Directive #47

• The Philadelphia Fire Department issued Directive #47 in January 2000.
• Directive #47 provides guidelines for managing available on-duty members and recalling off-duty members.

Purpose

• The aim is to have an orderly process for adequate city coverage during major incidents
• Restoring companies is critical for public safety

Responsibility

• Each member should use control based on their rank when implementing the directive

Officers and Unit Heads

• A field Division Chief responds to the Fire Communication Center (FCC) when the third alarm is received
• If multiple alarms occur at the same time, or a Division Chief isn't available, the FCC Supervisor will tell the nearest field Battalion Chief to report to the FCC to take command until a Division Chief arrives
• During normal FAB hours, a designated Chief Officer from a staff unit goes to the FCC.
• The on-duty Deputy Commissioner directs them, and they tell the field Division Chief that the FCC is covered
• The assigned chief officer talks with the FCC Supervisor about past actions

General Information

• Guidelines should be followed when utilizing on-duty members or recalling off-duty members
• Situations might involve multiple alarms at once or mass casualty incidents where restoring units is vital for the Fire Department to ensure adequate coverage throughout the City

Management of Available On-Duty Personnel/Equipment

• Review the working quotas and how to utilize available personnel
• Consideration of on-duty personnel can start before assignment to the FCC
• The Division Chief can remain in service or return their car to activate a back-up Division Chief after reviewing the situation, if deemed necessary
• Relocate available apparatus to assure coverage
• Relocate a 100 Series Pumper to a station with an available Ladder or vice versa to respond as a Task Force
• Activate available reserve apparatus using on-duty personnel to cover conditions
• Consider staff personnel from the Philadelphia Fire Academy and Fire Headquarters
• Contact the Incident Commander and share the overall situation
• Available apparatus or on-duty members should be released if possible once the fireground is stable
• The Logistic Officer can help get info, create a manpower pool, or have members report to a staging area
• Police vehicles may transport members from the staging area to a designated location
• If conditions warrant, engine companies with quotas of 1 and 4 can respond with 1 and 3; ladder companies with quotas of 1 and 4 can respond with 1 and 3
• A chief officer or public address announcement will notify members designated to remain at the station
• Members remaining should be qualified as DPOP, DL, TL, or L-EMT when possible, and the individual left back will immediately notify the FCC of their availability
• Companies will not become a Task Force during an extra alarm fire if staffing falls below normal without the Division Chief's approval
• Chief officers not committed to an incident should move personnel for staffing 100 Series apparatus when city coverage becomes an operational concern
• Quotas for make-up companies depend on the circumstances, with 1 and 3 being desirable for engine companies, but make-up units could have a quota of 1 and 2 in emergencies
• Normal response to assignments can be cut based on the severity of the situation, such as one Battalion Chief instead of two or a Tactical Box instead of a Full Box
• Take appropriate action as dictated by circumstances and conditions

Recall Implementation Procedures

• Identify the companies that need restoration
• Determine the platoon to be recalled (refer to Directive #8)
• Contact members on a battalion list or those in the company's first zip code area or the location of a 100 Series Apparatus to be staffed
• Use phones in Battalion Headquarters or the FCC to accomplish the recall
• Document members contacted, unanswered calls, answering machines, or busy signals under Reason/Comments on the FCC form Dir# 47
• Ascertain the physical presence of 100 Series apparatus before recalling members to staff it

Recall of Members

• The Fire Commissioner or a designated on-duty Deputy Commissioner can authorize the recall of off-duty personnel
• When authorized, the Ranking Officer or FCC Supervisor will request assistance to implement the recall of Fire Department personnel
• During FAB-closed hours, the nearest chief officer or FCC supervisor can arrange for field personnel to report to the FCC

Recall Procedure

• The Ranking Officer or FCC Supervisor determines the platoon to recall, considering the time, anticipated service duration, and when a platoon last worked or will return, etc. (refer to Directive #8 regarding "Call In" and "Call Back" time)
• Members should not call the FCC during emergencies that may require off-duty member recalls because the recall procedure is often remote, and calls can hinder operations
• The Department can effectively recall off-duty members and provide necessary staffing using this procedure
• If issues arise, members can call the FCC from the station via fire phone to report their availability for service, regardless of platoon
• Restoration of companies is critical
• The ranking officer or FCC Supervisor determines which companies need restoration and sets priorities, forming the basis for a recall
• Section 4.4.3 and Appendix “A” provide details for an orderly recall
• A Battalion Chief will notify the company officer in stations with reserve apparatus when a recall is authorized
• Each Battalion Headquarters maintains an accurate list of assigned members as the primary recall list
• Each Headquarters has 4 SCBA replacement masks if needed
• The FCC will maintain a file of active uniformed members by postal zip code, including: name, rank, company, platoon, vacation group, address, zip code, phone, and payroll number, as a secondary recall list
• The FCC will contact officers in charge at special units like the Fire Marshal's Office and Visual Communications Unit to activate additional personnel if needed
• The FCC maintains a record of recalled and authorized members, including unit assignment, name, rank, payroll number, platoon, and the authorizing individual (refer to FCC form-Dir #47)
• When the emergency is stabilized and make-up units are deactivated, the platoons of recalled members will be reviewed to determine release priority, considering factors such as time, duration, and work history

Forms Required

• FCC FORM DIRECTIVE 47, MANNING OF 100 OR 200 SERIES APPARATUS

Appendix A

• Lists postal zones in each firehouse local