Passport Accountability System Policy PDF

PASSPORT ACCOUNTABILITY POLICY POLICY: It shall be the policy of the City of Miami Department of Fire - Rescue to account for the location and safety of all personnel within a HAZARD OR HOT ZONE at emergency incidents. Participation by members of the City of Miami of Fire - Rescue Department in emer...

PASSPORT ACCOUNTABILITY POLICY POLICY: It shall be the policy of the City of Miami Department of Fire - Rescue to account for the location and safety of all personnel within a HAZARD OR HOT ZONE at emergency incidents. Participation by members of the City of Miami of Fire - Rescue Department in emergency incident mitigation without utilizing the PASSPORT Accountability System is prohibited. REFERENCES: N.F.P.A. 1500, Sec. 6-3 N.F.P.A 1561, Sec. 2-6 DEFINITIONS: COMPANY OFFICER: Officers and acting officers in charge of a Pumper, Aerial, Quint, or Rescue. CONTROL BOARD: A 9”x12” hard white plastic board with an attached grease pencil that Control Officers use to hold passports of assigned teams and take notes. This will be kept in the cab of suppression units, District Chiefs cars and with the M.C.I. Kit on Rescue units. TEAM: A group of two or more Fire - Rescue personnel who work together and are responsible for each other’s safety. CONTROL OFFICER: An Officer reporting to the Incident Commander, Section Chief or Branch/Division Officer. An Officer assigned to record and maintain Passports and track personnel. CONTROL POINT: Specific location that the Control Officer maintains to oversee the recording and maintenance of Passports. EMERGENCY INCIDENT: Any situation in which the City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue responds to deliver emergency services including: rescue, fire suppression, medical treatment, and other forms of hazard control and mitigation. HAZARD OR HOT ZONE: An area in an emergency incident as determined by the Incident Commander (I.C.) where access is restricted for safety reasons. INCIDENT TERMINATION: The conclusion of departmental operations at the scene of an incident, usually the departure of the last unit from the scene. MAKE-UP KIT: A kit designed to expand the PASSPORT Accountability System at large incidents and provide immediate replacement for lost or damaged materials. Edited: 2/16/15 PASSPORT: A (2x4)” plastic card, that identifies and accounts for members and/or teams. Names of crew assigned to apparatus are written on passport with pencil or grease pencil. A. Primary Passport: White, flexible plastic passport kept on the Officers side door of suppression units and Rescue units. B. Back-up Passport: Stored in the Fire Station and in the District Chief’s car. Used as replacements for Primary Passports and on the scene of large incidents if needed by the Control Officer. PASSPORT Accountability System: A procedure that utilizes passports and control boards to track the assignment of Sections, Branches, Divisions, Groups, Strike Teams, Task Forces, Companies and individuals at an emergency incident. P.A.R.: Personnel Accountability Report. A “P.A.R. shall indicate the status of the company and also account for all members assigned. The P.A.R. is initiated by the Incident Commander. SUPPRESSION UNIT: Pumper, Quint, or Aerial TEAM LEADER: Usually a company officer or member assigned or selected as the team leader. VELCRO PAD: A permanently attached Velcro pad to which passports are attached. PROCEDURE: The City of Miami Department of Fire - Rescue shall use the PASSPORT Accountability system within the Incident Management System to identify individual members of a company and/or account for their assignment at an emergency incident. The PASSPORT Accountability System shall be expanded to accommodate mutual aid companies, and other individuals. RESPONSIBILITY: The Incident Commander is responsible for tracking all companies under his command and utilizing the PASSPORT Accountability System as outlined in this procedure. Officers are responsible to utilize the PASSPORT Accountability System and shall maintain an awareness of each other’s physical condition and shall use the command structure to request help, relief, and reassignment of fatigued or injured members. All members are responsible for the safety of themselves and other members of their team. Members shall maintain a constant awareness of the position and assignment of all members working with them. Edited: 2/16/15 A. Team members must always be in contact with each other through one of the following methods: 1 VOICE (Face to Face) 2 VISUAL 3 TOUCH Exception: Radio or phone contact is permissible for apparatus operators, Chief Officers and other officers where the location of such personnel is constant. B. If a team member is in trouble, the other member(s) of the team shall take appropriate steps to: 1 PROVIDE DIRECT HELP 2 CALL FOR HELP 3 GO GET HELP C. Members shall stay together as a team when in the hazard or hot zone, or as otherwise directed by the Incident Commander until incident termination MAINTENANCE OF PASSPORTS: A. Company Officers and/or Team leaders shall be responsible for the accuracy of names and proper placement of passports during the tour of duty and at emergency incidents. B. Materials and supplies for the ongoing support of the PASSPORT Accountability System (Velcro, etc.) shall be requested thru the Logistics Division. C. Company officers will be responsible for the pre-assignment of the leader and members to teams. This would occur when staffing needs dictate that a team from a single unit splits to form an additional team (i.e.: 4 person engine companies splits and forms two 2-person teams). When this is done a backup passport will be utilized for the additional team. D. Team Leaders are responsible for members under their direct control at all times. IMPLEMENTATION The PASSPORT Accountability System utilizes primary and back-up passports and portable control boards. A. PASSPORTS 1. The purpose of a passport is to identify crew members and provide accountability of crews entering a hazard or hot zone. 2. Passports have three sections with the following information: a. Top portion contains:  Company designator (Engine, Aerial, Quint, Rescue).  Company #  Team Designator (if applicable) “TEAM A” or “TEAM B” EXAMPLES: E5 Splits into two teams - E5 "function"/E5"function” b. Middle portion - team members’ names will be written.  Company Officers and Team leaders should be the first name on the passport. Edited: 2/16/15  Drivers shall be identified by using the initials (DE). c. Bottom portion is for recording notes such as “time of arrival” or assignment. 3. Passport color codes: a. White - Primary and Backup 4. There should be one white passport provided for each on-duty company. A single white passport is provided for on-duty chiefs. a. The White Primary Passport shall be attached to the officer’s side cab door on suppression units and Rescue units. b. The District Chief’s shall carry spares:  For identification of team members when the primary passport is unavailable.  Split teams. (see “D” under “Maintenance of passports and nametags”). c. White Control Boards are to be carried on all “Front Line” and District Chiefs vehicles and are to be utilized by the Control Officer(s) who will be assigned by the I.C. When Branches or Divisions are assigned there will be an individual Control Officer assigned to that Branch or Division. EMERGENCY INCIDENTS: Control Officer The Control Officer shall be assigned by the I.C. He/she shall retrieve the Control Board and maintain an accountant of all personnel assigned to him. When Branches and/or Divisions are assigned, the I.C. shall assign an individual Control Officer to that Branches or Division. To assist in the initial accounting of personnel, Control Officer Aids may be assigned. Reporting Units A. When the company/team arrives at an emergency incident and reports to the I.C., staging or division/branch officer, they shall transfer their primary passport(s) to that officer, except as noted below. 1. Primary passport(s) will remain on the apparatus when: a. They are the only unit at the incident. b. They are operating or assigned to a remote side of the emergency incident before the establishment of a branch/division. c. The first arriving companies are committed to initial operations, officers will leave their passports in the cab of the apparatus for retrieval by the Control Officer or assigned aide. 2. When the first arriving company or team have not physically transferred their primary PASSPORT to a Control Officer leave the hazard or hot zone, they shall report their company or team status to the Incident Commander by radio or face to face. The Incident Commander may: a. Detail the company or team to a new assignment where they will transfer their passport(s). b. Release the company or team to return to service Edited: 2/16/15 B. When the I.C. relieves a company or team from the Hazard or Hot Zone, the Control Officer will: 1 Confirm with the company officer or team leader that all team members are accounted for. 2 Place or mark the passport to show the company or team’s next assignment (i.e.: rehab, staging, etc.). Note: When companies or teams are transferred to other assignments, the company or team leader will instruct their Control Officer to acknowledge and record that information on their control board. P.A.R.: The I.C. will instruct their Control Officers to conduct a Personnel Accountability Report call using the PASSPORT Accountability System as follows:  Refer to E.O.M. Policy for Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) REQUIRED MATERIALS (INVENTORY): A. The Logistics Division shall order materials and supplies as needed to maintain the PASSPORT Accountability System as follows: 1. One white passport for each team of two or more persons from a company, command vehicle, special unit or reserve apparatus. 2. Velcro pads for apparatus. 3. One control board for each front line apparatus with grease pencils. 4. PASSPORT Accountability System make-up kits for each District Chief to contain materials as follows:  Two control boards in the make-up kits.  Twelve white passports for make-up kits. LOCATION OF MATERIALS: A. The Assistant Fire Chief of ERD will determine the placement of materials by the Logistics Division for the PASSPORT Accountability System on apparatus assigned to a station or company. Edited: 2/16/15