RVFD Policy #5115 Administrative Members Riding Apparatus PDF

RVFD Policy #5115 May 26, 2004 Page 1 of 3 ADMINISTRATIVE MEMBERS RIDING APPARATUS I. PURPOSE The RVFD By-Laws states that “Administrative Members may not participate in fire, rescue, or EMS operations, but may accompany and assist chief officers with administrativ...

RVFD Policy #5115 May 26, 2004 Page 1 of 3 ADMINISTRATIVE MEMBERS RIDING APPARATUS I. PURPOSE The RVFD By-Laws states that “Administrative Members may not participate in fire, rescue, or EMS operations, but may accompany and assist chief officers with administrative activities at emergency incidents.” This policy establishes the circumstances under which administrative members may ride apparatus other than command or staff vehicles to take photographs, obtain a better understanding of departmental operations or assist with administrative activities at the scene of incidents. II. APPLICABILITY All RVFD personnel. III. DEFINITIONS 1. Administrative Activities – activities related to recording information, taking photographs, assisting command officers, etc. 2. Administrative members – RVFD personnel who are elected to the administrative member category. 3. FROMS – Fire Rescue Occupational Medical Section – the organization that conducts physicals and issues documentation certifying a member has successfully completed a physical based on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards as approved and/or amended by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Commission. 4. Operational Activities – any activity which involves participation in any emergency or non-emergency incident or drill which would require the person to have an NFPA/FROMS approved physical on file for that activity. 5. Ranking officer – the highest ranking officer/member in the station, either RVFD or DFRS 6. Riding position – the designated place on a piece of apparatus. 7. Unit officer – the person in charge of a specific piece of apparatus. RVFD Policy #5115 May 26, 2004 Page 2 of 3 IV. POLICY Administrative members may ride apparatus to emergency incidents after obtaining general, written approval from the Fire Chief and after obtaining specific approval for a specific time period from the unit officer or ranking station officer. Administrative members may not participate in any operational activities or exercises. V. PROCEDURE 1. Administrative members wishing to ride apparatus, other than command or staff vehicles, must obtain written permission from the Fire Chief. 2. Administrative members approved to ride apparatus will be issued a PAS tag, labeled “Administrative – Non-Operational”. 3. Prior to riding, administrative members who are approved to ride must under go an orientation that will include recognition of incident scene hazards, understanding of hot, warm and cold zones, understanding of where on an incident scene they may and may not be located and safety on the apparatus. 4. After obtaining the written permission, approved administrative members wishing to ride apparatus during a specific period of time (e.g. a two-hour block of time on a Monday night), must obtain verbal approval in advance of any incident from both the ranking station officer and the unit officer of the specific piece of apparatus. 5. If both the ranking station officer and the unit officer give approval, the administrative member may ride the apparatus in an assigned riding position. 6. Approved administrative members must wear clothing with RVFD identification. Such clothing must not be of a nature that would confuse any person into believing the administrative member is qualified for any operational activity. (e.g. yellow or blue helmet, etc.) 7. Administrative members must have their PAS tag with them when riding and place it on the PAS tag collector ring for the duration of the time they are assigned to ride. 8. Administrative members must follow the direction of any officer or unit officer when on the scene of an incident unless that direction includes participation in any operational activity. RVFD Policy #5115 May 26, 2004 Page 3 of 3 9. If an administrative member is asked or directed to participate in any operational activity while on the scene of an incident, they must advise whoever told them, with a verbal acknowledgement, that they are not permitted or qualified to participate in any operational activity. VI. RESPONSIBILITY 1. Administrative members are responsible for obtaining all appropriate permissions prior to riding any apparatus. 2. Administrative members are responsible for advising any person asking them to participate in an operational activity they are not permitted or qualified to do so. 3. The Fire Chief is responsible for monitoring the activities of administrative members who have been approved to ride apparatus to determine if such approval may be continued or revoked. VII. Permission 1. The Fire Chief has sole authority to grant permission or deny permission to ride apparatus. Such permission may be granted or denied for any reason based on individual circumstances and is not subject to review. 2. The Fire Chief may revoke permission to ride apparatus for any previously approved administrative member for any reason. Such revocation is not subject to review. _____________________ _________________________ Eric N. Bernard, President Russell W. Dawson, Fire Chief