Woodlands Fire Department Vehicle Accident & Injury Reporting Guidelines PDF

The Woodlands Fire Department Operational Guidelines MV-03 – VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND INJURY REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION 1.0 PURPOSE To provide for the health and safety of TWFD personnel and the public by utilizing a standardized method of reporting and investigating accidents and injuries within The W...

The Woodlands Fire Department Operational Guidelines MV-03 – VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND INJURY REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION 1.0 PURPOSE To provide for the health and safety of TWFD personnel and the public by utilizing a standardized method of reporting and investigating accidents and injuries within The Woodlands Fire Department. 2.0 SCOPE This guideline will be implemented following all accidents that result in injury to TWFD personnel, on duty or while participating in TWFD approved training and activities, or when damage occurs to any TWFD vehicle. 3.0 PROCEDURE 3.1 Injury Reporting A. All injuries to on duty personnel will be reported to the injured employee’s immediate supervisor as soon as possible following the incident. The supervisor will ensure that all injured personnel and civilians are evaluated and treated appropriately and that all necessary emergency aid is obtained. The supervisor will notify the Battalion Chief as soon as possible following the incident. B. Injured employees will be taken to the appropriate medical facility as based on the patient’s condition. Appropriate accepting medical facilities will be identified by The Woodlands Township Human Resource Department. C. If an injured employee does not seek medical attention immediately following an injury, but later seeks medical attention, the employee must notify the onduty Battalion Chief prior to seeking medical attention. The Battalion Chief will notify the Division Chief. D. A return to work authorization from the treating medical professional must be obtained following administration of medical treatment for an occupational injury. E. Additional notifications made by the on-duty Battalion Chief will include: 1) Injuries requiring transport to a medical facility: The Assistant Chief Operations and Division Chief will be notified. Page 1 of 3 Created: 02/23/2006 Revised: 04/04/2022 Reviewed: 07/12/2018 The Woodlands Fire Department Operational Guidelines MV-03 – VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND INJURY REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION 2) Injuries requiring in-patient hospitalization or fatal injuries: All Chief Officers will be notified. F. The injured employee and their supervisor will complete a TWFD First Report of Injury (Form MV-03a). G. Each fire department employee involved in or witness to the incident will complete a TWFD Witness to Incident Report. Any civilian who witnesses the incident will be asked to complete the Witness to Incident Report (Form MV-03b). H. The TWFD First Report of Injury and all TWFD Witness to Incident Report will be completed before the end of the work shift and forwarded to the Township Human Resources Department with copies to the Assistant Chief Operations and Division Chief. I. Injured employees are responsible for keeping their Company Officer, Battalion Chief and the Division Chief updated as to their injury and treatment status. 3.2 TWFD Vehicle Accident Reporting A. Whenever a TWFD vehicle is involved in an accident, unless the occupants are incapacitated, they will insure that all personnel and civilians involved are accounted for and assessed for injury. B. Fire Com will be notified as soon as possible following any vehicle accident involving TWFD vehicles. This notification will include: 1) A report of incident and request of any assistance that is needed. If the apparatus involved is responding to an incident, the Company Officer will ensure Fire Com dispatches the appropriate response to the original incident. 2) Request notification and response from the on-duty Battalion Chief. 3) Request dispatch of the appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation. C. The on-duty Battalion Chief will ensure notification of all Assistant/Division Chiefs as soon as possible following the incident. Page 2 of 3 Created: 02/23/2006 Revised: 04/04/2022 Reviewed: 07/12/2018 The Woodlands Fire Department Operational Guidelines MV-03 – VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND INJURY REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION D. A TWFD Report of Vehicle Collision (Form MV-03c) will be completed by the driver unless the driver was injured when the collision occurred. If the driver was injured the Company Officer will complete the report. A TWFD First Report of Injury must be completed for each TWFD employee injured in the accident. E. Each fire department employee involved in, excluding the vehicle driver, or witness to the incident will complete a TWFD Witness to Incident Report. Any civilian who witnesses the incident will be asked to complete a TWFD Witness to Incident Report. F. In the event that a parked, unattended TWFD vehicle is involved in a collision, the driver/operator or principal vehicle operator will complete the required report(s). G. All required reports will be completed prior to the end of the shift in which the accident occurred. H. The TWFD Report of Vehicle Collision, TWFD Witness to Incident Report, TWFD First Report of Injury, and any photographs of the vehicle and accident scene will be forwarded to the Division Chief. 3.3 Accident & Injury Investigation A. The Division Chief is responsible for coordinating all departmental accident and injury investigations and serving as the departmental liaison with outside agencies conducting independent investigations. 3.4 Post Accident Drug & Alcohol Screening A. All TWFD personnel injured or driving a departmental vehicle involved in an accident will undergo post accident drug and alcohol screening per company substance abuse policy unless authorization to not screen is given by a Battalion Chief or above. B. Employees who are treated for injuries at a health care facility will have their post-accident drug test collected at the facility when available. If the treating designated facility does not perform post-accident drug tests, an in-house screening should be performed whenever practical prior to seeking treatment. Such screening should never delay immediate treatment needs. Copies of all referenced forms will be in the Forms folder in this book and on the network Share Drive. Page 3 of 3 Created: 02/23/2006 Revised: 04/04/2022 Reviewed: 07/12/2018