Fireground Accountability Policy Quiz

Fireground Accountability

• The purpose of this policy is to ensure firefighter safety by establishing accountability systems for personnel operating at emergency incidents.

Definitions

• A Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) is a roll call of all operation members assigned to an incident at specified times.
• PARs are designed to account for each member’s location and activity, verifying their safety.

Policy

• Supervision of personnel on emergency incidents, including personnel from assisting agencies, is required to ensure their safety.
• All members must participate in the accountability systems.

Responsibilities

• A personnel accountability system must be implemented using thorough training procedures.
• The system should continuously monitor the status of all emergency personnel from their arrival until their official release from the incident.
• The primary goal of the personnel accountability system is to track personnel.
• On smaller incidents, one individual may be responsible for tracking both personnel and resources.
• Written personnel accountability systems should be maintained through methods like Incident Command System (ICS) Form I-201, status boards, helmet shields, passports, and name tags.
• Individual crew names must be posted in a conspicuous location in the cab of department vehicles.
• Supervisors are responsible for tracking all personnel under their direction on emergency incidents.
• Personnel should be accounted for from the time of dispatch to the time of demobilization.
• Supervisors must implement sufficient tracking methods to account for personnel at all phases and locations of an incident.
• The Incident Commander (IC) designates an accountability officer to monitor areas, crew assignments, locations, and area assignments.
• Division or group supervisors are responsible for tracking crews under their supervision.
• Lieutenants are responsible for knowing the location and assignment of each firefighter in their crew.
• All members must participate in the accountability system, including checking in at designated locations, even if arriving individually or in privately owned vehicles.

Reporting

• Ongoing, routine accountability at all emergency incidents should be accomplished through periodic reporting or visual observation.
• This can be achieved through concise reports, known as CAN reports, that include conditions, actions, and needs.
• Members should report emergency situations, inability to meet objectives with revised timelines or resource requests, completed actions, changes in strategy, and changes in fire conditions.

Personnel Accountability Reports (PAR)

• A PAR should be conducted within the first 10 minutes of a structure fire and every 20 minutes thereafter for personnel at the scene.
• Additional PARs are required after any change in conditions that may affect firefighter safety, such as increased fire conditions, fire crossing control lines, or a trigger point.
• PARs should be conducted for each division, group, and organizational element where operations personnel are working.
• If any person involved in the operation is unaccounted for, emergency procedures, including notification to the IC, should be initiated.
• The IC may discontinue regular PARs when incident stabilization is achieved and hazards are sufficiently reduced.

Test your knowledge on the Fireground Accountability policy aimed at ensuring firefighter safety. This quiz covers key definitions, responsibilities, and the importance of personnel accountability systems during emergency incidents. Assess your understanding of how accountability reports (PARs) function and their role in maintaining safety on the fireground.