Hoffman Estates Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines PDF

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT – 007 September 1, 2023 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG Titl...

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT – 007 September 1, 2023 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG Title: Hazard Zone Management Revision: 3 APPROVED BY: NUMBER OF PAGES: Re-evaluation Date: Alan Wax January 1, 2026 Fire Chief 4 PURPOSE POLICY For the first arriving officer, the initial activities should include a complete on-scene report. If that officer can communicate a graphic word picture as to what is occurring at the incident, other incoming units will have a better understanding of what the incident is which will reduce the confusion once they arrive. PROCEDURE 1. First arriving unit communicates the Initial Radio Report that is designed to capture key elements of the critical fire ground factors. The acronym H.O.P will be used to assist in remembering these key elements in an easy to follow flow:  H – Height of building o How many stories?  O – Occupancy type o Single Family o Multi-Family o Walgreens  P – Problem o Nothing Showing o Light Smoke o Heavy Smoke o Fire By transmitting the H.O.P the officer gives the other responding units an image of what the officer sees. The description includes such information as the height of the building, the occupancy type and the amount and location (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta) of smoke or fire showing. This brief report will help others picture what is occurring. 1 2. In addition to the picture of what is occurring, the officer of the initial arriving engine must communicate the direction of travel. 3. The next statement to be made is the announcement of Command. Once the first piece of fire equipment arrives at the scene and until the last one leaves, someone has to be in command. Everyone responding to or working at an incident needs to know that Command is established. For example: "Engine 22 is on the scene of a two-story single family with fire showing from Alpha, second floor windows. Engine 22 is northbound and Westbury Command." 4. 360 Size-up (Follow Up Report) - The visualization of all sides of the structure with emphasis on the rear (CHARLIE Side) conditions. This will be performed by the first arriving officer. Consider this an essential safety and survival action that identifies: a) Is there a basement (walkout, English style, other)? b) Are there any indications of lightweight or poor building construction or areas where firefighter escape could be compromised due to bars, obstructions or non- existent exits? c) Are there any fire behavior conditions on the B/C/D sides of the building that differ from the Alpha side? d) Are there Victims or any other Hazards? e) Command should identify and declare the strategy: offensive, defensive, transitional. f) Any additional pertinent traffic needed or missed in Initial Report. 5. Tactical Benchmarks – Indicators of specific strategic and task level progress which help determine the on-going assessment of risk. These benchmarks should be relayed to dispatch upon completion. a) All Clear – search classification that distinguishes the completion of a Primary and Secondary Search of all floors/areas of the structure is complete. b) Fire control – fire is under control and/or out in the main area. (Check for attic extension!) 6. Staging – After initial arrival of the affected district apparatus and Tower 22, all other responding apparatus will stage. This automatic staging assignment needs to be broadcast over the radio so that command knows there are apparatus arriving on scene. This will prompt Command to give you an assignment if required. Wait for orders – do not self- deploy! 7. Other Hazard Zone Considerations: a) Utilities: A company should be assigned to address on-scene utilities. NWCD should also be notified to address utilities. b) EMS: Consider a company for potential patients. c) Coordinated Ventilation: Assess the need for ventilation: horizontal, vertical, hydraulic or mechanical ventilation. d) Overhaul: (Incident Management Guideline 01) 2  e) Ladders: A company should be assigned to deploy a ladder(s) to the building as necessary. f) Monitors: (Safety Operations 12) g) RIC/IRIC: (Fire Scene Operations 12, 13) DEFINITIONS On Deck – Crews are readily available with PPE, SCBA, and Tools in a designated Sector/Division of the building ready to take over the assignment of a company (or may perform RIT functions if needed). They should not be directly in the IDLH “Hot Zone” area (this also meets the OSHA Two In – Two Out requirement). As additional crews arrive on scene and stage the incident commander should move crews to “on deck”. Recycle –Recycling crews is the concept that each interior company will work through a cylinder of air and report to recycle. The crew will drink a bottle of water, change their cylinder and report back to their last division or as an “ON DECK” assignment. Rehab – is considered moving to another division and units MAY be reassigned out of Rehab if they become available. Sides – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta - Clockwise from Front: (A - ALPHA) then to left (B - BRAVO) then to rear (C - CHARLIE) then to right (D - DELTA) o Normally the address side is ALPHA Floors – Use floor numbers to create divisions (Division 1, 2, etc. or Basement, Roof) Exposure – Structures or Units directly next to & away from the Main Fire area (i.e. – Exposure Delta 1, Delta 2 or Exposure Bravo 1, Bravo 2, Etc.) C.A.N. Report – Conditions, Actions, Needs. A format for a brief progress or action report from a task level. o Conditions- Smoke, Fire, Heat conditions, building conditions, etc. o Actions- Updates command of working companies’ assignments & Tactical Benchmarks completed. o Needs- Prompts command to send additional resources/assign companies if needed. P.A.R. – Personnel Accountability Report -Updates Command that each member of your crew is present/accounted for. o PARs occur after an assignment change, change of Strategy or MAYDAY, or when the IC determines the need. o PARs are especially important for all companies operating in the Hot Zone area and then working outward to companies in staging last. 3  o A final PAR will take place at the termination of the incident accounting for all crews assigned. Transitional Attack – Fire Attack from the outside to knock down visible fire venting before we go in. This is still considered an “OFFENSIVE” attack if the plan is an interior attack. The goal is to reduce the possibility of fire extension and flashover by reducing the interior temperature. Operations on Lightweight Construction – Roofs & Floors use extreme caution. – if necessary, work from a platform, main ladder or ground ladder. Offensive Operations – Entry into a structure is possible and necessary due to high probability that lives can be saved and damage to property reduced by placing members into the hazard zone. Entry is allowed only after a proper size-up, risk assessment, and an evaluation of the available and necessary resources have been made If members find a situation where immediate action may prevent the loss of human life or serious injury, entry into an IDLH atmosphere will be permitted with less than four members on the scene, under certain specific conditions that allow exception to Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulation 29 CFR 1910.134 (These exceptions also hold if there are four or more members on the scene, providing that all are required to function in the rescue mode.) In these situations, the IRIC should be considered to be filled as soon as feasibly possible by the Incident Commander. Conditions must be survivable for occupant and tenable for members. Defensive Operations – Not Survivable, Property Not Savable, Exposure protection, Collapse Zones and Exclusion Zones Established with proper apparatus placement. Back-up line – A back-up line is one that is placed to reinforce an existing tactical position and should be the same size or IDEALLY larger than the first line. Second line – An additional line deployed to another fire area of the structure as assigned by the IC. EXCEPTIONS REFERENCES MABAS Illinois Policies and Procedures current online reference MABAS Division 1 Operating Guidelines/Policy Statements End of Document 4