Bexar County Sheriff's Office Policy Manual PDF
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Uploaded by BrighterRoseQuartz3475
Bexar County Sheriff's Office
2017
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Summary
This document details the Bexar County Sheriff's Office policy on emergency vehicle response. It covers the purposes, definitions, and procedures for emergency vehicle operations, including response to various coded calls and classification of calls.
Full Transcript
BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE POLICY MANUAL Issue Date Effective Date Chapter Number October 17, 2017 November 13, 2017 Thirteen Subject Office Emergency Vehicle Response Sher...
BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE POLICY MANUAL Issue Date Effective Date Chapter Number October 17, 2017 November 13, 2017 Thirteen Subject Office Emergency Vehicle Response Sheriff’s Administration/Patrol Div. References Enclosures Sheriff’s Policy Manual Chapter 9/ Sec. 546.005 Texas None Transportation Code. Distribution Supersedes Reevaluation Date Pages All Sheriff’s Employees April 15, 2014 January 1, 2019 3 Approved by: Javier Salazar, Bexar County Sheriff 13.01 EMERGENCY VEHICLE RESPONSE PURPOSE Responding to any emergency call, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office places a great deal of responsibility on the drivers of our emergency vehicles. Not only must emergency vehicles drivers provide prompt conveyance of the apparatus, equipment, and personnel to provide service to those in need, but as importantly, must accomplish this task in the safest and most prudent manner possible. Emergency vehicle drivers have in their care, custody and control most of the major assets possessed by this organization (the vehicle, portable equipment, personnel). Emergency vehicle drivers also have a higher standard of care to provide to the general motoring public and must make every attempt possible to provide due regard for the safety of others. Drivers must constantly monitor and reduce the amount of risk and exposure to potential losses during each and every response. Safe arrival at the emergency scene shall be, and must always remain, the first priority of all emergency vehicle drivers. In order to accomplish this enormous task all emergency vehicles drivers shall become familiar with, and constantly abide by the following policies and procedures. 13.02 EMERGENCY VEHICLE RESPONSE DEFINITIONS A. AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE – A vehicle equipped with operable emergency equipment as defined by state statue, including a siren and emergency signaling lights. B. CODED CALL – A Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) incident, which has been deemed a Code 2 or Code 3 call. C. STATIONARY ROADBLOCKS – The placement of one or more police vehicles in the traveled portion of the roadway, in order to partially block the road, and to indicate a denial of passage. D. VEHICLE PURSUIT – A vehicle pursuit begins when a violator drives away or attempts to evade a deputy who has signaled for the motorist to stop. Violators initiate a vehicle pursuit, not the deputy. The deputy may decide to continue or terminate the pursuit; however, the violator’s actions start it. 13.03 PROCEDURES A. RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY CALLS 1. Responding to coded calls involves hazardous circumstances and environmental factors, which create a high risk for deputies as well as citizens within the vicinity of the operation. Deputies 1 must weigh these hazardous and environmental factors along with the possibility of serious injury or death to others or themselves when responding. 2. Vehicles shall be operated in a safe and prudent manner. Operators shall be cognizant of their surroundings to include physical and climate conditions, traffic conditions, and potential actions of other drivers that could adversely affect the emergency response. Vehicles shall never be operated intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly in an unsafe manner. Deputies are authorized to respond to coded calls provided: a. The vehicle they are operating is equipped with emergency lights and siren and these devices are activated. b. Deputies proceed to the call at a speed which would be considered safe and prudent when taking into consideration such factors as: 1) Safety of others/self, residential areas, school zones, parks/playground, business areas; 2) Circumstances of call; 3) Road and traffic conditions; 4) Weather conditions; 5) Vehicle Condition; and 6) Communication capabilities 3. Field supervisors are responsible to ensure the necessary response and therefore must be aware of the calls for service relayed to the sector deputies. Field supervisors have the authority to override a response code to a call if deemed necessary. If response of any outside agency to a coded call where the BCSO is the primary agency, the field supervisor shall be notified. Conversely, field supervisors are responsible for inaction as well. 4. The Public Safety Communications Center is responsible for getting an acknowledgement from a field supervisor when a ‘coded call’ has been dispatched. 13.04 CLASSIFICATION OF CALLS A. A Code-One (Code 1) Call is a CAD incident that does not present an actual or immediate potential for personal injury. A code-one call generally requires only a routine response without the use of emergency lights or siren while obeying all traffic laws and ordinances (i.e.-Theft report, abandoned vehicle, loose livestock, etc...). NOTE: This response typically requires only one patrol unit. The dispatcher may add a cover deputy if the call requires. B. A Code-Two (Code 2) Emergency Call is a response used for CAD incidents requiring immediate attention (i.e., robbery alarms, crimes just occurred, crashes with serious injury, shots fired, etc.), which authorizes the use of emergency lights and may be augmented by the use of horn or siren to facilitate the safe passage of the patrol vehicle through traffic. Code 2 requires a complete stop at all stop signs and red lights before proceeding. An audible signal is required while proceeding through a red light. NOTE: Code 2 calls require at least two (2) patrol units to respond. Other units may proceed towards the direction of the call (code 1) and shall be cancelled if not needed. 2 C. A Code-Three (Code 3) Emergency Call is a CAD incident that authorizes the continuous use of emergency lights, siren and is utilized for critical situations demanding an emergency response, which presents an actual or verified threat of immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury to a deputy or citizen. The threat must be an immediate threat and the assistance needed must be immediate. In this response mode, a deputy must slow down enough at a red light or stop sign for safe operations through the intersection before proceeding. An audible signal is required while proceeding through a red light. Any one of the following requests for assistance usually prompts a code-three emergency call: 1. A deputy needs help and all instances in which the safety of a deputy is directly threatened or immediate assistance is required. For example: a. A deputy is in trouble, being assaulted, or involved in a shooting in progress; or b. A deputy encounters a robbery, burglary, or any other crime in progress in which the deputy’s intervention might be met with violent resistance. 2. Any person under imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury that the deputy responding to may be able to prevent, including: a. Crimes in progress, when the actor is still present, such as shootings, stabbings, robberies, sexual assaults; and b. Serious situations where human life is in peril and law enforcement have a primary responsibility. 3. Major disasters (i.e., floods, aircraft crashes, and other natural or manmade disasters). 4. Code 3 calls require at least two (2) patrol units to respond. Other patrol units may respond and proceed toward the location and shall be cancelled, if not needed. Only Code 3 calls will be pre-empted by an alert tone. 5. The use of lights or siren are not required; even when indicated above, when it reasonably appears their use would hamper the apprehension of a suspect or affect law enforcement operations. 6. In any of the above response modes, deputies who arrive first on scene should advise the dispatcher immediately of the status and to either cancel other responding deputies or continue the cover deputy’s response. 7. Sec. 546.005 of the Texas Transportation Code defines permissible conduct in operating an emergency vehicle. It clearly states “this chapter does not relieve the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle from: (1) the duty to operate the vehicle with appropriate regard for the safety of all persons; or (2) the consequences of reckless disregard for the safety of others”. 8. Only the primary unit, law enforcement supervisor, or authorized communications personnel are authorized to ‘cancel a code’. When authorized, dispatchers may cancel responding units, or slow them down. D. TRAINING Deputies who operate emergency vehicles will receive initial and periodic update training on the agency’s policy and procedures, including safe driving tactics. 3