GOG 10-12 Notification of Injury.docx

**General Operating Guidelines** -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- Subject: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION OF INJURY Effective Date: 8/1/2020 GOG: 10-12...

**General Operating Guidelines** -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- Subject: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION OF INJURY Effective Date: 8/1/2020 GOG: 10-12 Applies to: ALL FIREFIGHTING PERSONNEL Supersedes: 7/1/2010 Page 1 of 3 Responsible Committee: Health, Wellness and Safety Committee Next Review Date: 8/1/2023 -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- **PURPOSE:** The duties of KCFD include elements that present a real and present danger of injury to personnel performing their duties. It is important in all such cases that KCFD and union representatives act quickly, effectively, and with a strong mutual purpose to ensure that family or significant others of injured personnel be notified, assisted, and supported in the event of any injury that renders the individual incapable or making such contact at his or her own initiative and direction. This guideline provides process that will be employed to affect such notifications. **SCOPE:** Applies to all members of KCFD. **GUIDELINES:** 1. In the event of an injury requiring hospital transport, the Incident commander will notify the Communication Center at 6750 Eastwood Trafficway of injury and initial assessment of severity. Identity of injured personnel and transport disposition will be communicated as soon as feasible by secure means. The Communications Center at 6750 Eastwood Trafficway will serve as the central point for all department-wide notifications regarding injuries. 2. The Shift Commander and on-call union representative will be notified by text or phone notification. 3. The Incident Commander shall ensure that a battalion chief or similar resource not committed to the incident is dispatched to the receiving hospital to determine level of assistance needed or desired. 4. If the transported party is conscious and capable of contacting parties or directing his or her preferences, those contacts will be facilitated. 5. Should self directed notification not be possible (or should the injured party desire) the Shift Commander or designee will initiate the notification process according to the following parameters: **SHIFT COMMANDER** 1. The Shift Commander will institute sufficient recall of command and administrative staff to provide liaison functions outlined below. 2. A designee will be assigned to serve as the principal liaison to execute and direct the notification processes. 3. All available information regarding the injury will be relayed to that designee on first contact. **COMMUNICATIONS CENTER** 1. Communications Center will contact command and administrative staff by text or phone. They will monitor COMMAND tac channel for assignment. 2. Communications staff will specify the designee indicated by the Shift Commander. **\ General Operating Guidelines** -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- Subject: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION OF INJURY Effective Date: 8/1/2020 GOG: 10-12 Applies to: ALL FIREFIGHTING PERSONNEL Supersedes: 7/1/2010 Page 2 of 3 Responsible Committee: Health, Wellness and Safety Committee Next Review Date: 8/1/2023 -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- **COMMUNICATIONS CENTER (*continued)*** 3. Communications Center will access the employee's notification information and provide contact information to principal liaison. **PRINCIPAL LIAISON** 1. Principal liaison will obtain contact information from Communications and initiate telephone contact with primary party designated by employee; if that party cannot be reached, secondary parties designated by employee will be contacted. 2. The liaison will inform the designated person that the employee has been injured and transported to a hospital, explaining that only limited information is known at this time. 3. The liaison will ask the person to identify his or her current location so that a uniformed officer may be sent to transport them to the hospital, emphasizing that it is important to await this transportation so that we can be in constant communication. 4. The liaison will also ask if there are parties the person would like notified to meet them at the hospital; if so, these should be noted so that those notifications can be made. 5. The person should be informed that an officer will meet them at the hospital to provide further information and assist them in any way necessary. 6. The principal liaison should also note that they will see the person at the hospital. **TRANSPORTATION** 1. Once the location of the designated person is established, an official representative close to that location will be dispatched to meet the party and transport them to the hospital. 2. That person will identify himself or herself with proper identification and inform the person that they were sent by the Department and will take them immediately to the hospital. 3. It may again be necessary to emphasize that only limited information is available at this time. 4. The transporting officer should also identify who will be waiting at the hospital. 5. On arrival, the transporting officer will escort the party to the location at which the hospital liaison is waiting and introduce the party to the hospital liaison. **HOSPITAL LIAISON** 1. The hospital liaison will report to the receiving hospital Emergency Department and secure a location for arriving family to privately gather. 2. The hospital liaison will gather as much information as is available regarding injuries and conditions, explaining that the attending staff will be notified when family arrives so that they can meet with family at the earliest opportunity. **General Operating Guidelines** -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- Subject: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION OF INJURY Effective Date: 8/1/2020 GOG: 10-12 Applies to: ALL FIREFIGHTING PERSONNEL Supersedes: 7/1/2010 Page 3 of 3 Responsible Committee: Health, Wellness and Safety Committee Next Review Date: 7/1/2023 -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- **HOSPITAL LIAISON** *(continued)* 3. The hospital liaison will meet the family on arrival and take to secure location. Current information will be outlined and attending staff notified of arrival. 4. Hospital liaison will assist the family with additional contacts and any support needed until Labor representatives arrive to assume the support function.