Command and control ics chapter 4

• The Incident Commander's (IC) ability to manage safety concerns directly impacts the probability of injury or death for emergency responders.
• The IC is responsible for monitoring hazardous conditions and ensuring personnel safety by evaluating the risk/benefit of operations.
• Command officers must model safe behavior and promote safety awareness.
• Effective safety management requires a safety orientation in all actions.
• Command officers need to be familiar with safety-related laws and regulations.
• Complying with these guidelines reduces injuries and protects the agency from liability.

Safety Guidelines

• Every responder must know departmental safety orders and standard operating guidelines (SOGs).
• All personnel must operate as safely as possible and remain aware of their surroundings.

Incident Attire

• Departments must have written regulations for appropriate incident attire.
• Personnel should adhere to established procedures for incident attire.
• Minimum equipment includes turnout gear, helmets, gloves, positive-pressure SCBA, and personal alert devices.
• Specialized responses may require additional protective equipment.

Operational Requirements

• Regulations and SOGs must address several needs.
• A team approach to tasks is paramount.
• There must be one supervisor for every crew.
• Each supervisor needs a portable radio.
• There must be enough hoselines and backup personnel to control the fire.
• A rapid intervention crew (RIC) must be available.
• There must be sufficient reserve personnel in staging.
• A Safety Officer position should be staffed on working incidents.
• A Responder rehabilitation (rehab) area is needed with hydration and medical personnel.

Enforcement of Safety Regulations

• Consistent enforcement of safety rules is essential.
• Personnel who violate safety procedures must be disciplined.
• Failure to enforce safety sends the wrong message.
• An active safety committee should analyze accidents and injuries.
• The committee should compile monthly and annual reports on safety trends.

Risk/Benefit Perspective

• The IC must continually evaluate the risk versus the benefit of firefighting operations.
• Departments should have a clearly understood risk policy.
• A risk policy allows anyone to question poor risk/benefit decisions at the incident scene.
• The IC should limit risk when possible and implement safety provisions before deployment.

Risk/Benefit Cues

• ICs should consider available cues and avoid complacency in decision-making.

Resource Cues

• Sufficient water must be available for firefighting and backup lines
• There must be sufficient personnel for the number of jobs.
• The available apparatus and equipment must be appropriate.
• Adequate resources must be available to handle potential escalation.

Resource Allocation Decision-Making Cues

• These include defensive/offensive fire operations, hazmat incidents, and training.
• There must be properly trained and equipped personnel.
• Weather forecasts, structural integrity, and incident scene hazards are important considerations.

Rescue Decision-Making Cues

• Look for firefighters working above the fire, open stairs, and threatening conditions.
• Consider victim location, smoke conditions, and collapse potential.
• Analyze hazard type and classification.

Exposure Protection Decision-Making Cues

• Consider fire magnitude, proximity of exposures, and structural integrity.
• Note the degree of exposure involvement and exterior finish.
• Note wind conditions and resource availability.
• Rule of Thumb: 0-30 feet = exposure, 30-100 feet = probable, >100 feet = not exposure.

Confinement/Extinguishment Decision-Making Cues

• Look for flashover, rollover, and reports from interior crews.
• Consider potential for flying embers and backdraft.
• Look for backup line, heavy smoke, and interior finishes.

Ventilation Decision-Making Cues

• Pulling or pushing fire and where combustion products are directed are important.
• Note Firefighters working above the fire, open stairwells, and smoke conditions.
• Consider sufficient hoselines, roof construction, and preburn time.

Overhaul Decision-Making Cues

• Note the condition of the structure, products of combustion, and firefighter fatigue.

Salvage Decision-Making Cues

• Presence of combustion products, fire location and spread are to be noted.
• Collapse potential of the building and the value of contents must be considered.

Risk/Benefit Procedures

• Personnel must be self-disciplined and make practical risk/benefit judgments.
• Post-risk/benefit decisions must be brought to the attention of the supervisor.

Anticipating Safety Factors in an Escalating Incident

• Command officers must stay focused on the big picture.

Cues that might indicate additional spread or structural deterioration

• Flames or dark smoke pushing from previously clear areas or vents can indicate spread.
• Increased flame production indicates spread.
• Cracks in walls may indicate floor sagging or another structural issue.
• Inordinate time to control fire with sufficient streams could indicate further unseen issues.
• Division and group supervisors requesting additional crews and hoselines can point to a complicated issue.

Indicators of collapse include the following:

• Continued or heavy fire
• Smoke pushing through walls.
• Fire showing through a wall.
• The building has heavy smoke and high heat coupled with inadequate ventilation
• Cracking noises coming from the building.
• Sagging floors.
• Bulging walls.
• Leaning walls.
• Failure of any structural components.
• Interior collapse.
• Visible spalling of a brick wall
• Wall breaking down under hose streams

Safety Officer Concept

• The IC must staff the Safety Officer position when they cannot devote enough time to safety.
• The Safety Officer must be knowledgeable of fire behavior, building construction, and regulations.
• Safety officers work directly for the IC and have full authority to correct unsafe actions.
• In situations of imminent danger, the Safety Officer has the authority to stop the operation regardless of relative ranks.

Hazardous Materials Incidents

• OSHA regulations state that the Incident Command System (ICS) shall designate a Safety Officer.
• The Safety Officer must be knowledgeable in firefighting, rescue, and hazardous substance handling procedures.
• It is their job to identify and evaluate hazards.
• The Assistant Safety Officer-Hazmat oversees all hazmat-related operations.

Death and Injury Statistics

• Annual reports on firefighter deaths and injuries are compiled by several organizations.
• Managers should analyze these reports, comparing statistics to their state, region, and department.
• The information should be used in long-range strategic planning.
• Prudent managers also gather statistics on job-related illnesses.

Firefighter Injuries

• Sprains, strains, and muscle damage are the most common injuries.
• The most common duty being performed when injured was fireground operations.
• Organizations should analyze their own injury trends.
• Departments should develop a strategic health and welfare plan.

Firefighter Deaths

• Heart attacks continue to be the leading cause of firefighter deaths.
• Internal trauma is the second leading cause of death.
• Deaths during response to and return from alarms remain high.
• Vacant buildings and residential structures are in the top building types involved in fatalities.
• A significant percentage of firefighters are killed during training.

NIOSH Investigation

• The top five causes contributing to fatalities: lack of incident command, inadequate risk assessment, lack of accountability, inadequate communications, and disregard for SOPs.
• The attitude of safety must be ingrained in all members.
• The benefit gained for the risk involved should continually be analyzed.
• Policies and SOGs must be developed, trained on, and enforced.
• Safety officers, RICs, and hazmat safety officers must be trained and deployed when appropriate.

Two-In/Two-Out Rule

• The OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard is a safety milestone.
• The rule addresses communication and accountability.
• Two-in/two-out procedures are required once firefighters begin an interior fire attack on a structure.
• Workers must use SCBA and work in teams of two or more.
• Firefighters must use a buddy system and maintain contact.
• Radios are not acceptable replacements for voice or visual contact.
• An outside team of two or more must be present before interior firefighters enter.
• The team may take on other roles; however, they may not assume any role that is critical to the health and safety of other personnel working on the incident.
• An exception is granted if initial attack personnel are faced with a known life-hazard situation.

Rapid Intervention Crew

• Rapid intervention crews (RIC) are critical for firefighter safety and survival.
• A responsible IC will not allow resource limitations to preclude its establishment.
• The IC must conduct an early risk/benefit analysis of the incident.
• Higher risk requires a greater commitment to rapid intervention.
• Level of risk may be increased by the nature of the task.

Composition of the Rapid Intervention Crew

• A RIC should consist of at least two trained personnel with appropriate equipment.
• They should monitor the tactical radio frequency.
• RIC personnel may perform other short-term functions.
• As the incident expands, personnel are dedicated as a RIC.
• A good location might be near the CP or in the proximity of Operations.
• If the incident covers a large area, more than one RIC may be required.
• In a hazmat operation, the RIC is designated as a backup team.

Procedures

• At least one properly attired RIC must be available whenever personnel are in immediate danger.
• Agencies involved in automatic or mutual aid responses should have consistency among agencies for RICs.
• RICs can be critical to the success of firefighting operations.
• The RIC personnel should be maintained until the IC declares the situation under control.
• Written procedures and guidelines should be developed to define the responsibilities, use, and training of the RIC.

Responder Rehabilitation

• Responder rehab safeguards the health and well-being of firefighters.
• NFPA® 1500, Section 8.9 outlines rehabilitation during emergency operations.
• NFPA® 1584 provides comprehensive guidelines on developing rehab SOPs and performing those duties.
• Command officers must establish rehab areas proactively.

NFPA 1584

• NFPA® 1584 provides the following two guidelines that are critical: self-rehab for at least 10 minutes following twenty minutes of intense work or the depletion of a 30-minute SCBA cylinder.
• Crews must go to a formal rehab area, be rehydrated, get a medical evaluation, and rest for 20 minutes after the depletion of two 30-minute SCBA cylinders.
• Rehab must be established for cold weather as well as hot and for nonemergency events.
• While there are a variety of OSHA regulations that may be applied to fire departments, they address health and safety in general.
• The ICS organization is rarely expanded beyond Divisions, Groups, and/or Branches

Rehab Area Functions

• Rehab area guidelines should include medical evaluation, food and fluid replenishment, relief from weather, rest and recovery, and personnel accountability.
• The rehab area should have good vehicle access and be large enough to meet the incident needs.
• It must provide protection from weather and products of combustion.
• Be sure you can restrict media access to rehab areas.
• Physically drained firefighters are more prone to injuries.

Personnel Accountability

• One key step managers can take to reduce if not prevent, the death of lost or trapped firefighters is to develop and implement an effective method for tracking emergency personnel on the incident scene.
• Incident complexity increases the need for personnel accountability.
• The type of construction and condition of the building and the potential for life loss can present the IC with problems.
• Communications increase and become more intense in direct proportion to the complexity of the emergency, especially in high-rise, wildland-urban interface, and hazmat incidents.
• Many incidents by their nature present a greater degree of intensity and confusion than others.
• Maintaining a manageable span of control is vital to personnel accountability.
• To avoid chaos and confusion, an incident management system must establish roles and responsibilities.

Responsibilities of the Incident Commander

• The IC is responsible for civilian safety after a rescue and can delegate to assistant safety officers.
• Every firefighter must believe they have a safety role and share the responsibility.
• The first question must be “Is the risk involved worth the benefit that might be gained?”
• High-risk/low-benefit situations should be avoided.
• All personnel must be aware of changes in conditions and the IC must receive feedback regarding unsafe conditions.

Personnel Accountability Systems

• Each department must adopt a personnel tracking system.
• The system can be simple or complex, and personnel must be familiar with it.
• Personnel accountability is vital on larger incidents.
• Flashover, backdraft, SCBA malfunction, and building collapse can all injure firefighters.
• Once a system is developed, supporting policies must be in place.
• The next major step is comprehensive training.
• The selected system should be used from start to demobilization.

Alternative systems

• Organizational needs and fiscal constraints will dictate the type of system used.
• A simple tag system can aid officers in accounting for all personnel.
• This type of system enables officers to know exactly who is on the incident scene.
• An SCBA tag system provides accountability for personnel within the structure.
• By tracking SCBA time, this system allows relief crews to be sent in.
• Ensure whatever system you develop is effective and meets jurisdictional needs.

Personnel Accountability Roll Call or Report

• Most departments conduct personnel accountability roll calls (PARs).
• PARs are conducted based on benchmarks such as time on scene or changes.
• Current research is focused on a GPS and individual sensor tracking system.

Personal Warning Devices

• A personal warning device should be part of a firefighter's protective ensemble.
• The use and maintenance of PASS devices are covered in detail in NFPA® 1500.

PASS Devices

• PASS devices help rescuers locate lost or downed firefighters.
• They can be activated manually or automatically.
• Testing is needed to ensure the PASS is working properly.
• Make sure the system meets the requirements of NFPA® 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS).

NFPA Requirements

• Every emergency worker involved in hazardous duties must be equipped with a PASS device and use it.
• Each PASS device must be tested weekly and before each use and maintained according to the manufactuerer's recommendations.
• Ensure all PASS devices meet NFPA® 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS).

Predetermined Emergency Alert Systems

• Each agency should develop emergency scene signals.
• Signals should include mutual aid personnel.
• Every effort should be made to ensure the signal cannot be duplicated accidentally.
• NFPA® 1500 is developing recommendations for standardization.

Verbal Signal

• “Emergency Traffic,” followed by the message.

PAR

• In addition to agency-specific guidelines.

Air Horn policy

• 10-second blast, break; 10-second blast, break; 10-second blast.

Time Clock on the Incident

• The Incident Commander (IC) should be notified every 15 minutes by Dispatch

Crew Integrity

• Firefighters should always work in teams.
• Command officers must maintain crew integrity at all times.
• In some situations, ICs may have to split up company personnel.

Rescue vs. Recovery of Response Personnel

• The IC is faced with difficult decisions.
• Failing to maintain control may cause additional deaths or injuries.
• The necessary discipline and expertise result from training and practice.

Emergency Personnel

• Emergency personnel must be alerted.
• A PAR must be conducted.
• A Medical Group or Branch must be established.

Risk vs. Benefit

• The IC must decide on partial or total evacuation.

Rescuer Safety

• Designate safety officers and establish safety zones.

Special Equipment Needs

• Create a resource list and keeping it updated.

Coping

• Develop policies and procedures to cope with a firefighter's death.
• Provide access to a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) team.

Standards and Legal Issues

• NFPA® 1561, Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management System addresses personnel accountability systems.
• Many other safety standards are applicable to fire departments.

Ten Steps to Enhancing Firefighter Safety

• Develop and train resources in management plans.
• Ensure that initial risk analysis is being conducted.
• Establish and staff RICs adequately.
• Provide firefighters with communication ability.
• Conduct prefire planning, target hazard analysis, and inspections.
• Always establish collapse zones.

Firefighter shared responsibility

• Firefighters should maintain situational awareness.
• Comply with the department’s safety guidelines, policies, and rules.