Toronto Fire Services Training Note PDF - Accountability Procedures

Fire Services Training Division Training Note FROM: Fire Chief EFFECTIVE DATE: April 2020 FILE IN TFS TRAINING MANUAL UNDER: GROUP: 100...

Fire Services Training Division Training Note FROM: Fire Chief EFFECTIVE DATE: April 2020 FILE IN TFS TRAINING MANUAL UNDER: GROUP: 100 Firefighting Knowledge and Skills SECTION: 104 Incident Management System SUB-SECTION: 104.4 Using the Accountability System UNIT: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................... 2 2. DEFINITIONS............................................................................................................. 2 3. MAGNETIC ACCOUNTABILITY TAG – MAG TAG.................................................... 2 4. PASSPORT................................................................................................................. 3 5. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION TAG.................................................................................. 4 6. ACCOUNTABILITY..................................................................................................... 5 7. ENTRY CONTROL...................................................................................................... 6 Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 1 of 8 1. INTRODUCTION The Firefighter Accountability System (FFAS) is an integral component of the IMS. The various components allow the IC to identify at any given time, the number and approximate location of all personnel committed to a particular incident. Every firefighter is responsible to understand the FFAS and be cognizant of the various components (Mag Tags, PITs, Passports, Entry Control, Accountability, PAR, etc.) 2. DEFINITIONS Entry Control Officer - The term ‘officer’ is used to differentiate between the person performing the duties of entry control and the physical location of entry control. Any rank can be assigned as the Entry Control Officer. 3. MAGNETIC ACCOUNTABILITY TAG – MAG TAG Use in the Station It is the responsibility of each firefighter and officer when reporting for duty to: Obtain their Mag Tag from the Station Board or obtain the spare Mag Tag from their Bunker Coat pocket (when temporarily assigned to another Station) and attach it to the Passport of the apparatus to which they have been assigned Remove the Mag Tag of the person they are replacing and return it to the appropriate location on the Station Board. Mag Tags on the Passport are placed as per seat location on the apparatus as well as radio identifier. Captain in the top slot with radio identifier of 'CAP'. Acting Captain or firefighter sitting behind the Captain in the second slot with radio identifier 'CW'. Firefighter sitting behind the driver in the third slot with radio identifier of 'CW2' Driver of the apparatus in the bottom slot with radio identifier 'CW3'. Any other firefighter aboard the apparatus will put their Mag Tag in the 'CW4' slot. If a crew of three, the Captain and driver's Mag Tag positions and radio identifiers will remain the same. The firefighter on the back of the apparatus will utilize 'CW'. Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 2 of 8 Use at an emergency The Mag Tag of any firefighter that will not be moving forward with their crew will be oriented in the upside down manner. An example of this would be an initial arriving pump crew. The driver’s Mag Tag would be oriented upside down so that entry control knows that firefighter is not with the crew of that specific passport. If a base sector officer's crew is to move forward, but the officer is remaining in base, their Mag Tag would be oriented in the upside down position and the others would be oriented normally. The Mag Tag must be associated with your radio identifier. This allows Accountability to easily identify a firefighter in an emergency when only a radio identifier is known. 4. PASSPORT Use in the Station Passports will be kept in a designated holder on the Captain's door of each apparatus. It is the responsibility of the Driver to ensure that the Passport is in the vehicle at the beginning of each shift. It is the responsibility of the Officer in charge of the vehicle at the beginning of each shift to ensure that: All personnel assigned to their apparatus have attached a Mag Tag to the Passport Mag Tags on the Passport are located in the correct position and that firefighter's have the correct radio assigned to them Use at an Emergency Incident Passports shall be brought forward to the Incident Commander (Initial Accountability), when possible. There may be occasions when this is not practical due to distance. Upon being cleared from an incident, Captains will be responsible for collecting their passport from the Command Post. NOTE: The Officer in charge of personnel operating on or being transported by the Fire Boat will place their Passport in the wheelhouse upon boarding. Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 3 of 8 5. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION TAG Use in the Station It is the responsibility when reporting for duty that each Firefighter and Officer shall ensure that their PIT is attached to the front of their Bunker Coat. It is the responsibility of the Officer in charge of the vehicle at the beginning of each shift to ensure that: All personnel assigned to their apparatus possess a PIT All personnel assigned to the apparatus have attached their PIT to the front of their Bunker Coat. Personnel reporting for their shift without their PIT shall not be assigned to an apparatus until they receive a temporary ‘RED PIT’ that will be issued by the District Chief. There are security issues surrounding Photo Identification Tags. Any loss or theft must be reported immediately to your superior officer. Use at an Emergency Incident When Entry Control is not established by the first arriving apparatus personnel, PIT’s shall be left with the driver or with the Passport in the cab. PITs shall be transferred to Entry Control as soon as possible. If unable to leave PITs with the driver or with the Passport in the cab, the PITs shall be left near the entrance point to the hot zone or with the elevator control firefighter. It is the responsibility of personnel to hand their PIT to a Sector Officer or Entry Control Officer when entering a controlled area. PITs are not to be handed to a Base Sector Officer. When personnel do not leave their sector, but exit the controlled area, their PITs remain on the entry control board (PITs relocated from the right side to the left side). When personnel exit a sector, they retrieve their PITs (PIT OUT). The Sector Officer performing a work cycle rotation (see TN on Sectoring 104.1.7) will obtain the PITs of all personnel in the work cycle. PITs are clipped together in teams and when 'on air' are clipped on the right side of the board, crews not on air in the sector are clipped together on the left side of the Entry Control Board. Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 4 of 8 In the event of a MAYDAY or a RIT deployment, the PIT of the firefighter(s) that called the MAYDAY, or is in need of assistance, shall be moved to the bottom of the Entry Control board and then transferred to the RIT entry board when it is established. The PITs of the down firefighter's crew shall also be transferred to the RIT entry board as they are now part of RITSO's control. (See TN 104.3.2 MAYDAY) Personnel being cleared from an incident are responsible for ensuring that they have retrieved their PIT and attached the PIT to the front of their Bunker Coat prior to leaving. 6. ACCOUNTABILITY At larger incidents, the person assigned Accountability will have the Passport and Mag Tags of all personnel that have moved forward from Base, collected in one location. Initial Accountability The Incident Commander shall be Initial Accountability at all Incidents. Command Post Accountability The D/C and FIT will establish Accountability (at smaller incidents) at their designated Command post, typically utilizing the tactical worksheet. Alternatively, personnel can utilize the Accountability worksheet. A FIT or F/F will be assigned to collect all the passports on scene, other than base and bring them to the Command Post. The ICT will establish Accountability at larger incidents within the Command vehicle (Command 10, Command 30) utilizing the magnetic white board. The truck identifier (a small magnetic tag) or the passports can be used to account for crews. This assignment will be maintained by the ICT. At prolonged or complex incidents the ICT may be assisted by another FIT or Firefighter, as designated. Personnel Responsibilities It is the responsibility of the Officer in charge of each apparatus to ensure the passport accurately reflects the roster of the crew whenever a change is made. When utilizing the tactical worksheet and/or the accountability worksheet, all apparatus are tracked with their location, task and par status. If the incident expands this worksheet can be transferred to the Command Vehicle when it arrives on scene. Information can then be added to the large whiteboard. The whiteboard can be segmented into sectors and tasks for accountability purposes. Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 5 of 8 7. ENTRY CONTROL Entry Control provides an opportunity to identify, track and monitor personnel who have entered a controlled area. Controlled Area – An area where SCBA is required or the Incident Commander determines that monitoring of personnel would afford a greater margin of safety. A Controlled Area must be established: When personnel are on air Any time when the close monitoring of personnel would afford a greater margin of safety When the IC deems it necessary The IC or Sector Officer may identify and establish a controlled area. The establishment of an Entry Control point shall be immediately communicated to the IC. Entry Control is a task assignment and not a stand-alone Sector. Each Entry Control point requires an Entry Control person. An Entry Control point will be established before entering the Controlled Area. The Entry Control person must be able to operate safely without SCBA. Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 6 of 8 Entry Control Board Used for RIT When RIT is deployed and enter where Entry Control is established, the RIT team PITs shall be added to that board. Entry Control is maintained at this location until a RIT Entry Control is set up. RIT Entry Control will be utilized if RIT enters using an entry point other than the established Entry Control point. When a RIT entry control point has been established, the downed firefighter's PIT will be transferred from the original Entry Control board onto the RIT Entry Control board on one of the holes located at the bottom of the board. The RIT that is deployed will attach their PITs to the metal tag that corresponds to the search line that they are using. It will be added to the right side of the RIT Entry Control board. This allows entry control to identify which search line is being used by a deployed RIT. If multiple firefighters are down, the procedure will aid Entry Control by identifying which search line is going to each firefighter once located. Entry Control Officer It is the responsibility of the Entry Control Officer to: Inform the IC or Sector Officer of their location Obtain the Entry Control Board Don an Entry Control vest Collect the PIT of every person who passes through their entry point Attach the PIT’s to the board, or their own split ring Conduct a visual safety check of PPE Conduct a visual check of the air gauges on SCBA Confirm portable radio channel of each person Record the time that each person enters and leaves the controlled area Record the task assignment and location of personnel Record and monitor time on SCBA. Move the PIT tag from the IN to the OUT side of the Entry Control Board as personnel rotate in the work cycles within sector Notify the appropriate Entry Control person, if personnel are exiting via a different Entry Control point Report to the IC or Sector Officer, as ordered Conduct or participate in a PAR, as ordered Ensure that authorized non-firefighters PIT IN when entering a controlled area. Ensure they are accompanied with a team of firefighters NOTE: All vehicles, except for Squads and High Rises, shall be equipped with an Entry Control Kit. Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 7 of 8 RIT Entry Control Whenever RIT has been deployed, a RIT entry control must be set up in a forward position. The RIT entry control is usually the RITSO’s (D/C) FIT. It may be beneficial to have two personnel assist with RIT entry control. It is the responsibility of the RIT entry control person(s) to: Obtain the entry control board Collect the PIT(s) of all RIT members, downed firefighter(s) and the downed firefighter(s) crew Attach the RIT members PITs to each other with a metal tag from the rope line they enter in on and then attach to the right side of the board. Attach the downed firefighter(s) PIT(s) to the bottom of the RIT board and fill in appropriate information Attach the PIT(s) of the downed firefighters crew to the right side of the RIT board Upon locating the downed firefighter the RIT PITs and metal tag from the search line shall be relocated to the bottom of the RIT board with the downed Firefighter. If there are multiple downed firefighters, place each search line tag on each of the downed firefighters PIT in accordance to which line goes to that downed firefighter Conduct a visual check of the air gauges on SCBA Confirm portable radio channel selection Record the time that each person and team enters or leaves the controlled area Record the task assignment and location of personnel Record and monitor time on SCBA Report to the RITSO as ordered Conduct or participate in a PAR, if so ordered Personnel Responsibilities It is the responsibility of all personnel to: Enter and exit via Entry Control points only Ensure that PITs (PIT in) are handed to the Entry Control person or Sector Officer (except BASE) When assigned as a team, remain as a team until re-assigned Collect PIT (PIT out) from the Entry Control person or Sector Officer, when leaving the sector Ensure that the appropriate Entry Control person is notified of their exit, if exit is made via a different Entry Control point Obtain their PIT from the original Entry Control point, before being re-assigned The Sector Officer will attach the PITs to the Entry Control Board for their Sector or to their split ring. When personnel are reassigned to another Sector or their involvement at the incident is concluded, the Sector Officer will return the PITs. Toronto Fire Services Training Note: 104.4.2 Accountability Procedures and Responsibilities Training Division Date Prepared: April 2020 Page 8 of 8