Risk Management and Safety in Emergency Operations

Study Notes

The purpose of this procedure is to describe the Regional Operating Procedure regarding risk assessment and safety management of emergency incidents.
Operating at emergency incidents poses an inherent risk of injury or death, and the goal is to provide the safest possible work environment for members.

All operating personnel shall work within a standard Risk Management Plan during all emergency operations on every emergency incident.
The plan is continuously re-assessed at all levels of the incident until all units leave the scene.
The plan involves:
- Calculated risk-taking to save savable lives or property.
- Use of the Strategic Decision Making Model.
- Incident Command establishment.
- Proper personal protective equipment.
- Accountability system establishment.
- Safety procedures in place.
- Continuous risk assessment by all members.
- Uninterrupted Communications.

The position in the risk management plan represents the "why" of taking risk at an incident.
The incident strategy and plans are focused on either savable lives or savable property.
Recognition of savable lives or property through effective size-up determines the level of risk.

Questions to determine risk level include:
- Is it reasonable to believe that there are savable lives present at the incident?
- Are there any survivable environments or compartments at the incident?
- Do we have the resources and ability to affect a rescue and survive to complete it?

If no savable lives or property are present, no or very limited risk shall be taken within a defensive strategy.
Quick and overwhelming attack on the fire from any reasonable position may be the best thing for mitigating significant risk and allowing the opportunity for rescue and firefighter survivability.

This risk management plan is effective and necessary for all types of hazards and incidents, including:
- Large scale medical incidents.
- Hazardous materials incidents.
- Technical rescue incidents.
- Violent incidents.