility while wearing firefighting gloves.
• Preventing Mayday situations involves multiple factors that Command Officers, Company Officers, and Firefighters must reinforce scenario preventions.
• Working within an Incident Command System/Risk Management System
• Working within the Incident Action Plan
• Being accountable to someone within the incident command system and never freelancing.
• Maintaining individual and crew air management
• Management of work cycles
• Monitoring distances traveled into buildings
• Layering of resources and providing for a tactical reserve
• Planning and acting out an exit plan

Prevention and Response

• Mayday readiness has 2 components: prevention and response.

Task Level Mayday Readiness and Response

• Every firefighter prepares to prevent and respond to Mayday situations.
• Maintaining SCBA proficiency
• Practicing individual air management at the task level of M.P. 202.05C
• Using and caring for personal protective equipment
• Using portable radios
• Practicing crew communications
• Roving/replacement firefighter integration into crew
  • Individual firefighters should ask if the Company Officer has not initiated integration.
• The Company Officer is responsible for Crew development and practice with consistent training toward Mayday prevention.
• Setting expectations for all crew members regarding Mayday readiness.
• Developing routines that the Company Officer encourages and participates in.
• Integrating a daily SCBA check into the crew routine
• Practicing crew communication in the hazard zone
• Rover integration into crew
  • Individual rovers should ask if integration isn't explicitly discussed at the beginning of a shift
• Maintaining knowledge of portable radios and practicing their use
• Ensuring Company Officer responsibilities and expectations are clear to the entire crew
• Practicing and maintaining crew integrity/accountability
• Instilling the standard that firefighters should always stay on a hoseline

Individual Firefighter Mayday Response

• Individual firefighter response involves increasing chance of survival.
• Skill development should begin at the Recruit level.
• It should continue throughout a firefighter's career daily as a Mayday is initially managed at the company level.
• As communication happens, this initiates the defined help order.

Individual Firefighter Responsibilities for Response

• Maintaining preparation and reaction skills
• Early communication of Mayday situation utilizing above standard
• Controlling an emotional response to the situation
• Once a Mayday is recognized and reported, firefighters should remember B.O.A.
  • B.O.A. = Breath, Organize and Act
• Utilization of IAFF Fire Ground Survival training
  • SCBA familiarization
  • High/low profile wall breech
  • Disentanglement
  • Ladder bail
  • Window hang
  • GRAB LIVES
    • G = Check Air Gauge
    • R = Radio for Assistance
    • A = Activate PASS Device
    • B = Control Breathing, Conserve Air
    • L = Stay Low
    • I = Illuminate, Turn Flashlight On
    • V = Make Loud Noises (Volume)
    • E = Find An Exit
    • S = Shield Your Airway (last ditch effort)

Tactical Level Mayday Readiness and Response

• The tactical level of every incident actively works toward Mayday prevention and preparedness.
• The Battalion Chief and F.I.T. or I.S.O. tandem best manages these responsibilities:
  • Working within the overall incident action plan
  • Continual assessment of the decision making model within the sector operations
  • Management of tactical objectives for the sector through position and functions of crews working within the sector
  • Sector level air management
    • Managing geographic working area
    • Work/rest cycles
    • Distances into building
  • Accountability
    • Maintain adequate resources assigned to the sector, remembering to TAG hose lines
    • Layer resources in position to manage tactical objectives and prepared to respond in the event of Mayday
  • Maintaining effective and appropriate communications with Command
    • Sector C.A.N. reports
    • Requesting or de-committing resources
• In the event of a Mayday situation, the Sector Officer will take responsibility of the resolution.
• The Incident Commander should support the Mayday Sector Officer with resources reinforcing surrounding sectors to continue incident mitigation.
• Projecting resource requirements increases survivability and responsibilities:
  • Responding to the Mayday from the inside out
  • Manage communications with the down firefighter
  • Manage search and rescue efforts for the down firefighter if necessary
  • Increase and maintain resources assigned to the sector, including logistical support
  • Improve survivability and tenability
    • Increase exterior access to sector
    • Utilize RIC bag
    • Request additional if necessary
    • Improve ventilation
• Recognize and support the help order of a Mayday
  • Self-rescue by the Mayday initiator
  • Down firefighter's crew
  • Crews working in the same sector
    • Crews with firefighting assignments
    • Crews from an "on-deck" position or staged outside of the sector as a tactical reserve
    • Additional resources requested from the Incident Commander
  • Crews from other sectors
  • Requesting additional staged resources
  • Communications with surrounding geographical or functional sectors
  • Surrounding sectors not involved in the Mayday
    • Continue the firefight in support of the Mayday
    • Actively account for all members assigned to sector
    • Report P.A.R.'s to Incident Commander as required
  • Maintain accountability of crews working to resolve the Mayday
    • Using the Safety Channel is best to communicate accountability to the Command Van
  • Maintain awareness of fire and smoke, as well as building conditions, as rescue efforts are initiated
    • There is no greater time for a concise Risk Management System than during a Mayday
    • Creating further Mayday situations when resolving an existing Mayday is unacceptable
    • These conditions must be communicated to the Incident Commander, especially if conditions deteriorate and impact the rescue efforts

Strategic Level MayDay Readiness and Response

• The Incident Command Team is ultimately responsible for actively providing for the prevention and response to a Mayday situation.
• The incident command team includes the Incident Commander, Support Officer and the Senior Advisor with other positions and personnel that will support when working within a Command Van.
• Responsibilities:
  • Continually reassess the incident through strategic decision making.
    • Considering elapsed time into the incident: critical fireground factors
    • Risk Management position
    • Strategy
    • Evaluate the incident action plan (is there a plan B?)
    • Resources
    • Consider remaining on scene firefighters welfare
  • Plan and prepare for communications challenges
    • Mayday initiated on wrong radio channel
    • Multiple, simultaneous Maydays
  • Strategic level communications
    • Control incident communications
      • Once a Mayday is initiated, all sectors should manage communications for critical messages only over the radio.
    • No news is good news
    • Manage communications pace and tone
    • Incident and Mayday always remain on the same tactical channel
    • Accountability
    • Tactical benchmarks
    • C.A.N. and P.A.R. reports requests to Sectors as needed
    • Continuing strategic level continuity
      • Manage and support the Mayday at the strategic level
      • Ensure Battalion Chiefs are assigned to all critical tactical level positions
        • Firefighting sectors (geographical and/or functional)
        • Medical sectors
        • Transportation sectors
      • Continue to manage remaining firefight
        • Ensure the overall incident actions match the overall incident conditions
        • Maintain the overall incident organization
        • Provide for tactical level accountability
        • Manage resource deployment
        • Control access to the hazard zone through the Sector Officers
        • Support tactical level considerations
          • Improve access to building
          • Support with ventilation
          • Continue to address the fire when conditions will allow
    • Communicate progress appropriately to the policy and political levels of city government The tactical benchmark for the end point of a Mayday is "Mayday resolved”. To confirm:
  • The individual(s) experiencing the Mayday situation have been removed from the hazard zone
  • All members involved in the rescue are accounted for and out of the hazard zone
  • All members working in all other sectors are accounted for
  • The Incident Commander can give a PAR for the entire hazard zone
• The Officer of the sector in which the Mayday occurred notifies command of the completion of rescue and that members involved are out of the hazard zone.
• The Incident Commander completes the accountability process and complete the benchmark "Mayday resolved".

Dispatch Center Responsibilities

• The dispatch center and tactical radio operators play a role in the resolution of a Mayday.
• Contact between the incident command team and dispatch is a significant component of the hazard zone management system and firefighter safety.
• A firefighter initiates a Mayday by communicating "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" on the radio.
• Anyone working in the field with a portable radio can initiate a Mayday.
• Mayday is not just a fireground term and is applicable in any hazard zone. Upon initiation of a Mayday, the tactical radio operator shall:
  • Use the emergency traffic tone
  • Voice on the tactical channel “We have a Mayday on the scene, all units hold your traffic”
  • Repeat the Mayday message using the standard radio order model
  • Allows the Incident Commander to speak to the Mayday initiator If the first Fire Department Company on scene initiates the Mayday, the tactical radio operator shall:
  • Assure the member that "help is on the way"
  • Maintain communications with the Mayday initiator until other units arrive
  • Ensure communications are necessary and don't fill dead radio time
  • Remind the member to initiate their “GRAB LIVES” procedures
  • Ensure all responding units are aware of the Mayday
  • Upgrade the assignment to a Mayday nature code

Conclusion

• The entire dispatch center provides redundant monitoring of the Mayday radio traffic.
• The dispatch center provides automatic activation of processes to assist.
• Additional resources are provided.
• Upon initiation of a Mayday, the incident is upgraded using the Mayday nature code.
  • If a 3 - 1 incident, then balanced to 1st Alarm Mayday
  • If a 1st Alarm incident, then balanced to 2nd Alarm Mayday
  • Continues to 9 Alarms
• Provides additional medical or transport resources as appropriate
• Monitoring of all possible hazard zone channels
• It is every firefighters responsibility to maintain their preparedness for a Mayday situation
• The only way to guarantee a successful outcome of a Mayday situation is to prevent it.
• Mayday prevention and preparedness requires action at all levels of an incident command system
• The Ultimate goal for any Mayday response is to successfully resolve the Mayday and avoid creating new Mayday situations
• Any Mayday situation elevates the emotional levels and tests a command system.
• All members, at all levels remember to Breathe, Organize and Act! (B.O.A.)