Whitehall Ohio Division of Fire Uniforms Policy PDF

Policy Title: Uniforms Policy - 1.13 Section: 1.0 – General Pages: 9 Issue Date: 01/01/2021 Approved: Revised Date: 09/01/2022 Chief Preston Moore Effective Date: 09/01/2022 1.0 Purpose: This policy establishes a uniform for members of the Division to wear as they carry out their various dutie...

Policy Title: Uniforms Policy - 1.13 Section: 1.0 – General Pages: 9 Issue Date: 01/01/2021 Approved: Revised Date: 09/01/2022 Chief Preston Moore Effective Date: 09/01/2022 1.0 Purpose: This policy establishes a uniform for members of the Division to wear as they carry out their various duties as an employee. The intent of this policy is to standardize the uniform in a manner in which its components are limited and its image is professional. 2.0 Responsibility: This policy shall pertain to all personnel in this organization. It shall be the responsibility of the department officers to implement this policy. It shall be the responsibility of the department officers to train members in the application of this policy. It shall be the responsibility of each member to know, understand and use this policy as it applies to the situation at hand. Each member will use good judgment in the use of this policy. 3.0 Procedures and Information: 3.1 General A) The Fire Chief shall have the authority to change the uniform guideline. B) The uniform items listed within this guideline shall be the only ones worn by members of the Division. 1 C) Personnel shall wear and maintain their uniforms in such a manner so as to present a professional, neat, and clean appearance. Uniform shirts shall be tucked in and a belt shall be worn at all times. D) Uniforms shall be clean, not faded or stretched and free of rips, tears, and holes and shall not be missing any required parts such as buttons, patches, and accessories. E) Shoes or boots are to be kept clean and shined. F) Uniforms are to be worn only during on-duty working hours unless otherwise approved by the Fire Chief. Employees shall not wear uniforms for private purposes such as outside employment or other like activities. G) A complete Class "A" and Class "B" uniform shall be kept at the fire department at all times, and shall be available for inspection when requested. 3.2 Class “A” Uniform A) The following is the list of occasions for which it is appropriate to wear a class A uniform: 1) A Division function when directed by the Chief or Assistant Chief 2) Public Service Funerals or “shirt and tie” events 3) When acting as a witness at a court proceeding B) Coat, doubled breasted, lined, navy (FE-38804). 1) Firefighter a) Silver badge (BK-B957RG) – Blue engraving. b) Silver buttons c) Silver Maltese cross service patch, one cross for every five years of service, worn on the left sleeve four (4) inches above the cuff. The Crosses shall be ¾” wide centered on a one (1) inch black patch. Multiple service crosses will be on the same black patch. No adding singular patches. d) Silver name plate (BK-J1). Blue engraving, all caps to match badge. First initial, last name. Name plate is to be worn on the right chest centered to the badge across the chest. e) Division patch sewn on both right and left sleeve one (1) inch below the shoulder seam. 2) Officers a) Gold badge depicting appropriate rank (BK-B957HG) – Blue engraving. 2 b) c) d) e) f) g) i. One bugle for Lieutenant ii. Two parallel bugles for Captain iii. Three crossed bugles for Battalion Chief iv. Four crossed bugles for Assistant Chief v. Five crossed bugles for Chief Gold buttons Gold Maltese cross service patch, one cross for every five years of service, worn on the left sleeve, one (1) inch above the gold braids signifying rank. The Crosses shall be ¾” wide centered on a one (1) inch black patch. Multiple service crosses will be on the same black patch. No adding singular patches. Gold officer sleeve braid(s) depicting appropriate rank sewn on each sleeve starting at three (3) inches above and parallel to the cuff to encompass the complete circumference of the sleeves.. Each braid shall be ½” in width and separated by ¼” i. One braid for Lieutenant ii. Two braids for Captain iii. Three braids for Battalion Chief iv. Four braids for Assistant Chief v. Five braids for Chief Gold name plate (BK-J1). Blue engraving, all caps to match badge. Name plate is to be worn on the right chest centered to the badge across the chest. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief). Rank and last name on one line. Gold collar insignia. Collar brass is to be worn on the collar of the shirt as well as on the dress coat. On the shirt, the insignia shall be cut out bugles. The jacket shall be solid discs. i. One bugle for Lieutenant ii. Two parallel bugles for Captain iii. Three crossed bugles for Battalion Chief iv. Four crossed bugles for Assistant Chief v. Five crossed bugles for Chief Gold Division patch sewn on the left sleeve on (1) inch below the shoulder seam C) Trousers, textured woven serge, navy (#38200). Women’s trousers, 100% Dacron serge, navy (#38233). D) Shirt, either short sleeve dress shirt white (#65R5400) or long sleeve dress shirt white (#15W5400). Division logo sewn on the left sleeve one (1) inch below the shoulder seam. Gold patch for officers. E) Headgear 3 1) Firefighter, Lieutenant, and Captain a) Bell top cap, poly wool, serge navy (MW114-PWSNV-N) b) Black vinyl hat strap and hat badge (BK-B484RG) firefighter c) Gold cloth hat strap and hat badge (BK-B484HG) lieutenant and captain 2) Chief Officers a) Bell top cap, white vinyl with gold cloth hat strap (BC, AC, Chief) (MW13-WVVB-N) b) All officer caps shall have the appropriately ranked hat badge (BK-B484HG) c) Chief may also add gold leaf embellishments to the brim of his cap (scrambled eggs) F) Accessories 1) Shoes, dress black gloss 2) Socks, dress black 3) Necktie, black ready -made necktie (SB-900BOBH-BK) or four-inhand tropical weave (SB-900T-BK) 4) Belt, black leather silver buckle for firefighter and gold for all officers 5) T-shirt, white (optional) 6) Gloves, white (optional or when directed by the Chief) 7) Mourning band, black worn when attending funeral/memorials or when directed by the Chief G) Decoration and service awards: please refer to Section 3.6. 3.3 Class “B” Uniform A) The following is a list of occasions for which it is appropriate to wear a class B uniform: 1) At Division functions when directed by the Chief or Assistant Chief 2) When officially representing the Division at a public event or governmental meeting B) The shirt for the class B uniform shall be: 1) 5.11 Stryke PDU S/S Shirt dark navy (#71038) or 5.11 Stryke PDU L/S Shirt dark navy (#72074) – No badge tab, no epaulettes. a) Firefighters shall have their last name embroidered on right chest. Maderia #1801 (white) – 40 weight, Melco block font. 4 b) c) d) e) Officers shall have their rank and their last name embroidered on right chest. Maderia #1971 (gold) – 40 weight, Melco block font. Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). Officers shall have the rank appropriate collar insignia embroidered on both collars: i. One bugle for Lieutenant ii. Two parallel bugles for Captain iii. Three crossed bugles for Battalion Chief iv. Four crossed bugles for Assistant Chief v. Five crossed bugles for Chief The Division patch shall be embroidered on the left chest, White for Firefighters and Gold Patch for Officers 2) Trousers: 5.11 Taclite navy (#74370) or 5.11 Apex navy (#74434) 3) The accessories (belt, shoes, and socks) for the class B uniform shall be the same as those in the class C uniform. 4) T-shirts, if worn under button up, shall be white, black, or Class C TShirts as listed below. 3.4 Class “C” Uniform A) The Class C uniform shall be the standard duty or daily uniform worn by members of the Division. It shall be worn at all times when on duty unless directed by the Chief or Assistant Chief to wear a class A or class B uniform. 1) T-Shirt, or Long Sleeve T-Shirt (5.11 Professional) a) Department issued b) Name and rank (if applicable) embroidered on right chest. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding the last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). 2) Navy Polo (5.11 - #71049 - Performance Polo) a) Division patch embroidered on left chest, gold patch for Officers. b) Name and rank (if applicable) embroidered on right chest. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). c) No collar embroidery. 5 3) Job Shirt (5.11 – #72314) job shirt ¼ zip, navy. a) Division patch embroidered on left chest, Gold for Officers. b) Name and rank (if applicable) embroidered on right chest. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). c) No collar embroidery. 4) ¼ Zip Hoodie (Carhartt Rain Defender) a) Division patch embroidered on left chest, Gold for Officers. b) Name and rank (if applicable) embroidered on right chest. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). 5) Pullover (5.11 - #72199 Rapid Ops) a) Division patch embroidered on left chest, Gold for Officers. b) Name and rank (if applicable) embroidered on right chest. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). c) No collar embroidery. 5) Jackets a) The Game Quilted Jacket or other approved denim or related jacket shall have “Whitehall Division of Fire” embroidered on the back. b) Division patch embroidered on left chest, Gold for Officers. c) Name and rank (if applicable) embroidered on right chest. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). d) No collar embroidery. 6) Shoes, Socks, Belts: a) Boots, chukkas, athletic footwear must be mostly, if not all black and not distracting. All footwear shall meet the approval of the Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief. b) Socks, black. c) Belt, 1.75” Leather belt (smooth finish) with silver buckle for firefighters, gold buckle for officers. Or all black 5.11 tactical belt. d) T-shirt, navy. Department issued T-shirt as described above. Members may purchase, on their own and with the approval of the 6 Chief or the Assistant Chief, a navy shirt to wear under their uniform. Non-departmentally issued T-shirts may NOT be worn alone as described below and is to be treated as an undergarment only. e) Workout shorts may be made available. Workout shorts are to be worn while in the process of working out. It is permissible to wear these shorts on an emergency call as long as the call occurs when the member is in the active process of working out, and weather permits. If the workout is over, members are expected to don their normal duty trousers to respond on an emergency call. 7) Headgear a) Baseball cap, as approved by the Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief. b) Sock hat, as approved by the Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief. 8) Outerwear a) 5.11 Tactical High-Vis Parka (#48073) i. Division patch sewn on left chest on BOTH outer shell and fleece liner. ii. Removable Velcro name bar of ember’s last name preceded by rank (if applicable) on right chest on BOTH outer shell and fleece liner. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). iii. Reflective screen printed “Whitehall Division of Fire” in black centered between the shoulder blades on back (on outer shell only). b) 5.11 Tactical Fleece (full zip) i. Division patch sewn on left chest on BOTH outer shell and fleece liner. ii. Removable Velcro name bar of ember’s last name preceded by rank (if applicable) on right chest on BOTH outer shell and fleece liner. Firefighter in white and officers in gold with rank preceding last name. (Lieutenant and Assistant Chief are abbreviated: Lt. and Asst. Chief) – (Asst. Chief Last Name is two lines). 7 3.5 Uniform Quantities and Inspection A) Members of the Division will make available their uniforms for inspection during the month of February and July of each year. The purpose of this inspection is so that deficiencies in the quality and quantity of uniform items can be identified and corrected in a timely manner. Uniform orders will be placed after these inspections are completed. B) During these inspections, each member shall don their full Class A uniform in order to ensure its serviceability. C) Probationary new hire personnel will not have their full Class A ensemble until successful completion of probationary period. D) Members shall maintain the following quantities of uniform items at all times: 1) Full Class A uniform and all of its accessories as outlined in Section 3.2 2) Five (5) uniform trousers as outlined in Section 3.3 3) Five collared shirts. A minimum of (2) short sleeve and/or long sleeve shirts (button ups) the remainder can be button ups or polo shirts. 4) Eight (8) T shirts and/or Long Sleeve T shirts of any combination as outlined in Section 3.4 5) One (1) outerwear as outlined in Section 3.4 E) To place an order for a uniform item, the member must present to the Assistant Chief the damaged item or report an item to be lost so that a replacement can be ordered. The member must submit a completed “Clothing Request Form” to the Assistant Chief with required information. F) Stock items will be maintained and distributed by the Assistant Chief. Members needing stock items should submit a “Clothing Request Form” in order to be issued the desired item. Stock items include: 1) T shirt 2) Long sleeve T shirt 3) Ball caps 4) Sock hats 5) Workout shorts 6) Workout shirts G) In addition to the above mentioned quantities, each member of the Division shall be allotted $300.00 to be used for the purchase of duty footwear, per the collective bargaining agreement. To order footwear, members must request that a requisition be made for the order with the Assistant Chief. 8 3.6 Decoration and Service Awards A) Ribbons shall be worn when wearing the class A uniform coat. 1) Location: Ribbons will be centered 1/8” above the name plate on the right chest. 2) Multiple Ribbons: a) Will be worn in order of precedence from the wearer’s right to left, in one or more rows, with no space between rows. b) No more than three ribbons are worn in any one row. c) Personnel will not start a second row unless they are authorized to wear four or more ribbons. d) The first and second rows will contain three ribbons before starting a third row. e) The top row is centered on the row beneath. 3) Military Service Recognition Bar a) Members who served in a military branch will wear the designated recognition bar centered as the top recognition bar above all awards. B) Order of Precedence 1) Medal of Honor 2) Medal of Valor 3) Distinguished Service Cross 4) Life Saving Award 5) Gold Cross 6) Meritorious Unit Citation 7) Firefighter of the Year C) Decoration Display Specifications 1) Hat: a) All Class A hats shall be worn with the area sitting on the head parallel with the ground, not at an angle up or down. This should bring the brim of the hat down on the forehead of the wearer. b) The department hat badge shall be affixed in an aligned manner, not to be presented crooked. c) Hat straps shall be adjusted tight to the hat with no space. 2) Jacket a) Collar discs shall be affixed 1” on the upper lapel. It shall be 1” away from the point of the upper lapel and ½” from the bottom and side edges of the lapel. FF lapel discs shall be affixed so the ladder is perpendicular. Officer lapel discs shall 9 be affixed with the bugle end pointing to the lapel point. Multiple bugles shall bisect the lapel point. *See photo below: b) Name bars shall be placed on the left breast, oriented horizontally level and situated at the upper third of the coat badge across the jacket. *See photo below: c) Badges shall be placed on the provided badge tab. 3.7 Chief and Assistant Chief Uniform A) The Chief and the Assistant Chief may wear any component of class A, B, or C uniforms. B) The standard uniform for the Chief and the Assistant Chief is the class A uniform shirt, either short or long sleeve, or the Class B or C collared shirt and navy uniform pants. C) Shirts shall be worn with the appropriate badge and collar brass This page intentionally left blank. 10