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HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: SAFETY OPERATIONS – 008 January 1, 2022 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG...

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: SAFETY OPERATIONS – 008 January 1, 2022 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG Title: Road Safety Operations Revision: 5 APPROVED BY: NUMBER OF PAGES: Re-evaluation Date: Alan Wax January 1, 2025 Fire Chief 8 PURPOSE The following guideline is intended to ensure the protection of Fire Department personnel while operating in or near a moving traffic environment. OVERVIEW This guideline identifies Traffic Incident Management (TIM) practices that will provide maximum protection for personnel operating in or near moving vehicle traffic. It also identifies several approaches for individual practices to keep emergency responders safe when working on or near a roadway. It has been the policy of emergency responders to position apparatus and other emergency vehicles at an emergency on any street, road, highway or expressway in a manner that best protects the incident scene and the work area, along with protecting road users and moving traffic expeditiously past or around the emergency incident. By moving traffic expeditiously past or around the emergency incident, the chances of secondary crashes are reduced and road users in the congestion and the queue are protected. All emergency responders should understand and appreciate the high risk that personnel are exposed to when operating in or near moving traffic. Responders should always operate within a protected environment at any vehicle-related roadway incident. Always consider moving vehicles as a threat to your safety. Night time incidents requiring personnel to work in or near moving traffic are particularly hazardous. Visibility is reduced and driver reaction time to hazards in the roadway is slowed. POLICY The Company Officer on the scene of roadway incident shall implement, whenever possible, the following procedure. 1 PROCEDURE Responsibilities include: 1. Safety of the emergency responders 2. Care of the injured 3. Protection of the public 4. Clearance of traffic lanes (as soon as possible to prevent secondary incident) Officers shall take all precautions to ensure the safety of the firefighters and citizens in the area in which fire department operations are being conducted. When responding to an incident, officers and drivers shall ensure that all warning devices (lights, sirens and air horns) remain in use as needed. Incident Command Benchmarks The initial-arriving emergency responder and/or the Incident commander must complete critical benchmarks to assure that a safe and protected work environment is established and maintained according to the following: 1. Insure that the first-arriving apparatus establishes the initial safe position or “block” to create a protected work area or “shadow”. 2. The emergency traffic control activities should include all aspects of a TIMA (advanced warning area, transition space, buffer space, incident space and termination area). 3. The emergency traffic control activities should not only consider the activities downstream of the safe position or “block”, but should also consider the activities upstream of the safe position or “block”. These activities should take into consideration the perception of the motorist moving toward the emergency incident. 4. That advanced warning devices (emergency signs) will be put in place on ALL roadway emergencies using one or more of the following methods: a. Stopping upstream of the emergency and placing the device b. Walking upstream and placing the device c. Having another emergency response apparatus place the device 5. Traffic cones will be used to communicate the following area of TIMA: a. Transition Area b. Buffer Space c. Incident Space d. Termination Area Note: i. The initial cone placement should focus on the transition area and buffer space. ii. During inclement weather, Incident Command may approve the use of flares off 2  TWR22. Exceptions to this policy will be considered at the discretion of the Incident Commander when: 1. Roadways are closed by authorities and there is no traffic traveling within the incident scene 2. The scope of the incident and the time frame that companies will be on the scene do not warrant the use of the signs or cones 3. There would be a significant safety hazard in placing personnel in high-trafficked/high- speed roadways (i.e., Tollway or other major roadways) when the risk outweighs the benefit. It will be the intent to have the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority or the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) protect the scene of roadway incidents in their jurisdiction by the use of sign boards and vehicles in advance of the incident. 6. Whenever available and responding, personnel from the Hoffman Estates Police Department (HEPD) will be responsible for placing the advanced warning system (signs and cones) on roadway incidents. It will be the responsibility of the Incident Commander to communicate with Dispatch or directly with HEPD on their frequency on the availability of their personnel for this task. If no one from HEPD is available, it will be the responsibility of the Fire Department personnel to complete the required placement of the warning system as deemed necessary. 7. Responders arriving at the emergency incident should, on arrival estimate the magnitude of the emergency incident, the expected time duration of the incident, and the expected vehicle queue length, and then adjust the temporary traffic controls for these estimates. The time durations are: a. Minor- 30 minutes or less b. Intermediate- 30 minutes to 2 hours c. Major- Greater than 2 hours MUTCD Suggested Advanced Warning Sign spacing Road Type A B C Urban (Low Speed) 100’ 100’ 100’ Urban (High Speed) 350’ 350’ 350’ Rural 500’ 500’ 500’ Freeways & Expressways 1,000’ 1,500’ 2,640’ 8. Establish a unified command process utilizing the National Incident Management System and involving all emergency responders. 9. Reduce the exposure to all emergency responders (in the roadway) by practicing “quick clearance” (removal of victims and apparatus from the roadway) whenever possible. 10. Command should stage all unneeded emergency vehicles off the roadway or at a protected 3  staging area. 11. The use of emergency vehicle lighting is essential, especially during the initial stages of an emergency. However, the use on the emergency scene should be re-evaluated and may be reduced if good traffic control has been established. This is especially true regarding forward facing headlights and emergency lighting. Apparatus and Emergency Vehicle Benchmarks The initial-arriving responder and/or the Incident Commander must complete critical apparatus and vehicle benchmarks to assure that a safe and protected work environment is established and maintained according to the following: a) Insure that the first-arriving apparatus establish an initial safe position or “block” to create a protected work area or “shadow”. b) The exact position and location of the safe position or “block” will be dictated by the following factors: a. Type and magnitude of the emergency b. Type and function of the emergency response vehicle c. Roadway type and design d. Posted speed of the roadway e. Topography of the roadway and the area f. Time of day and weather conditions g. Emergency activities in the roadway c) The tactical priorities of the safe position or “block” should involve the following: a. The initial apparatus placement should be placed at least 100’ from the incident area. The vehicle should be positioned at a 20 -30 degree angle with the wheels turned so that if the vehicle is struck from rear it will move away from the incident scene. This positioning will provide a protected “shadow” from the traffic approaching in at least one direction. b. When the direction of the safe position or “block” creates a transition, cones will be used to further communicate the transition space. c. When the direction of the safe position or “block” does not create a transition, cones MUST be used to communicate the transition space. d. Apparatus placement should slow approaching motorists and redirect the motorists around the scene. e. Apparatus placement should involve the following rules: 1. If you need a lane, take a lane (no more or no less) 2. Do not take any more lanes than are needed 4  3. Encroachment into a lane communicates the taking of a lane 4. Command should shut down an extra lane of traffic (if available) in order to create a safe zone for crews to work f. Whenever possible, position fire apparatus in such a manner to protect the pump operator from being exposed to approaching traffic. d) When creating a safe position or blocking with apparatus to protect the emergency scene, establish a sufficient work zone that includes all damaged vehicles, roadway debris, the patient triage and treatment area, the extrication work area, personnel and tools staging area and the ambulance loading area. Additional arriving apparatus and emergency vehicles should be placed in the protected incident space whenever possible as follows: a. Squad 22 should be positioned downstream in front of the incident if possible. b. Position the Tower Ladder (TWR22 or RTWR22) in such a way as to maximize the use of the rescue equipment. c. Ambulances should be placed in front of the scene due to being the most vulnerable and will usually depart the scene first. Their patient loading doors should be angled away from the nearest lanes of moving traffic. d. Shift Commander’s vehicle should be located just in front of the blocking engine creating the safe position or blocking in line with the traffic flow to protect from a side impact. This will also give command the best view of the incident. e. Accident with entrapment- all of the above vehicles should be placed the same. Extra ambulances should fill-in in front of the incident. Extra engines and towers should take a position in the rear of the incident as blocking vehicles leaving approximately 50 feet between each vehicle. f. Use of police and tollway vehicles- the placement of these vehicles should be at a minimum 150 feet behind the incident and this distance should increase in direct correlation with the speed of the roadway. g. On incidents where more than one direction of travel must be controlled, command should place large apparatus on both ends of the incident to create a safe zone for ambulances and other vehicles. The safe zone should be kept large enough to allow multiple companies to work safely. h. On large incidents it might be necessary to call for extra apparatus in order to create a safe zone. Emergency lighting must remain in continuous use throughout the incident. Apparatus headlights should remain in the low beam setting or turned off completely, to minimize the chance of blinding the oncoming traffic. High beams may be used to illuminate the scene at the discretion of command. Consider the use of cones or other warning devices prior to curves and hills to give oncoming drivers enough notice. Termination of the incident - the apparatus providing the safe position or “block” should be the last to leave in order to maintain the safe zone integrity. Traffic lanes should be opened as soon as possible to minimize the chance of a secondary accident. 5 Use of the Tollway (Non-emergency use)  The tollway can be used for non-emergency use. Traffic conditions shall be considered prior to use. Use of turnarounds  Shall not be used unless approved by the Shift Commander  The wedge formation should be used, if possible, whenever use of a turnaround is approved by the Shift Commander. Personnel Safety Benchmarks 1. Always maintain an acute awareness of the high risk of working in or near moving traffic. 2. Never trust moving traffic. 3. Always look before you move 4. Always keep an eye on the moving traffic. 5. Avoid turning your back on moving traffic 6. Personnel should exit and/or enter their apparatus from the protected “shadow” side (away from moving traffic) whenever possible. 7. Personnel responding to roadway incidents must be readily identifiable and visible. All members working on any roadway incident (i.e., vehicle collision, Hazmat or EMS) must wear full turnout gear. Or, at the discretion of the Incident Commander, members may don a Class II vest as provided or wear the Gerber Response Parka. 8. Always look toward the traffic before opening doors and stepping out of the emergency vehicles and into any moving traffic areas. 9. When walking around an emergency vehicle, be alert to the proximity to moving traffic. 10. Personnel shall place and retrieve cones and signs while facing oncoming traffic. DEFINITIONS Safe Position or Blocking Apparatus - Large vehicle (Engine, Tower, etc.) used to create a safe zone TIMA – Traffic Incident Management Area (includes advanced warning area, transition space, buffer space, incident space and termination space). Advanced Warning Area – Warns road users of general or specific conditions on or near the road 6 and any required actions. Transition Space – Where traffic is moved from the normal traffic lanes. Buffer Space – A safe work area created by the blocking rigs. This area is for errant vehicles, protection for the emergency responders and workers and separates the transition space from the incident space. Incident Space – Where the incident takes place. (victims, emergency workers and vehicles) Termination Area – Where the incident terminates and traffic flow returns to the normal traffic lanes. Upstream – Traffic flow toward the incident. Downstream – Traffic flow away from the incident. Inside Lane – The closest lane to traffic coming from the other direction. Outside Lane – The furthest lane from traffic coming from the other direction. Inside Shoulder – The shoulder closest to traffic coming from the other direction. Outside Shoulder – the shoulder furthest from traffic coming from the other direction. Queue- Back-up of traffic caused by the initial incident. Traffic Lane Numbering – Traffic lanes are numbered starting with the inside lane (Lane 1) and count upwards to the outside lane (Lane 4). Wedge formation – used to control traffic flow and increase Fire Department visibility while in emergency response to an incident. This can be used very effectively when you anticipate use of a Tollway turnaround. When responding from Station 22, Tower 22 should lead taking the outside middle lane (lane 3), E22 2nd and taking the inside middle (lane 2) lane, S22 3rd and taking the inside, with A22 following S22 (lane 1) lane and Battalion 6 last taking the inside shoulder (to prevent traffic from coming inside). When approaching the turnaround, Tower 22 should slow and make the turn into the turnaround area stopping oncoming traffic. E22, S22, A22, and Battalion 6 should stop at a safe distance and maintain their positions. When traffic has stopped Tower 22 should proceed with the turn. E22, S22, A22 and Battalion 6 should then follow. Station 24 companies should follow this same procedure with E24 leading and driving in the outer lane with A24 in the inner lane. EXCEPTIONS Where MABAS Illinois Policies and Procedures current online reference or MABAS 1 Operating Guidelines/Policy Statements are in conflict with HEFD Standard Operating Guidelines, HEFD 7 Standard Operating Guidelines will take precedence. REFERENCES MABAS Illinois Policies and Procedures current online reference MABAS 1 Operating Guidelines/Policy Statements Firehouse Magazine March 2001 – Emergency Traffic Management Hampton Roads Highway Incident Management Committee – Incident Management Response Plan Firehouse.com – Watch Out / A review of Highway incidents involving Fire and EMS personnel in 2000. End of Document 8