Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue Standard Operating Guidelines 1.5 Communications PDF

***Robert Rose, Deputy Chief Operations Greg Perez, Fire Chief*** Purpose: The purpose of this command function is for command to initiate, maintain, and control effective incident communications. Effective incident communications provide the very practical connection between and among the 3 mana...

***Robert Rose, Deputy Chief Operations Greg Perez, Fire Chief*** Purpose: The purpose of this command function is for command to initiate, maintain, and control effective incident communications. Effective incident communications provide the very practical connection between and among the 3 management levels of the organization; the strategic, tactical and the task levels. Scope: To be effective, command must orchestrate an ongoing combination of the standard communications activities among all those who are all actively involved with the incident and are operating at different levels. Each level operates with its own special set of needs, capabilities, and challenges. These differences create a complex set of operational realities for the entire team. They require a strong, well-practiced, procedures-based communications plan and positive functional based relationships among the participants. Definitions: **RMP-** Risk Management Plan **IAP-** Incident Action Plan **IRR-** Initial Radio Report **ETN-** Elapsed Time Notification **CAN-** Conditions Action's Needs General Guidelines: **Use Plain Text** We conduct incident operations using plain text communications that are directed toward the completion of the tactical priorities. The use of plain text (common English) is NIMS-compliant, as opposed to 10-code signals and other odd numbering based systems. Where multiple agencies operate together, the participants must all use plain text to share incident information. **Mix & Match Forms of Communications: Face-to-Face/Radio/Computers/SOPs** Face to face communication is the most effective form of communication. It should be the preferred form of communication on the task and tactical levels of the incident site. Face to face communications should be used whenever possible in the following circumstances: - Company officers communicating with their crew members. - Company officers communicating with other company officers in their work area. - Tactical level communications with units assigned to a geographic location. All members working on the fireground will avoid distracting command with face to face communications. Command must be the person to initiate this form of communication and it should only be performed when the incident hazards have been controlled. Radio communications are the way that the tactical and task levels connect with command. While radio communication does not put water on the fire, the overall outcome of the incident is directly connected to the quality of the radio communications among the participants. **Upgrade the mobile command position as quickly as possible** Most of the time, the operation will start out with the first arriving company officer on an Engine company. Initial arriving officers have a narrow window of being able to produce clear and concise radio communications before putting themselves in the worst communications position possible, in full PPE operating in a hazard zone. Therefore, it is very important to use the very beginning of the event to transmit a complete IRR and Follow-Up Report before entering the hazard zone, when they are in their best communication position. These two reports tell other responding units exactly what's going on at the incident, what the first arriver is doing about it, and where they will be located on the incident site. From that point on, the operation is in a position to quickly assign the next 2 units to critical areas around the scene, but they are not in an ideal physical position to manage a large amount of resources. All incoming resources must understand the communications position command is in, and support them by properly following all hazard zone SOG's.  [\*All hazard zone transmissions shall be carried out on one (1) tactical radio frequency.\*] **Use the Organization Chart as a Communications Flow Plan** Dividing the incident scene into divisions has a positive and profound effect on the communications process. When command assigns division officer responsibilities to the company officers initially assigned to the different key tactical positions, it starts to manage their span of control and enhances the entire communications process. In cases where the command hasn't implemented/assigned division officers, they will have to communicate directly with each individual unit assigned to the incident scene. Any time there are 3 or more units working in the same geographically area, Command should designate one of the units as the division supervisor and all communications from that area will be from the division supervisor to command. Command must only be responsible for the operation of 1 tactical radio frequency while an active hazard zone exists. **Radio Discipline** When 3 or more units are assigned to the incident scene, the tactical channel can start to fill up with unnecessary radio traffic. The 2 main reasons for this are: 1. Assigned units are communicating/contacting command with non-essential radio traffic. 2. Command is communicating non-essential radio traffic. Command MUST control the radio traffic on the tactical channel or they will not be able to control the overall incident site. The following radio guidelines are to be strictly adhered to when there are units assigned into a hazard zone: - Know exactly what you're going to say before clicking the microphone to talk. - Only communicate information on the tactical channel that pertains to the completion of the tactical priorities and firefighter safety. - Always let communication loops close before clicking the microphone button to talk. - Always end every CAN report with a **NEED** assessment (or with "No Needs"). - Never get on the radio to give good news (All-Clears and PARs) unless it is request by command via a progress report. There are 4 major types of radio communication **to** command: 1. CAN reports 2. Roof reports 3. Priority traffic 4. MAYDAY Specific procedures: **Utilize the Standard Order Model to Structure Communications** The order model also standardizes how the incident's participants will exchange two-way radio communications. The Order Model's required steps are: 1. When the sender is ready to transmit a message, they call the receiver to determine if they are ready to receive the message; 2. The receiver then acknowledges the sender; 3. When the sender receives the readiness reply, they can transmit the message; 4. The receiver then gives a brief restatement of the message to acknowledge the receipt of the message; and 5. The sender restates the message if misunderstood. Using the order model will significantly decrease the amount of radio traffic on the emergency scene. It will also help eliminate; freelancing, order confusion and it enhances responder safety and accountability. **Basic types of radio transmissions on a hazard zone:** There are 7 basic communications we routinely perform on the fire ground. They are: - Initial Radio Report - Follow-Up Report - Assigning Units - Command Transfer - CAN Reporting - Roof Reporting - Offensive to Defensive Strategic Shift **Begin & control communications upon arrival with a standard Initial Radio Report** The IRR must include the following reporting elements: 1. **Clear the air, announce your arrival on the scene** 2. **Building/area description** 3. **Describe the problem** 4. **Action being taken -- Initial I.A.P.** 5. **Declaration of the Strategy** 6. **Resource Determination** 7. **Assuming and Naming of Command** **Follow-Up Reports -- 360's** Follow-Up Reports should include the following information after a 360 has been performed: 1. Confirm completion/incompletion of 360 2. Utilities secured (or not secured, **must assign**) 3. Verify basement type (if present) and the stories from the Charlie side 4. Any immediate safety concerns (if present) - Potential collapse area - Hazardous roof structure - Power lines down or arching - Gas meter/tank exposed to fire - Swimming pools - Animals 5. Any changes to the initial IAP stated on the IRR (if necessary) 6. Confirmation of Strategy 7. Confirm resource determination **CAN Reports** CAN reporting gives units a regular, consistent way to report back to command on their progress and needs. CAN reporting keeps things simple and it delivers command the information needed to keep the strategy and IAP current. The CAN acronym stands for: - **C**onditions - **A**ctions - **N**eeds **All CAN reports should start with the tactical objectives that have been completed prior to giving the report.** Here is a basic list of reporting items to choose from when providing a CAN report to command: All communications that details the routine work that units perform in their assigned work areas should be done face to face and must not be transmitted over the tactical channel. The purpose of this is to eliminate all "good news" reporting over the tactical channel. This includes: - No extension reports - Un-prompted PAR's This does not eliminate a Unit's responsibility to contact command with: - Fire control reports - Roof reports - Priority traffic - MAYDAY report **\ Fire Control Reports** Bernalillo County has a no-good news reporting policy -- but a major offensive incident action planning benchmark for command is when the operation achieves the "Fire Under Control" benchmark. This benchmark report represents a major shift in the overall focus of the operation going from a water application, fire control mode, to a focus on ventilating the structure followed by secondary searches. **Non-Residential Roof Reports** The Truck and Tower companies have the apparatus and equipment to access and operate on the roofs of most. These reports can provide very valuable tactical information to command and the crews operating on the fireground. A company assigned to the roof will make the following assessment (size-up) of the roof: - **Type of roof if not easily identified from the ground (peaked, flat, bowstring, etc.)** - **Stability of the roof (stable, unstable)** - **Fire or smoke conditions and their location on the roof** - **Presence & location of any firewalls** - **Unusual heavy roof loads (if present)** - **Conditions in the Attic (if known)** - **Basic blueprint of the building if unusual** Any roof report containing significant tactical information should be given to command shortly after the roof company has made access to the roof and has obtained the information. Reports from the roof containing any of the following information should be structured as priority traffic and should be made as soon as possible: - Unstable roof - Eminent collapse potential - A locally identified hazardous roof structure (bowstring, etc.) - Working fire in the attic space **Priority Traffic Reports** Once a unit is assigned into the hazard zone, they should maintain radio silence until benchmarks have been achieved, or a need has been identified. The following are examples of instances where a unit can break radio silence. These transmissions should be structured as Priority Traffic reports (example: "Division 2 to Command with Priority Traffic") and they MUST be transmitted as soon as the information is obtained. Examples include: - Victims encountered - A roof report that includes: attic fire, unsafe roof structure, eminent collapse threat - Sudden, significant incident events (flashover, back draft, collapse) - Unable to complete a critical assigned task/tactical objective - Urgent need to be reinforced/backed-up to complete an assigned task/tactical objective - Working concealed space fires not easily controlled by the locating unit All Priority traffic reports must be clear and acknowledged by command. Firefighters with priority traffic are allowed to interrupt the order model of other radio traffic to deliver their priority traffic report. Once command has acknowledged the priority traffic report, they should conclude their radio transmission with the unit whose traffic was interrupted. **Emergency Traffic** Emergency traffic should only be used for true emergencies. The improper, over use of emergency traffic at emergency scenes tends to diminish the overall effect it has on the operation. The incident commander is the only person who can initiate an emergency traffic report. Companies operating in and around the hazard zone will contact command with priority traffic reports and command will determine the need for emergency traffic and the corresponding tones. When emergency traffic is given, command will contact fire control directly to initiate the report. Once emergency traffic has been requested, Fire control will immediately activate the emergency traffic tones. It is very important to get the emergency traffic tones transmitted as soon as possible. The sooner they are activated, the sooner command and all other affected units can initiate corrective action(s). Emergency traffic will receive the highest communications priority from Fire control and Command. All other units operating at the incident site will maintain radio discipline until the emergency traffic has been cleared by command. References: *Blue Card Command SOP's, October 2018 update, Blue Card Command™*