310-02 VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.pdf

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 310-02 Vehicle Accidents Issue Date: 05/21/2018...

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 310-02 Vehicle Accidents Issue Date: 05/21/2018 Effective Date: 06/21/2018 PURPOSE: To establish guidelines for a reliable and safe method of approaching and operating at vehicle accidents. AUTHORITY:  Fire Rescue Administrator SCOPE: This standing operating guideline shall apply to all Emergency Operations personnel. PROCEDURE: These guidelines provide a basic framework for most vehicle accidents. 1. General a. Response i. Refer to SOG 100-01 Emergency and Non-Emergency Response. ii. The Company Officer may request additional units based on: 1. Visible or reported conditions 2. Knowledge of the area 3. Number of vehicles involved 4. Number of patients involved 5. Other unusual circumstances b. Arrival Report i. Refer to SOG 210-01 Communication for Arrival Report. ii. Consider requesting the following additional resource(s), as needed: 1. Engine(s), Rescue(s), EMS Captain, Battalion Chief 2. The closest Aerial and Special Operations for extrication 3. Special Operations for Hazardous Materials 4. Law Enforcement for traffic control 5. Utilities 6. Road Rangers for traffic control on the Turnpike iii. If hazardous materials are identified refer to SOG 700-02 Response to Hazardous Materials-WMD Incidents. c. Incident Management i. Refer to SOG 200-02 Incident Command Sequence. SOG 310-02 Vehicle Accidents Page 1 of 4  d. Apparatus Placement i. Apparatus placement is a vital consideration and should be done in accordance with SOG 310-01 Traffic Operations. ii. In addition to the information outline in SOG 310-01 Traffic Operations, it is important to also consider the following safety hazards when parking: 1. Fuel leaks and spills (park uphill, upwind) 2. Hazardous materials releases (park uphill, upwind) 3. Down electrical power lines 4. Damage to electrical power poles e. Communications i. The Incident Commander is responsible for broadcasting appropriate incident benchmarks outline in SOG 210-01 Communications. f. Scene Stabilization i. Refer to SOG 310-01 Traffic Operations for further safety considerations. ii. Company Officers shall ensure personnel have the appropriate personal protective equipment on based upon the immediate hazards. iii. Fire Rescue personnel, Law Enforcement, and citizens should not be permitted into a Hot Zone without the appropriate personal protective equipment. iv. Live electrical wires should be isolated and an Exclusion Zone established. No one shall be allowed into the Exclusion Zone, even with personal protective equipment on. g. Vehicle Stabilization i. All vehicles damaged in accidents are inherently unstable and require stabilization to minimize further movement so the extrication process can proceed. ii. All vehicles should be placed in park, engines turned off and wheels chocked. iii. Any vehicle on its side, on a barrier, or upside down must be cribbed and chocked utilizing current stabilization techniques (i.e., step chocks, 2x4’s, 4x4’s, etc...) to prevent movement. 1. Special Operations and Aerials carry specialized equipment specifically for vehicle stabilization, which include: a. Kodiak Stabilization Kits b. Capabear Claw Stabilization Kits c. Lift Bags d. Chains and Webbing h. Patient Extrication i. Any un-deployed airbag should be considered as a “loaded” airbag. Loaded airbags can be deployed unintentionally by the actions we take as a vehicle is pried and cut open. It is critical to remove interior plastic and visually scan the interior of a vehicle to determine if, how many, and locations of any airbags or curtains present. ii. Fire Rescue personnel should maintain a safe distance between the patient and airbag. When possible, Fire Rescue personnel should hold cervical spine immobilization of front seat occupants from the rear seat. If a vehicle is equipped with tilt steering, elevate it to its highest position. If possible, move SOG 310-02 Vehicle Accidents Page 2 of 4  the front seat back and away from the front dash or front steering wheel airbag to minimize trauma should the airbag deploy. iii. Vehicles with airbags may self-deploy causing potential harm to civilians and emergency workers. Therefore, the vehicle’s electrical system should be completely shut down as early into the extrication as possible. All airbag systems have a stored reserve of energy. Shutting down the battery power minimizes the danger, it does not eliminate it! 1. In cases of significant damage or extrication: a. Cut the negative, then the positive battery cables. Remove a ½ inch of cable and cover cable ends with electrical or duct tape. b. If cutting and removing a section of cable is not possible, remove the cables from the battery posts and place them so they cannot connect back to the battery or come in contact with any metal objects. iv. When extricating patients from vehicles, caution must be used to avoid cutting or crushing the activation devices from: 1. Loaded side impact airbags (inside doors and seats) 2. Seatbelt pre-tensioning devices (“B” post) 3. Roll over bags (A, B, C posts/roofline). 4. Knee Airbags (front dash) 5. Inflatable seatbelts v. If extrication is in progress, a 1 ¾” hose line shall be deployed to protect emergency personnel and victims from hazards. vi. Personnel shall be assigned to the hose line in proper PPE when a significant threat of fire exists. vii. Consideration of foam application should be given high priority for fuel spills. viii. Absorbent should be used to remove small fuel spills from the roadway. i. Types of Fuel i. These are the common types of fuel being used in vehicles today: 1. Gasoline 2. Diesel 3. Gasoline-electric hybrid 4. Plug-in hybrid 5. Battery electric 6. Biodiesel 7. Ethanol and flex fuel 8. Propane or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) 9. Natural Gas or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) 10. Fuel Cells ii. Each of the above vehicle fuels have different and specific hazards to be aware of. For instance, Fuel Cells would most likely be hydrogen fuel cells and when burning would show no flame and no smoke. Meaning the heat would only be recognized by visual distortions and heat signatures on a thermal imagining camera. iii. Most state and federal laws have yet to enact standardization marking and labeling requirements for each vehicle fuel type. For instance, one gasoline- SOG 310-02 Vehicle Accidents Page 3 of 4  electric hybrid has yellow cables indicating high-voltage electrical cables, and another manufacture has orange cables. 2. Emergency Scene Activities a. First Arriving Unit Responsibilities i. The first arriving unit shall establish Incident Command and manage the incident until Incident Command is transferred or terminated (refer to SOG 200-02 Incident Command Sequence). ii. The first arriving unit should (in preferred order): 1. Stabilizing the scene 2. Stabilizing the vehicle(s) 3. Providing patient care 4. Extricating the victim(s) iii. Motor vehicle collisions involving minor damage and minor injuries: 1. May be removed from the roadway for the purpose of reducing the hazard to other drivers and to eliminate the traffic obstruction. 2. Fire Rescue personnel should use orange spray paint and mark placement of vehicles before moving them. a. Mark each wheel location (i.e., RR-right rear, RF-right front). 3. If call load permits, a unit may remain on scene until Law Enforcement arrives. If it is necessary to leave scene for another response, notify Law Enforcement through the Communication Center. b. First Arriving EMS Captain Responsibilities i. The first arriving EMS Captain should be assigned to complete a 360 degree size up and be assigned as the Incident Safety Officer. ii. When dealing with multiple victims, the first arriving EMS Captain may be used to establish a Medical Group or Division. c. First Arriving Chief Officer Responsibilities i. The first arriving Chief Officer is expected to assume Incident Command if the incident is escalating or unstable. ii. If the incident is NOT escalating or unstable the first arriving Chief Officer may work in an advisory capacity with the Incident Commander. iii. If it is determined that the extended use of powered hydraulic, electric, or battery tools are to be used to extricate a victim(s), the Incident Commander should: 1. Request the closest Aerial 2. Request Special Operations 3. Assign an Extrication Group or Division Supersession History 1. SOG #2310, issued 04/01/1994 2. SOG #2310, issued 10/01/2012 3. SOG 310-02, clerical 05/01/2018 4. SOG 310-02, issued 05/21/2018 SOG 310-02 Vehicle Accidents Page 4 of 4