Spring Fire Department Response Model Guideline PDF

**[PURPOSE]** To provide all personnel of the Spring Fire Department with information at staffed stations a set of rules and operational guidelines for responses to incidents. **[SCOPE]** All Spring Fire Department personnel are responsible for knowing and complying with this procedure. **[REVIE...

**[PURPOSE]** To provide all personnel of the Spring Fire Department with information at staffed stations a set of rules and operational guidelines for responses to incidents. **[SCOPE]** All Spring Fire Department personnel are responsible for knowing and complying with this procedure. **[REVIEW]** The Fire Chief or designee is responsible for reviewing this guideline annually and assuring its accuracy. **[REFERENCES/DEFINITIONS]** [Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL)]: a means for automatically determining and transmitting the geographic **location** of a **vehicle**. **[GUIDELINE]** **[Non-Staffed Station(s)]: When a non-staffed station's apparatus is dispatched to an incident, the Comm Center will automatically dispatch the closest staffed apparatus, via automatic vehicle locator (AVL), to respond as well. If it is discovered that an incident is dispatched without a staffed apparatus, the closest staffed apparatus shall add themselves to the incident and respond in the appropriate response mode. Non-staffed station medical incidents are exempt from requiring the closest staffed apparatus to respond.** **[Non-Emergency Responses]: Incidents that have been deemed low acuity, and shall be responded to in a non-emergency mode. The officer in charge of the apparatus has the autonomy to upgrade to an emergency response if they deem it necessary based on distance, a significant delay due to traffic or call information.** **[Non-Emergency Incidents:]** - **Controlled Burns** - **Smoke in the Area** - **Fluid Spills, vehicles leaking fuel and/or general cleanup of motor vehicle accidents** - **Live Wires** - **Transformer Fire** - **Back in assignments (In-District or Out of District)** - **Assist a Citizen** - **Assist Law Enforcement** - **Automatic Alarms (Residential or Commercial)** **[Emergency Responses]: Any incident not classified as a non-emergency incident, shall be responded to in emergency mode. The officer in charge of the apparatus has the autonomy to downgrade to non-emergency if they deem it necessary based on the call information.** **NOTE: It's imperative that all in service apparatus do not add themselves to incidents, this ensures that apparatus are available to respond to other emergency incidents.** **[Light Structure Responses]: The following units will be dispatched and shall respond. The officer in charge of the apparatus is authorized to upgrade the response based on incident information. The closest units are dispatched via automatic vehicle locator (AVL) by the Comm Center. All other remaining units shall remain in service and refrain from adding themselves to the incident. If it is discovered your unit is closer than the ones dispatched, contact the Comm Center and request to be added, and disregard the other unit.** **[Residential:]** - Two (2) Spring Fire Department staffed apparatus - One (1) District Chief - Two (2) Spring Fire Department staffed apparatus - One (1) Aerial **[Structure Fire Responses]: The following units will be dispatched and shall respond. The officer in charge of the apparatus is authorized to upgrade the response based on incident information. The closest units are dispatched via automatic vehicle locator (AVL) by the Comm Center. All other remaining units shall remain in service and refrain from adding themselves to the incident. If it is discovered your unit is closer than the ones dispatched, contact the Comm Center and request to be added, and disregard the other unit.** [Residential:] - One (1) District Chief - Five (5) Engines - One (1) Aerial - One (1) Rescue Truck - One (1) Rehab/Cascade Vehicle - One (1) ALS Medic Unit - One (1) District Chief - Five (5) Engines - Two (2) Aerials - One (1) Rescue Truck - One (1) Rehab/Cascade Vehicle - One (1) ALS Medic Unit **[Extrication Responses]: The following units will be dispatched and shall respond. The officer in charge of the apparatus is authorized to upgrade the response based on incident information. The closest units are dispatched via automatic vehicle locator (AVL) by the Comm Center. All other remaining units shall remain in service and refrain from adding themselves to the incident. If it is discovered your unit is closer than the ones dispatched, contact the Comm Center and request to be added, and disregard the other unit.** **[In-District]:** - **One (1) District Chief** - **One (1) Engine, unless on freeway main-lanes, two Engines** - **One (1) Apparatus with extrication equipment** - **One (1) Rescue** **[Out-of-District]:** - **One (1) District Chief** - **One (1) Rescue Truck or One (1) Apparatus with extrication equipment** **[Gas Leak]: The following units will be dispatched and shall respond. The officer in charge of the apparatus is authorized to upgrade the response based on incident information. The closest units are dispatched via automatic vehicle locator (AVL) by the Comm Center. All other remaining units shall remain in service and refrain from adding themselves to the incident. If it is discovered your unit is closer than the ones dispatched, contact the Comm Center and request to be added, and disregard the other unit.** **[Odor of Gas]:** - **One (1) Engine** **[Gas Leak Inside-Residential]:** - **One (1) Engine** - One (1) District Chief - Two (2) Spring Fire Department staffed apparatus - One (1) Aerial - One (1) District Chief - Two (2) Spring Fire Department staffed apparatus **[Tanker or Booster Responses]: For in-district or out of district emergency incidents requiring a Tanker or Booster response, two (2) personnel from the on-duty crew shall respond with the Tanker/Booster to the dispatched incident. The remaining two (2) personnel shall respond with the staffed apparatus to provide manpower. In cases where there is only three (3) personnel on duty, one (1) person can respond in the Tanker, but this is not the preferred method.** **[Heavy Utility Truck/LMTV]: For in-district or out of district emergency incidents requiring a HUT/LMTV response, two (2) personnel from the on-duty crew shall respond with the HUT/LMTV to the dispatched incident. The preferred method is one (1) personnel from each staffed apparatus, allowing the remaining apparatus to remain with three (3) personnel. The remaining personnel will stay back to continue staffing the normally staffed apparatus and be available to respond to other emergency incidents. In cases where staffing does not permit a two (2) person response, one (1) person can respond in the HUT/LMTV, but this is not the preferred method.** **[Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) Responses]: For in-district or out of district emergency incidents requiring a UTV response, two (2) personnel from the on-duty crew or Rescue Truck shall respond with a Utility Vehicle capable of towing the UTV and trailer to the dispatched incident. The remaining two (2) personnel shall respond with the staffed apparatus to provide manpower. In cases where there is only three (3) personnel on duty, one (1) person can respond in the Utility Vehicle capable of towing the UTV, but this is not the preferred method.** **[Rescue/Evacuation Boat(s) Responses]: For in-district or out of district emergency incidents requiring a Rescue or Evacuation Boat response, two (2) personnel from the on-duty crew or Rescue Truck shall respond with a Utility Vehicle/Booster capable of towing the Rescue/Evacuation Boats and trailer to the dispatched incident. The remaining two (2) personnel shall respond with the Rescue Truck or staffed apparatus to provide manpower. In cases where there is only three (3) personnel on duty, one (1) person can respond in the Utility Vehicle capable of towing the Rescue/Evacuation Boats and trailer, but this is not the preferred method.** **[Station Medical Responses]: For station medical responses the closest staffed apparatus shall respond to their respective station medical responses. Specialty staffed apparatus, i.e. Aerial/Rescue shall respond to additional station medical responses for their respective station if the primary staffed apparatus is not in service.** **[Freeway Responses]: The closest staffed apparatus and Heavy Utility Truck (HUT) will be dispatched and shall respond. The first arriving apparatus shall position itself to block the scene and position close enough to begin providing patient care. The Heavy Utility Truck (HUT) shall stop "up-stream" from the incident and position as an additional scene blocker. If staffing does not allow for a response by a Heavy Utility Truck, the officer in charge shall ensure a "blocker" apparatus is dispatched. This "blocker" apparatus shall stop "up-stream" from the incident and position as an additional scene blocker.** **[Mutual Aid Responses]: When a non-staffed apparatus is dispatched to a mutual aid response, the closest staffed apparatus shall respond with the non-staffed apparatus. If a staffed apparatus is dispatched to a mutual aid incident, the staffed apparatus shall respond as requested. For mutual aid responses requiring a specialty apparatus (tanker / booster / UTV / Rescue/Evacuation Boats), with the exception of Squad 77, two (2) personnel from the on-duty crew shall respond with the specialty apparatus. The remaining two (2) personnel shall respond with the staffed apparatus to provide manpower. All other remaining units shall remain in service and refrain from adding themselves to the incident. If it is discovered your unit is closer than the ones dispatched, contact the Comm Center and request to be added, and disregard the other unit.** **[Back-In Assignments within SFD]: For in-district back in assignments, all stations are alerted by radio anytime an SFD box assignment is dispatched. Apparatus that are not dispatched shall monitor the radio to determine if the incident is "working." In service apparatus shall move to a centrally located station. Back in assignments should be dispatched by the Comm Center; however, if they do not, the officer of the apparatus shall determine which station to move to, and notify the Comm Center of their move.**